An Off-Leash Plan for the Fells by April

We met our goal of getting ten Somerville dog owners to write letters to the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in support of off-leash recreation at Sheepfold and on the trails of the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Now we need people who enjoy visiting Sheepfold and the Middlesex Fells to come to a Trail Planning Workshop on Monday, February 8, and ensure that safe and legal options for off-leash recreation are included in the Middlesex Fells Trail Plan.

The public meeting will be held on Monday evening, February 8, from 6:30 to 8:00 at the McGlynn School Auditorium, 3001 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford.

Everyone who would like to enjoy the benefits of socializing and exercising their dogs off-leash in the Middlesex Fells is encouraged

1. to prepare a brief (30 second) statement for the question and answer (Q&A) session and


2. to plan to participate actively in the stakeholder workshops session.

The workshops, in particular, will be your opportunity to hear what is important to other Fells users (who may or may not be dog owners) and to tell other Fells users and representatives of the DCR what is important to you as a dog owner: options other than breaking the law.

Following is the DCR's proposed agenda for the meeting:

• Overview of Trails Planning Process
• Brief Overview of Fells Trail Conditions and Issues
• Q&A (time limited)
• Stakeholder Workshop: Attendees will participate in small group discussions during which they will review maps of the trail system and add their input as to access points, desired routes, potential connections, trail issues and problems, and potential solutions. Their input will be reported out to the group-at-large.
• Next Steps

The draft trail plan is anticipated to be completed by April of 2010.

By April we could have a plan that includes safe and legal options for off-leash recreation at Sheepfold and on the trails of the Middlsex Fells, but we need your help. Please come to the meeting on Monday!

It's never a bad day for dog-training

Churchill, a cairn terrier, and his owner, Andrew McLaughlin, worked together on a long training lead at the Free Recall Clinic in Powder House Park on January 17 with City Dog Training. More photos are available on flickr.com.

In canine obedience training the ability to call your dog and get an immediate response at all times is known as "recall." A reliable recall can save your dog's life. Also, a dog that reliably comes when called is less likely to approach passer-by who may be fearful of dogs or simply uninterested in being approached by dogs.

This was the second free recall clinic offered by City Dog Training. The first was held in Nunziato Field in November. A third clinic is planned for March. The Somerville Dog Owners Group in partnership with the Somerville Youth and Recreation Commission co-sponsors the clinics.

Paws to Vote! Special Election - Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Please vote in the special election for the U.S. Senate.

The City of Somerville Election Department allows voters to bring our dogs with us to the polls: dogs must be on leash, remain close to their companions at all times and must not bother other people.

Polls are open 7am to 8pm.

som|dog Meeting for West Somerville

The Somerville Dog Owners Group invites dog owners who live in Wards Five, Six and Seven to a meeting on Monday evening, January 25, from 6:30 to 8:00 at the Nathan Tufts Field House in Powder House Park to discuss options for off-leash recreation in West Somerville. R.S.V.P

Alderman Gewirtz submitted an order at the Board of Aldermen meeting at the end of November "that this Board requests that the Administration work with the Ward 6 Alderman on locations for an Off Leash Recreation Area for dogs and if necessary, to create a Task Force to advise the city." The Administration and the Aldermen can not do this alone: A lot of Somerville dog owners worked together with the Administration and the Aldermen to get the OLRAs that we have in the eastern part of the city. Please help make safe and legal options for off-leash recreation in Somerville a reality!

The purpose of the meeting on January 25 is for som|dog to build relationships with people in West Somerville who can participate in the efforts to get safe and legal options for off-leash recreation. There will be a brief presentation about how the Somerville Dog Owners Group has gotten off-leash recreational areas (OLRAs) in the eastern part of the city followed by a discussion of how we can get more off-leash recreational areas in the western part of the city.

Come When Called: Free Dog-Training Clinic

Somerville families who are willing to brave the cold with their dogs will be treated to one hour of free dog training on Sunday. The Somerville Recreation and Youth Commission and the Somerville Dog Owners Group are offering a free clinic with City Dog Training Sunday afternoon, January 17, from 1:00 to 2:00, at Powder House Park. Leashed and licensed dogs that are up-to-date on their vaccinations and enjoy the company of other dogs are welcome. For cancellation in case of inclement weather, please check the City Dog Training website.

In canine obedience training the ability to call your dog and get an immediate response at all times is known as "recall." In November twenty-five families participated in the city's first recall clinic at Nunziato Field with professional dog trainers, Marjie Alonso, CPDT, CDBC and Liz Shaw. Twenty-five families, many of them with children, learned training techniques that could save their dog's life or protect other residents if their pets do get away from them. Photos below.

City Dog Training, located at 321 Washington Street in Somerville, is a community dog training and education facility welcoming neighborhood dogs and their humans to classes, seminars, play groups and behavior consultations.

For more information please contact City Dog Training: contact - AT - citydogtraining.com; 617-628-8862.

Marjie Alonso, CPDT, CDBC, and three other trainers from City Dog Training had dog owners and their dogs arrange ourselves in a large circle so that everyone had room to work without too much distraction.

We used long leads to train our dogs to come when called from a distance.

To train the Recall, we played the "Get It" game. We tossed a treat to direct our dog away from us, then we called our dog and rewarded him with praise and a treat when he came to us.

Gently hooking a finger through our dog's collar, we rewarded her with praise and a treat for coming when called.

We also learned to train our dogs to stay, starting by stepping back one step then returning to our dog to reward him with praise and a treat.