A word on doggy doors
 

Doggy doors will let your pooch in and out, but they will let any other wildlife do the same thing. My neighbor had one installed in her house. One morning she went into the area where door was installed and came face to face with a raccoon,a huge one. The thing spit and hissed at her before turning around and retreating back out of the door. She told me she was scared to death. She called animal control and they told her it was not a very good idea to have them installed in your house. He also said if you have a dog you should take the responsiblity to walk it out side. I for one would not like to be sleeping at night and have some sort of animal or snake come in ,ugh. They might come in and than hide in you home, double ugh.

Agree!
 

Keep your home your home not Animal House. Our first visit here in July while relaxing in the pool our neighbor in Tamarind told us he removed a very upset rattle snake from under his car one morning!

He was from out West and had a snake pole to do it! That did not set well with the wife! Snakes are God creatures also but not on our top ten list of wildlife to hang out with.

H

Mother and baby opossum.
 

My dog had a hissing fit with what looked like a mother opossum in our backyard around 11:00 p.m last night. They were going at it almost nose-to-nose.

He has been fussing around some bushes on my back yard neighbor's property. While trying to get him out of these bushes, I thought I saw a mouse run away but it could have been a baby opossum.

Sure would not want these guests in our house.

We have a dog door in our house in Seattle and just are having two installed at our Mission Hills villa (one in the Florida Room and then through the birdcage). One night in Seattle at 3 am the dogs starting barking crazily. We thought we were being robbed. My husband got up to see what was going on, I grabbed the phone to call 911 if he so instructed or did not answer me. Then he said there was a racoon in the house eating the dog food. He got a broom and opened the door and it ran out. Then he thought he saw its reflection in the window but it was a second racoon in the farm room freaking out and he again got the broom and opened the door and it ran out. For a long time we started putting the cover on the dog door at night, then we relaxed about it and it has been ok since. One of the things is to pick up any dog dishes of food at night so they are not attracted to the smell of the food. You can always put a dog door in and put the cover on at night when animals tend to sneak in. With two big dogs, I do not expect too many critters to come in. But it is a risk.

:popcorn:

Doggy doors are bad idea. I have never had one but i would like to know if the dog goes out the the doggy door is he then free to do his business on my lawn????:rant-rave:

Not in a Courtyard Villa which is what we have with a fully large fenced yard and not at our home in Seattle which is a fenced 1/2 acre!

In TV I would hope that all doggy doors are going out into a CYV or into a enclosed birdcage so they cannot roam free since it is against the law for a pet to be out without a leash.

Or am I missing something here.

Z

I hope that potential residents understand that a doggy door must lead to an enclosed area!
Tal, I found your post very interesting. We had a possum in our back yard Sunday night, the dogs woke us up barking. We live in your area ... perhaps the possums are going on house-to-house tours.

racoons can have rabies!
 

you must never fool with a racoon as they can have rabies. if you get saliva or a scratch from them you are in big trouble.You would have to get a very painful series of shots in your stomach. They are not to be fooeld with.

Every spring there is a new family of raccons that gives birth in our shrubbery. I know when it is spring because when I am washing my truck, I look up and there is a family of racoons staring at me. Big, medium and a few little. Every year it is the same routine. I drop the hose with the water running and run in the house and call my husband on his cell phone to tell him the racoons are back. That is when I start closing up the dog door at night! And that is when I start going to the car wash!

Your dog does not have to be on a leash when he is in your yard.

The Sumter County leash law allows a dog to be off leash when confined in a yard or under control in the yard. When out of the yard, it must be leashed. The deed restrictions for my district are that dogs must be leashed. It does not distinguish between in the yard and out of the yard.

So, considering the two, it appears a dog must be leashed unless in a confined area such as a CYV back, or other area such as a birdcage. I think the deed restriction was written that way to reduce the chances of an animal running out of the yard and attacking another animal, chasing a car or cart, or scaring the heck out of a person walking a pet or alone.

Posing this question to anyone with a doggy door AND a CYV. Has anyone had ANYTHING come into their house unexpectedly, such as a snake, racoon, possum, alligator, etc. from the doggy door? The reason we bought the CYV and a home style we aren't all that in love with is because we wanted the fence and a doggy door. Would love to hear from anyone with a doggy door and CYV and your experiences.

Or unless confined by invisible fencing, which is used by many, many Villagers.

There is a brand of doggy door with electronic access. Your dog wears a collar. Only with electronic signal will door open.