[Pturner]

Dear Oot,
I understand your concern after reading some of the posts. I was a bit surprised too. I've never before heard of people being so upset about dog pee. That doesn't mean they are wrong to be upset. It's just new to me. Maybe it's a regional thing.

The assumption seems to be that people walk their dogs so that their dogs will pee somewhere else and not in their own yards. That could be, but I doubt it. I think it's more that dogs are dogs and are hardwired to pee when they smell something interesting, even if they've already peed a hundred times.

People who come from regions where this is frowned upon perhaps have trained their dogs not to pee when they go for a walk. However, to people who come from regions where neighbors walk their dogs; neighbors' dog stops, sniff and sometimes pee; and neighbors don't give this a second thought, it seems peculiar.

We don't live in TV yet, but have a vacation home there. We have a small dog and enjoy walking with him in the neighborhood. We let him relieve himself in our yard first, and always take a bag just in case. We walk him on the street and don't let him wonder into yards.

When we've stopped to talk with neighbors, they have been warm, friendly and welcoming. Likewise, when we've been in our yard and seen neighbors out walking their dogs, we are friendly to them. We've had dogs pee in our yards when neighbors stopped to talk. I never have and never will think anything of it. That's just me.

Having said all that, I think if you give it a chance, you will find TV just as you imagined it before you read the dog posts-- a lovely place filled with friendly, happy people, fabulous amenities and a great quality of life for people and their pets.