Appendix to Comment from FDW The behavioural importance of access to Table Mountain National Park for pet dogs. As a companion animal behaviorist and dog trainer, I have many years experience working with dogs and their owners to solve behavioral problems and to train dogs to behave in a manner that is socially acceptable to their owners and to the general public. In the process I have made the following important observations: In order for the relationship between companion dog and owner to be successful, the dog must be viewed and treated as a valuable member of the family and therefore included in family activities. In order to prevent the development of the most common behavioral problems (destructive behaviors, excessive barking and aggression towards strange people and dogs), pet dogs need daily exercise outside of the home environment. From the above it is obvious that for our society to continue to be able to keep dogs in a way that is beneficial to both humans and canines, we have to have access to areas where we can take our dogs for recreation and exercise. By persistently trying to limit the areas available to dog walkers, SanParks is actively deterring the public from giving their dogs the exercise they need and preventing families from including their dogs in one of the most popular recreational activities in the Cape: hiking (the activity of traversing large areas of the mountains, not simply strolling round the borders of the park). Although TMNP's current proposal does not exclude dogs altogether, it effectively prevents all hiking with dogs. It also creates a situation where all dog walkers will be compressed into a small area which will vastly increase meetings between strange dogs and also between dog walkers and other visitors to the park. Many dog walkers prefer the less popular, remote areas of the park for the following reasons: Some dog-owners find constant contact in confined areas with other dog-walkers extremely stressful. Many considerate dog-walkers try to limit encounters with park users who may not wish to have direct contact with their dogs. Some responsible dog-walkers wish to avoid cyclists whose bicycles may frighten or overexcite their dogs. I believe that it is no exaggeration to say that, by making it difficult for dog-owners to take their dogs with them into TMNP, SanParks will directly contribute to the decline of responsible dog ownership which behaviorists and dog trainers are working so hard to encourage. The result will be increased behavioral problems from dogs that are under-exercised, under-socialized, bored and frustrated. Taryn Blyth Animal Behaviorist & Dog Trainer Qualifications: BA: Unisa Advanced Dip.: Ethology Consultancy. Member of the South African Board for Companion Animal Professionals (SABCAP). Active member of Pets as Therapy (PAT)

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