Living in a complex with pets

by Guest Fri Jan 17 2014, 07:22

Here in South Africa, and particularly in Johannesburg, many people live in townhouse or cluster complexes – enclosed communities of a number of houses, duplexes and/or simplexes that are either semi-detached or freestanding. And while we may have sizeable gardens, not all complexes accommodate for large enough gardens for our dogs to get sufficient run-around.

Responsibility
Owning a dog is about taking responsibility not only for their health, but their exercise and mental stimulation too. So if you have a dog and a small garden, it’s up to you to ensure your pet gets the required exercise and mental stimulation too. From having a dedicated place to dig, to being taken for daily walks around the complex to training exercises and games in the garden (I know the roads aren’t ideal for walks and we’re limited for parks in Jhb, especially). We’re also responsible for their safety – so if you have a gate facing onto the complex’s roads, make sure that your dogs aren’t going to be able to get through that gate and that children aren’t able to stick fingers through the gate. Many residents are all for solid gates but I think it depends on the complex you live in – for example, I live in a pet and family-friendly complex and my two love to sit at the gate watching the world go by. It’s a personal view, but a solid gate means that they won’t get to see what’s going on around them and they become frustrated.

On that note, when you do walk around the complex, don’t feel it is part of your dog’s socialization to have to take him/her up to every gate with other dogs. Dogs are territorial and taking yours right up in their faces with a fence in between can be a recipe for disaster. It’s also just bad manners – would you go up to gates to peer through?!

By-Laws
Pets in complexes can become a contentious issue between neighbours and body corporates but there are by-laws in place. Each complex has its own unique rules but it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the bylaws to bring to the body corporate’s attention should grey areas arise. The bylaws address the restriction to the number of pets that may be kept on a property in a complex, if permits are needed and regulations regarding pets in public/communal areas of the complex.

Be Vigilant
On the note of behavior – all too often I have seen residents that come home, click the remote to open their gates and couldn’t care less that their dogs run out into the road, chase children on bikes, chase maids, run up to other gates causing havoc with other dogs and so on. It’s completely irresponsible. And there are those owners who walk their dogs in complexes off-lead. What happens the day you walk past the main gate and it opens, sending your pooch running for a main road? What happens if you come around the corner to a dog being walked happily on lead only for your dog to scare/intimidate it or worse? What happens when your off lead dog causes serious damage or havoc one day? It amazes me how owners don’t think about the “what ifs” or “maybes”.

When you move into a complex, you agree to abide by the rules of conduct. Do familiarize yourself with them when it comes to your pets and do be conscious of your neighbours and their privacy and right to peace!