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	Dogs in Bend Help make Bend a dog-friendly town
Home Info and action Making it work Dogs in our lives Dogs on trails (and water) Dogs on snow Dog-friendly businesses Dog etiquette Dog humor Resources	Making it work As I speak with dog owners, I find agreement on three issues: There should be more public lands available to citizens who wish to have their dogs off-leash. There are some irresponsible dog owners -- the "bad apples" that one finds in any group of people. We should reduce irresponsible behavior, but not let it limit access for responsible dog owners. There are citizens that do not wish to encounter off-leash dogs (this includes some dog owners). With a little creativity and commitment, we can address all three issues -- and communities around Oregon and around the country show that it is possible. Here are some ways to make it work. When considering the appropriate balance between the interests of dog owners and those not wishing to encounter off-leash dogs, remember that more than half of Bend households own dogs and more than a third of Central Oregon hikers bring their dogs with them. If you have additional ideas of ways for the citizens of Bend to harmoniously share public space, please email me. Spatial separation This is a common approach for dealing with recreation uses that potentially conflict. For example, snowmobiles are not allowed in the Swampy Lakes area on the Deschutes National Forest. Snowshoers and cross-country skiers who do not wish to encounter snowmobiles can use this area, while snowmobilers can still access other high quality sites, including Moon Mountain. I support having some areas closed to off-leash dogs to respect the interests of citizens who do not wish to encounter them. The key issue is which areas (and how many) have leash restrictions. Currently, 70 of 71 Bend Metro parks have leash restrictions. Likewise, the highest quality Forest Service areas have leash restrictions. I do not believe this reflects a balanced sharing of recreation opportunities. Temporal (time) separation The Forest Service restrictions are seasonal in nature, and they illustrate how trails can be open part of the year and closed (to off-leash access) part of the year. In practice, the seasonal closures are essentially full closures, especially in the Three Sisters Wilderness. Trails are not snow-free until mid-July and hunting season starts in October, so the real hiking season is mid-July to September -- when the closure is in place. The River Trail area is less affected by snow, but summer access there remains important for various reasons (Phil's Trail, which lacks water, becomes too hot for dogs, the river warms up, and dog owners become displaced from city parks due to increased summer enforcement). We can have a more balanced temporal separation by reducing the length of the closure. For example, a closure from August 1 to September 10 on Green Lakes Trail would allow dog owners to access the trail part of the season and those not wishing to encounter off-leash dogs part of the season. Another approach to temporal separation is alternating days. This could be particularly suited to sites such as the River Trail, which are frequently visited and for short periods (as opposed to wilderness trails). For example, off-leash access would be allowed on even days, leash-only access on odd days. Lastly, there is temporal separation within days. For example, New York City has unfenced off-leash areas until 9 am and after 9 pm in many parks, including Central Park. Portland has a similar system, and on a recent visit there I took my dog to the off-leash area at Couch Park. This is a small park in the middle of the city and with multiple off-leash times (we can make it simpler in Bend, but I'm also confident Bendites know how to tell time as well as Portlanders). Behavior enforcement Current regulations in the city and in the national forests focus on the activity (off-leash or not) rather than the behavior (aggressive or overly-enthusiastic dogs). I believe enforcement should be of behavior (the problem), not of the activity. Thus, owners of aggressive dogs should be ticketed regardless of whether their dog is in a fenced or unfenced area or whether their dog is leashed or not. This requires judgement by enforcement officials, but experience elsewhere demonstrates that this is possible. And, of course, officers use judgement all the time in non-dog contexts -- at what point is a driver pulled over for reckless behavior or does a bar-room brawl lead to an arrest? The same principle of judgement can be applied to dogs, and the dog community can work with enforcement officials to simplify the process. For example, in high use wilderness areas dog owners could be required to leash their dogs when encountering others on the trail. Certification Related to behavior is certification, which can take many forms. Boulder, Colorado, has a voice and sight control program that allows off-leash access to public lands. The American Kennel Club has a Canine Good Citizen program, with CGC certification potentially being required to access certain areas off-leash.

Dogs in Bend

Help make Bend a dog-friendly town

Dogs on trails (and water)

Dogs on snow

Dog-friendly businesses

Dog etiquette

Dog humor

Resources

Making it work

As I speak with dog owners, I find agreement on three issues:

There should be more public lands available to citizens who wish to have their dogs off-leash.
There are some irresponsible dog owners -- the "bad apples" that one finds in any group of people. We should reduce irresponsible behavior, but not let it limit access for responsible dog owners.
There are citizens that do not wish to encounter off-leash dogs (this includes some dog owners).

With a little creativity and commitment, we can address all three issues -- and communities around Oregon and around the country show that it is possible. Here are some ways to make it work. When considering the appropriate balance between the interests of dog owners and those not wishing to encounter off-leash dogs, remember that more than half of Bend households own dogs and more than a third of Central Oregon hikers bring their dogs with them.

If you have additional ideas of ways for the citizens of Bend to harmoniously share public space, please email me.

Spatial separation

This is a common approach for dealing with recreation uses that potentially conflict. For example, snowmobiles are not allowed in the Swampy Lakes area on the Deschutes National Forest. Snowshoers and cross-country skiers who do not wish to encounter snowmobiles can use this area, while snowmobilers can still access other high quality sites, including Moon Mountain.

I support having some areas closed to off-leash dogs to respect the interests of citizens who do not wish to encounter them. The key issue is which areas (and how many) have leash restrictions. Currently, 70 of 71 Bend Metro parks have leash restrictions. Likewise, the highest quality Forest Service areas have leash restrictions. I do not believe this reflects a balanced sharing of recreation opportunities.

Temporal (time) separation

The Forest Service restrictions are seasonal in nature, and they illustrate how trails can be open part of the year and closed (to off-leash access) part of the year. In practice, the seasonal closures are essentially full closures, especially in the Three Sisters Wilderness. Trails are not snow-free until mid-July and hunting season starts in October, so the real hiking season is mid-July to September -- when the closure is in place.

The River Trail area is less affected by snow, but summer access there remains important for various reasons (Phil's Trail, which lacks water, becomes too hot for dogs, the river warms up, and dog owners become displaced from city parks due to increased summer enforcement).

We can have a more balanced temporal separation by reducing the length of the closure. For example, a closure from August 1 to September 10 on Green Lakes Trail would allow dog owners to access the trail part of the season and those not wishing to encounter off-leash dogs part of the season.

Another approach to temporal separation is alternating days. This could be particularly suited to sites such as the River Trail, which are frequently visited and for short periods (as opposed to wilderness trails). For example, off-leash access would be allowed on even days, leash-only access on odd days.

Lastly, there is temporal separation within days. For example, New York City has unfenced off-leash areas until 9 am and after 9 pm in many parks, including Central Park. Portland has a similar system, and on a recent visit there I took my dog to the off-leash area at Couch Park. This is a small park in the middle of the city and with multiple off-leash times (we can make it simpler in Bend, but I'm also confident Bendites know how to tell time as well as Portlanders).

Behavior enforcement

Current regulations in the city and in the national forests focus on the activity (off-leash or not) rather than the behavior (aggressive or overly-enthusiastic dogs). I believe enforcement should be of behavior (the problem), not of the activity. Thus, owners of aggressive dogs should be ticketed regardless of whether their dog is in a fenced or unfenced area or whether their dog is leashed or not. This requires judgement by enforcement officials, but experience elsewhere demonstrates that this is possible.

And, of course, officers use judgement all the time in non-dog contexts -- at what point is a driver pulled over for reckless behavior or does a bar-room brawl lead to an arrest? The same principle of judgement can be applied to dogs, and the dog community can work with enforcement officials to simplify the process. For example, in high use wilderness areas dog owners could be required to leash their dogs when encountering others on the trail.

Certification

Related to behavior is certification, which can take many forms. Boulder, Colorado, has a voice and sight control program that allows off-leash access to public lands. The American Kennel Club has a Canine Good Citizen program, with CGC certification potentially being required to access certain areas off-leash.