Dogs Chained Outside or Not??

I'm not a fan of dogs living outside.  But, with the right set up I think it can be OK--not for me still, but OK.

As far as tethering--chains as so old, I would never use one, they make great tie outs now.  I do have one here for her and every night she likes to go out on the deck on cat patrol.  So, with supervision she does that.  And, we've got one at my mom and dad's for her to be outside when other family dogs are over.  It's the only way she can be included with her behavior issues.  But, they have a yard that looks like a park and she's under a tree with all her stuff and she's being watched. 

Also, personally,  I would never tie her out with a collar on only a harness.

mollymoo

Thought I`d start a new post about dogs chained up outside. Why or why not.

Close to thirty years ago my wife and I lived on Cape Cod, the the street we lived on was cottages that most of the other people that lived their used on weekends and summer vacations.  The people that lived across the street from us kept a shepherd mix "guard" dog tied in their back yard.  Although like us they did live there year round they had another place so they did not spend a lot of time at that house and they spend no time with Rosie their dog, although they did make sure that she was fed and watered .  Rosie had become quite an aggressive dog that escaped her chains daily.  Although she hated people on bicycles and would attack them she got along well with my GSD and the gang of neighborhood dogs that hung out at my place.  Soon she was spending more time at our house then at her own but her owners being gone so much never even noticed.  Because so many of the houses were only occupied on weekends and during the summer it was pretty common for kids to break in to the houses on that street.  One day I saw Rosie's owner outside and he asked me if I had seen or heard anything the night before.  It seems that some kids had broken into his place through a window at the back of the house while they were away.  He was confused how they could have done that with Rosie tied up in their back yard "on watch".  I did not have the heart to tell him that Rosie was not "on watch" at his place because, as she normally did at night, she had broken loose and came over to spend the night "on watch" with my GSD in my house.  So much for having a "Guard dog" chained outside!

Mark

It is kind of surprising that a dog owner would rather see a dog owned by someone irresponsible with the dog running at large rather then safe at home, taken care of where it should be.  

a dog kept on a chain 24/7 is not being  "taken care of". Dogs have needs far beyond that of food water shelter and being kept from being hit by cars.

mudpuppy

a dog kept on a chain 24/7 is not being  "taken care of". Dogs have needs far beyond that of food water shelter and being kept from being hit by cars.

 I'd agree that on a chain 24/7 isn't being taken care of. But given the shelter adoption rates? If it's that or death and the dog ISN'T overtly suffering? I think it's a tossup. 

 A dog should not live his life tied out.  For short periods, when someone is keeping an eye on him (like Liesje and Coke for example) I have no problem with that.  But it is no way for a dog to live.  Not only is it lonely and boring for the dog, it means he has less of a bond with you, does not respond so well to training, is at risk of being teased/harmed/stolen and is also at much higher risk of becoming frustrated and/or aggressive.  Being tied out is th WORST way for a dog to live.  If he must live outside, then he should have a secure, comfortable kennel and run.  Not a chain.

ETA in reply to Pwca: If I were a dog and had to choose the needle or the chain.... I honestly think I'd rather have the needle.  But as you say, it's a close call. 

I believe in responsible tie-out. Such as the example I have mentioned elsewhere about a large working sled dog kennel. I've had Shadow on tie-out at a friend's place without a secure yard. And had my eye on him all the time, save for potty breaks for me. But leaving a dog tied out all the time for it's whole existence is plain wrong. I've heard it said that dogs were meant to live outside all the time. Well, then fine, they should hunt for themselves, too. And if successful, they don't need us anymore, in which case they are no longer just dogs. Dogs are symbiotic with man. They live with us. There are dogs, such as LGDs that do not live in the house so much, but those are working dogs and even then, they are prone to sometimes sleep on the porch of a ranchhouse, being near the humans. But a pet dog should not have to live in isolation. To do that is cruelty and should be, and in some places is, punishable by law.

I can't stand any dog being tied out or staked out regardless if you are there or not. In my neighborhood it seems to be the majority of owners to do it because they feel putting them outside is 'exercise' for them. Now I know by reading posts from Liesje, she is a responsible owner so she doesn't worry me if I was to walk by her house. However, back to my neighborhood, most houses don't have fences and when i walk by you see these frustrated and ticked off dogs barking themselves winded. They are agitated and you can hear the owner(s) yell from the inside and telling the dog(s) to shut up. I feel like I am bait and sure enough, we have been attacked several times by bigger dogs.

My dogs didn't do a damn thing!

If you're going to stake out your dog, I think you pawn your responsibility to the rest of the people of the neighborhood. IMHO. Parents are on guard when they see a staked out dog.