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Dog ownership is responsibility

There are many things about living in Stettler that I love, but the biggest advantage for me is having an off-leash dog park in town.

Dear Editor,

There are many things about living in Stettler that I love, but the biggest advantage for me is having an off-leash dog park in town. My two dogs love to go there every day to socialize and play with the other dogs. I have been walking the park every day for two years, and have had very few bad incidents.

However, recently there have been some owners who think that an off-leash dog park means that ALL dogs are welcome to be off-leash.

Dogs that exhibit aggressive or dominant behavior should not be at the park. This sounds very logical to the average dog owner, but apparently there are people who live in Stettler who have no common sense. Owning dogs is a wonderful thing if you have the patience and perseverance to train them to be wonderful companions. Training should start as puppies and doesn’t stop until the end of their time here on earth. I have heard from some dog owners who have dogs showing aggressive behavior “He’s just a puppy – he’ll grow out of it!” Really?

That’s like not teaching your child that biting another child is bad behavior “He’s only six years old, he’ll grow out of it!” I’m sure the parents of the kid who was bitten by your offspring would appreciate that comment!

If you have made the commitment to care for a dog, please make a commitment to train the dog. Let’s work together to keep the dog park a fun, relaxing place for both the owners and the dogs.

Anne King

Stettler, AB