Wonderful story. I have two golden retrievers and have never owned a dog previously to them. They are a year old, and I'm still getting used to them. However, they are teaching me how to be a better mother. They react to positive feedback, they crave it and so do my kids. My dogs and kids both would rather have good attention sent their way than discipline and neglect. We could all learn from a dog.

I'm very impressed that the city of Los Angeles has banned the tethering of dogs.

I agree with the author that if we can't meet a dog's basic need for social contact and shelter from the weather, we should not have a dog.

I agree 100%. I try to give my dogs as much free range as possible as well as some sense of "work". They need the interaction as well as a purpose.

Again, tethering is wrong but what about these small fenced in kennels? I feel that caging a dog in a 8 x 10 area is just as bad yet you see it all the time.

I am in the middle of building a new fence around my daughter's home so that her dogs will have more room to roam and play while she and her husband are at work. the dogs have a small yard now but I want to see their yard maximized so that they can have more places to explore and rest. It is just the right thing to do.

I think children need more attention than the silly dog. You people need to get a life. ROVER is just fine. Maybe though you should try to keep Rover from messing in the neighbors yard. That would be fine and dandy.

Don't forget the cats. Cats eat mice and squirrels and dead birds. Keep them in the house and give them more attention too. Dog will eat cat kill so keep them in the house. Don't let them run free to catch disease and hookworm. You can catch their hookworm by kissing them. Think about where their mouths go before you accept that lick.

My siblings and myself had several cats and dogs as family pets when we were children. Now that I am married, my attention is for my wife and young daughter, and we have no cats or dogs. I feel that there are too many cats and dogs in the homes and yards of adults who aquire them for unknown reasons and then seem to forget they exist. I frequently notice dogs freely roaming neighborhoods, when they should be in fenced yards where they may roam in a controlled environment. If you feel it necessary to chain up a dog for hours on end, don't get the animal in the first place.

If you make it illegal to chain dogs then you will have more dogs running loose - more doggie doodoo on other people's property, more children getting bit, and more wild animals getting killed.

What we need is comprehensive requirements for licensing dog owners, including the requirement for $1 million in liability insurance.

I've had my dog for 8 years. She's an indoor dog, part of our pack. She has a fenced in yard, if she wishes to be outside, and she goes for a walk twice a day. I moved to Utah in November of last year. I was so surprised to see so many dogs always in their small kennels. Down the street is a beautiful golden retriever puppy in such a kennel. His view is blocked by two garbage cans. The neighbors have talked to the owners, have called the police numerous times, but with no result. Bill, if you consider your dog a silly dog that doesn't deserve attention, you shouldn't have a dog - and I can just imagine the way you treat your kids. Why not teach your children to help take care of the dog? Both will benefit. Now they are taught that a dog is worthless.

What gets me are the dog owners who take their dogs for walks and then stop and act like they don't see their dog go doo doo in someones yard. They seem to conveniently look away while it takes place. In my own opinion this kind of dog owner is a lowlife. Nobody wants to clean up somebody's strange, dogs, stinky, mess from their yard when they have no dog. It's really unfair. My neighbor is now taking pictures of dogs and the owner when he catches them in the act.

I feel it all comes back to responsibility...being a dog owner is a huge responsibility and if you are not ready to accept that then you have no business owning a dog. We have a Golden retriever 3 years old, we live on 2 acres in the country where he has space to run but like the author stated he would rather be with his human friends :)He has allways been an inside dog and when he goes outside we are with him. When we take him for walks we pick up after him and leash him when necessary. He goes to the vet regularly and we care for him as we would one of our children (well because he is one of our children). We arrange play dates for him etc... My heart breaks for this Golden Retriever that spends his days tied up, Goldens especially require social interaction. I think this law needs to pass because obviously there are irresponsible people who own dogs that should not. If your not ready to accept the responsibility please do not get a dog! If your that irresponsibile dog owner please give your dog to someone that is.