I love my dogs. Cayla, the one I took home 3 months ago is the biggest player around. She gets along so well with Annie, because Annie loves to play, too. It's amazing how much joy animals can bring into your life.
We've never leashed our dogs because at one time we were in a semi-rural area. We had Snoopy then, and he stayed in the area. He never crossed the main road, and he walked down the sidewalk like all the other civilized travelers. We'd let him out. He'd hang around outside until he wanted to come home, never bothering anyone, and he'd wait at the door. Snoopy was very good.
We got Annie about the time we had a building boom on our dead-end road. Snoopy showed her the ropes about cruising the neighborhood. They pretty much stayed together, but there was more traffic. A few newcomers would let us know they were out. They thought the dogs would get hit. (Our older neighbors knew better.) We started to keep a watchful eye on the dogs, and go out with them more, just because of the increasing traffic. (Nobody really complained.)
After having him for over 15 years, poor old Snoopy died a few months ago. I got Cayla on a whim. I do NOT let her out ever unless she is on a leash, because she has no clue about the sidewalk rule and the traffic is so different than it was ten years ago. I take her for walks on the leash all of the time and Annie walks with us unleashed. They both love to go on these walks. When I get 1/2 way down my dead-end road I'll let Cayla off the leash so she can run. People stop and tell me how cute they both are and call them babies, etc... Of course I'm proud, because I love them.
For the first time ever, I have a neighbor who is complaining about the dogs. I feel uncomfortable taking them for walks. (But I still do.) It's not like the dogs are soiling her beautiful lawn. She is an old woman who just doesn't like dogs. Today Cayla was running on her lawn having a grand old time and while I was thinking, "Oh great...," the woman opened her door and started signaling to me to "get the dog off her lawn". I did, of course.
I'm just sharing here, not asking for advice. I'm too stubborn to take advice. This woman has lived on the street as long or longer than I have. (Our street is either people who have been here for 20 years, or newbies, which are popping up everywhere - and I really like some of them.) The neighbor across the street from the dog-hater has a huge RV and when he turned it around in her driveway she put out a sign that said "No driving in driveway." They've been neighbors forever. They took the sign and threw it in the trash, and that was the end of it. I don't have a sign to throw in the trash.
I'll just keep walking my dogs, I guess. They're so cute!!! I should take pictures.
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