# Quick question about the law with respect to dogs **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-the-law-with-respect-to-dogs/678641 "2014-01-13T06:23:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-the-law-with-respect-to-dogs/678641/21 "2014-01-13T20:45:06Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > …When spoken to about this, the owners say, “He doesn’t have to be on a leash in his own yard.” > … That’s when you say, “He has to be on a leash when he’s in MY yard, and he is.” Seriously, if the landlord won’t restrict this behavior (the dog’s owner, the dog is doing exactly what he’s been trained to do), then start calling the police at every instance of aggression. (This isn’t an HOA, is it?) Why avoid getting the landlord involved when it’s their responsibility to deal with tenant issues? Perhaps the owner doesn’t realize he can introduce you and the other tenants as friends of the dog and trust the dog to remember the difference. With a treat every day, you could work in that direction yourself. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-the-law-with-respect-to-dogs/678641/22 "2014-01-13T20:56:41Z")
You need to make a few calls. This sounds like a dangerous situation for all. Like others have said, you guys need to get together and try to explain the situation to the dog owner in a non-threatening way. And short of any solution there, call animal control. But, l think you need to get together with the other concerned tenants and have some solidarity on this, and maybe talk to the landlord. And I would get a gun or a cattle-prod. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-the-law-with-respect-to-dogs/678641/23 "2014-01-13T21:02:52Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > fenced and gated yard surrounding it which is understood to be a common area. Talk to the landlord and confirm it’s a common area. Then complain about the dog loose in the common area. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-the-law-with-respect-to-dogs/678641/24 "2014-01-13T21:30:37Z")
> [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > Despite many complaints, destruction of my friend’s door by a dog that tried to dig its way through it, and the dog killed one of her cats, animal control did nothing. That’s unfortunate that animal control did nothing. When I volunteered for our local SPCA eons ago, we regularly seized dogs who had attacked and killed other domestic pets. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-the-law-with-respect-to-dogs/678641/25 "2014-01-13T22:51:57Z")
> [@Minnie\_Luna](#): > > That’s unfortunate that animal control did nothing. When I volunteered for our local SPCA eons ago, we regularly seized dogs who had attacked and killed other domestic pets. This was rural Maryland. I don’t doubt that in other places it’s much better. However, my experience in rural California–really rural, far more rural than most people even conceive of–the animal control was zilch. I was stalked by a pack of dogs, reported it, animal control blew me off and only responded when the dogs brought down a man a short while after my call. And that was ‘in town’. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-the-law-with-respect-to-dogs/678641/26 "2014-01-14T00:54:08Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I wonder of the outcome if each tenant other than the dog owner started putting 1/3 of their rent money in an escrow account until they gain use of the currently denied common area? It sounds like the “common area” is the entrance to the building. So they’re not just denied safe access to a common area, but to the entire building, including their own apartments. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-the-law-with-respect-to-dogs/678641.md?page=1)