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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | FEBRUARY 2018 51 WHY DOGS BARK It is expected and common for dogs to bark. Just as a child learns to talk, a dog communicates by barking. Some dogs however bark excessively and that can become a problem. Four Seasons Rules and Regulations define excessive barking as: Excessive dog barking means a dog that barks, bays, cries, howls, or makes any noise audible beyond the boundaries of the property on which the dog is situated for an extended period of time to the disturbance of any person at any time of day or night, regardless of whether the dog is physically situated in or upon private property. Such extended periods of time shall consist of: 1. incessant barking, baying, crying, howling or making any noise for 30 minutes or more in any 24-hour period; or 2. intermittent barking, baying, crying, howling or making any noise for 60 minutes or more during a 24-hour period; 3. A dog shall not be deemed a "barking dog" for purposes of this rule, if at anytime the dog is barking if a person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon private property in or upon which the dog is situated, or when the dog is being teased or provoked. It is important to understand why some dogs bark excessively. The reasons can be numerous and complex. Generally, they can be grouped as follows: 1. Territorial protection, when another dog, animal, or human comes into an area a dog considers as his territory even when meeting another dog on a walk; 2. Alarm and fear, when a dog is startled or fearful of something nearby; 3. Boredom and loneliness in a species that is a pack animal - dogs will express unhappiness when they can't be socialized with other dogs or humans; 4. Greeting and play with other dogs. Sometimes a dog will bark to say, "Hi, let's play;" 5. Attention seeking when a dog wants to go outside, be fed, or has other needs; 6. Separation anxiety when a dog is depressed by being separated from their people; 7. Compulsive barking can be caused by a dog just enjoying the sound of his own voice. Next month, we will address some techniques to calm a dog that barks excessively. Pack Walks, all dogs are welcome and we practice techniques to calm barking dogs (please, no retractable leashes) • Saturday morning, 8 am, meet at the Spa parking lot • Wednesday afternoon, 4 pm, meet at the Summit parking lot Dog Owners Group, Patrick and his dog, Ricky Ricardo: dog_ owners@yahoo.com. ~ Patrick Gerety D.O.G. Tails & Trails - All Pets WHAT IF? Most of us have pondered our own mortality and prepared so that our loved ones understand our wishes when it comes to our passing. It might just be a little easier to decide what to do with whatever goods and money comprise our estates… but what about our precious best friends? After all, should anything happen to you, your pet will be dealing with grief and loss, as well. We can all agree that thinking about our beautiful companions languishing in a shelter for five minutes let alone months is abhorrent. Any of us would also like to avoid burdening family members with the task of properly rehoming our best friends. According to a 2016 survey of estate attorneys, only 18 percent of Americans include a provision for pet care in their estate plans. Yet, there are good reasons to do exactly that. Failing to provide for our pet(s) in our planning may result in our precious companions being treated as little more than "property," even here in California where there is growing understanding and some case law that contests this view. Failing to provide a directive for them could let our pets in for some tough times. According to a recent petmd.com article on the topic, there are several options that you may wish to explore with your attorney. 1. Designate in your will whom you wish to care for your pet. 2. Create a pet trust, which can be written into the will or be filed as a separate document. 3. Designate a pet guardian and ensure your wishes are clearly documented for the benefit of the animal and your family members. Your attorney can help you determine an approach that is best for you and your circumstances. Another option we hope to explore this year as a group is to contact a local rescue organization to assist with executing your wishes. Our group will be looking in to a guest speaker from a local rescue on this topic during 2018. If your pet is adopted from a rescue, you signed a contract with them indicating that, if the pet needed to be rehomed for any reason, he/she must be returned to the rescue. It is important to ensure that your heirs, executor(s), and/or trustee(s) are aware of this provision to eliminate potential confusion. Four Seasons D.O.G. | Tails and Trails on Facebook. You can also join our mailing list by emailing us at fsbtailsandtrails@gmail.com. ~ Martha Baumgarten

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