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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2018 57 By now, you know that the "joke" in the December Breeze was a blurb about the "Dog Poop Committee." While we all recognize the humor in the piece, the Dog Owners Group definitely takes the issue of keeping the Four Seasons community clean of dog waste seriously. Each week we have two pack walks with as many as two dozen dogs and owners walking various trails and sidewalks within Four Seasons. Participants carry extra dog waste bags and clean the trails and sidewalk areas of any waste that has been left by irresponsible dog owners. The Dog Owners Group wants a clean community as much as anyone. We promote responsible dog ownership including: picking up waste left by your dog; keeping your dog off the private property of other homeowners; walking your dog on leash as required by local ordinance and our Rules and Regulations; discouraging excessive barking while on the owner's property; licensing and microchipping in the city of Beaumont; and following the schedule of vaccinations mandated by the State of California. Anyone who sees a resident not pick up after their dog should contact the HOA office and file a "Rules Violation Report," which can be found on the OTHER FORMS page of the community website. In fact, members of the Dog Owners Group do not tolerate irresponsible behaviors relating to dog ownership and will file a complaint, as well. Responsible dog ownership benefits the entire community. Although the issue of random dog waste still requires vigilance, those of us who keep an eye out for that sort of thing have seen a big improvement over the last year. The Dog Owners Group, however, will continue to educate our members and others about the imperative of a clean community and we will continue to pick up any waste we see, both as individuals and on our pack walks. We encourage everyone, whether you own a dog or not, to join us on one of our pack walks to see what we do and what we are trying to accomplish. Pack walks last about 30 to 45 minutes, but participants are free to peel off at any time to shorten their walk. Our winter pack walk schedule is as follows: • Saturdays, 8 am leaving from the parking lot in front of the Spa building • Wednesdays, 4 pm leaving from the parking lot at The Summit (rain and/or wind cancels) Patrick and his dog Ricky Ricardo, Dog Owners Group, dog_ owners@yahoo.com. ~ Patrick Gerety D.O.G. Tails & Trails - All Pets When Dogs Need Space There is no doubt that Four Seasons residents enjoy walking their dogs in our beautiful community – at least most of them! We'll bet you didn't know that some dog guardians are not so comfortable and go out of their way to take their pups at crazy hours of the morning and late night. Why? Well, for some, it has to do with their dog's temperament and how OTHERS approach or attempt interaction with their dog. Sometimes, a canine's need for space is nothing more complicated than the human guardian wanting to control the environment while a dog is in training. Then there is the consideration that dogs can be like people in some respects; they have distinct personalities and dispositions that may or may not be related to experience. Sometimes, it's purely genetic when dogs are fearful or exhibit anxiety when interacting with people or other dogs. Dogs with illness or physical discomfort may have little tolerance for human or canine interactions. It's not something that can be trained out of every dog; rather, it's the guardian's challenge to help an anxious dog to be more comfortable while getting some exercise. We all need to respect their space. There are cases where achieving comfort for the dog just isn't going to happen – no matter how hard the guardian and the canine companion have worked on the issue. Four Seasons Tails and Trails is doing something about this to ease the burden for anxious dogs and their guardians and we need everyone's help. For 2018, we are going to make available some yellow I NEED SPACE ribbons for our residents with dogs who need just a bit more consideration and a lot of space from others when walking the community. We are asking all residents who encounter dogs during their walks to respect this designation and avoid approaching the dog and his/ her walker. For those members of our pet-loving community who need a strip of ribbon to affix to your dog's collar or lead, please contact us at fsbtailsandtrails@gmail.com and we will get you fixed right up. Our next Tails & Trails meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7 pm in RCN 3. Meanwhile, to join our fun with a purpose, visit us on Facebook at Four Seasons D.O.G. / Tails and Trails or email us at fsbtailsandtrails@gmail.com. ~ Martha Baumgarten

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