"If we can't have the dogs chained to the tree, what's the point of having them?"

In my experience, as a northerner who spent several years living in the south, yes, attitudes are different down there. Towards dogs, education, sports, lots of things.  That doesn't make it bad or wrong, just makes it different.

There are attitudes like that no matter what state.  You just have to find the right people. 

JJ is from Texas and I'm from NYC.  We get along fine..........[]

Some one send that law this way!
 
I have for many many years seen the problems with leaving dogs outside their whole lives. Even if they get play time for an hour or so, it really is torture to a pack animal to live alone. Where are all the inside dogs when you're sleeping? The ones that don't sleep in their crates are normally at your bed side, in your bed, or on your couch.
 
If anyone remembers Pooh, he's the dog I will always remember when chaining/leaving a dog outside it's whole life is brought up. Pooh was a great dane, pitbull cross. Beautiful dog. But spent his life on a cable/dog run. He was lucky to be let off for 30 minutes a day. He had plenty of food, shelter, and toys. Still not happy unless he was being touched or talked to by a person. He suffered for 3 years. Maybe more, I don't quite remember. While being tied out, he began to become chain aggressive, CHILD aggressive, and just plain stranger aggressive. Bringing him to the vet was hell. He had to wear two muzzles, and couldn't stand in line, or sit in the waiting room. Keep in mind... this dog was never aggressive until placed on that chain.
 
How can one properly train a dog that spends it's life alone, and outside? People do train some, but the majority never get training because they become so hard to handle just from being on a chain without much human contact. Dogs that spend a lot of time with their owners are normally asked to do things all the time. I couldn't imagine Beau living on a chain. Or in our back yard for that matter. All his training would go down the drain. Completely. He would be like an 8 week old puppy again with absolutely no manners.
 
A dog is a pack animal. Therefore should live with a "pack" whether the pack consists of humans or dogs.
 
Neglect of animals comes in all forms. But leaving a dog alone (which most dogs do not want to be alone) is a form of mental neglect, like some one had mentioned in a previous post. But this is in my opinion after seeing many many dogs living their lives out on a chain, dog run, and chain link kennel even. My opinion doesn't come from hear say or articles in a paper. It's from personal experiences.
 
 

Debbie Im sorry, don't feel bad about what you said, I know you weren't referring to me... I do though think its funny how we will always be thought of - but I do know why we will be thought of that way... so I dont blame you or anyone else for making those statements.  I guess its hard to realize that you are in a area where the rest of the US thinks a certain way about but YOU are not that way.  I love living here and woulnt be happy anywhere else, I love the south and I love New Orleans - but I choose to ignore a TON of things that I hate about it down here. 
 
Dont get me started on a lot of the people here, the neigborhoods, the mayor, the everything.  AHHHHH!  I just moved to the northshore which is right outside of the New Orleans area, but we still go there a few times a week and DH works there (its about 30 min from our house).  Why did we move... sheesh I could go on and on.  I dont blame you... I guess I just wanted to make it known that there are some of us normal people down here lol.... but it was dumb because I know you all know that.
 
I hear lots of things about Alabama, you know I do wonder if more people down here tie their dogs out full time... I think I ignore that which does not pertain to my immediate life - for better or worse - I DO live in this unbelievably messed up area, and thats how I deal with it lol.  And strangely enough, I dont want to move too badly.

OT but another southern girl here,Tennessee, I lived in Florida for a 2 yrs 17 yrs ago and actually had people ask me where did I go to buy groceries ?????
They would say well what do you do if you get sick ?


OMG.... Too funny......

Thanks Amy, and I really do understand do you hear the jokes about New Jersey on tv and in movies? lol
I agree about your mayor how did that guy get re-elected OMG.
This forum is a good place to change minds, I know mine was on many occasions. Thanks for being so kind.

[sm=rofl.gif] Darci

Lordy dont get me started on that man or on how he got re-elected!!!!!!!!  Why people Why??  I dont get it, never will... I try to stay out of it because its so unbelievably frustrating!

I guess they wanted him to make it a "chocolate city"... so thats where I can be so proud to live!... uhhh...

I wasn't sure what the regulations here are about chaining, but I read the county book tonight.. here's how it reads.
 

i wouldnt have dogs if i didnt have a securely fenced yard,and if fencing wasnt possible i would wait until that time i could find a home suitable and then i would get a dog

 
That's exactly how I approached it. I've always wanted a dog and most of my life, couldn't have one because of living circumstances. Now, I own a house with a big backyard and now, I have a dog. True, a lot of people used to chain their dogs all the time and eople used to beat their kids. Times change and I think that can include animal husbandry. For example, you no longer have to euthanize with a Colt .45. There are too many vets with the magic IV drip.
 
I think it is wrong for a dog to be chained up all the time. Even sled dog teams on tie-outs are not chained 24 hours. Exercise, free run in the dog yard, daily attention from the handlers. etc. A lot of the dogs discussed here are not sled dogs in the great white north. Even Shadow, who has sled dog ancestry, is not going to spend his day chained.
 
The friend of ours who has a Great Pyrenees managed to buy some fencing and trains her dog constantly and consistently. And she works retail, which means she doesn't make a lot. In fact, I probably make more than she does. And she lives by herself in a fisherman's cabin that she fixed up, by herself. Point being, if there is a will, there is a way and it doesn't always have to be a chain 24/7.
 
How long did I wait to own a forever dog? Nearly 40 years.

no I dont speak cajun-french (although its pretty neat to hear

 
Tres bon, mon Ami.You sit down and we gonna have some etouffe, vraiment?

ORIGINAL: ron2

no I dont speak cajun-french (although its pretty neat to hear

Tres bon, mon Ami.You sit down and we gonna have some etouffe, vraiment?

Translate please.  Thanks!

hehe, I think its "its good, my friend..."  I dont know the vraiment...?  I took french for two years in high school... a whole lotta good that did me[]  Ive never once heard someone around here talking french and dont remember much anyway.
 
You should hear some of these true cajuns talking you cant understand much at all but its too cool...  they say down deya and stuff like that I dont know and they say it really really fast. 
 
Thanks for reminding me of the food Ron!  I cant move because I cant imagine leaving the food around here, food anywhere else just doesnt satisfy once youve become a hot sauce drinker.

I have only read through page 4 and dont really feel like reading every single page but this is my opinion......Dogs have lived outside for thousands of years. To say that it is neglectful for a dog to be outside is just plain retarded. I have had many dogs over my life span and we live out on a few acres of some wooded area. We dont have a fence and we dont leave our dogs chained up but they are outside 24/7 except for sometimes when we leave the doors open when it nice outside and they come in for a few hours sometimes.

Like has been said before, you cannot make a blanket statement saying that all dogs that are chained up and being neglected. Sure you might not like it, but who are you to say that they don't love and take care of that dog just because you dont like it? Sure there are some extreme cases where the dogs are clearly being neglected, but do not make a blanket statement saying that all dogs that are chained up are neglected. Some people cannot afford to have a fence built, especially not a crazy fence that wont allow the dog out. Most people dont have a farm with barn and hay and all that other stuff. And to put it in a kennel outside? That is just as bad.

As much as I love dogs, you can't cross the line as start to punish responsible pet owners as if they are hurting another person. It is their dog and they are allowed to do as they wish with their dog so long as they are not physically abusing it and they are  providing it with food, water, shelter, and love.