Bad Way to Keep a Dog?

[guywithashovel]

I thought about this when I read the thread about greyhound racing.

My sister and brother-in-law have a dog: a labrador retriever. However, they don't keep him inside the house. They keep him outside, where he stays chained up next to his doghouse. BIL's parents have a dog that they keep that way, too. He just stays outside, chained up next to his doghouse under a tree. They live out on the country, and I think they keep the dogs out there to bark if someone comes near the house.

When I first saw this, I'll admit I didn't think much of it. Then again, I don't have much experience with dogs. However, some of my relatives thought it was bad to keep dogs like that, where "they never know anything except a chain tied around their necks." I've also heard other people say that dogs shouldn't be kept like this.

Those of you who have experience with dogs want to weigh in?

[ExRetailDrone]

I agree with your relatives and others that a dog should not be kept like that. It breaks my heart to think about, actually I think that a dog needs some chances to roam and run around, get their energy out, preferably playing with their human friends and/or other dog playbuddies. My parents got a dog when I was 10, and both dogs I have had were members of our family. I considered them like sisters. They were allowed to sleep on our beds or on the couch with us (they were both Malteses, so size wasn't an issue, nor was shedding too much), they got spoiled by my mom with food (she liked giving them table scraps sometimes, but never directly from the table so their manners around dinner guests was just fine), they only were outside if they wanted/needed to be, etc. The way I see it, try to put yourself in the dog's place...would you want your existence to consist of a small, confined area with a chain around your neck? It sounds like prison. A pet deserves more than that.

Don't get me wrong, I also don't agree with the avid "animal lovers" like were mentioned in the greyhound racing thread. I find those people borderline psychotic. A pet should be treated with love and kindness, but there is a limit before it just goes into creepy territory.

[AdminAssistant]

Labs are very loving, high-energy dogs. They don't need to be inside pets, depending on the climate where you are, and as long as they have shelter and fresh water. But they definitely need time off the chain where they can run around and play and be dogs. I can't imagine a retriever not getting to fetch or go play in the water, the things that they were bred to do.

[siead_lietrathua]

i think it depends on the length of the chain, really. an unfenced yard on a farm can be a hazard in itself. people steal purebred farmdogs to resell. they could run under a tractor, or out into the road. my brothers dog was fenced until she was properly field-trained, which took about 2 years. even then she is only allowed to go with him if there is no heavy machines involved.
i have a friend that was rooming with his shep on a horsefarm. they used to tie the dog to the lungeline. he friggan loved it, would run around for hours on that.
also, just because a dog is chained when company is over doesnt mean they always are. sometimes people keep them chained so they wont bounce the guests, same as exiling an indoor dog to a seperate room.

[HYHYBT]

Good point; Dad would chain his dog up if Grandma was coming over. He was an energetic, enthusiastic dog, and she was pretty frail and using a walker; a friendly jump could easily have meant a broken hip or something.

[Andara Bledin]

When I was young, we had a big dog that was kept outside and kept on a chain because he could sail right over a 6 foot fence/wall.

But his chain was attached to a line run from the clothesline stands, so while he couldn't get too far away, he could get a lot of running in just back and forth. And it was a 30ft tow chain, too, which he eventually broke.

^-.-^

[bex1218]

My cousin, his wife and son were neighbors of mine way back when. I was like 9 at the time. They never took care of the dog. It was chained up ouside (shared backyard). Poor dog. They finally gave her away. They took better care of the iguanas and thankfully their kid.

[freeatlast]

About a year ago, Mom and I adopted a Shitzue from Animal Control. Turns out that her previous family left her chained in the yard and moved away The neighbors turned her over to Animal Control and told them that Maggie was always chained in the yard and was never taken inside. They even left her outside in storms, which has resulted in her being totally hysterical at the slightest rumble of thunder. She also has major abandonment issues from being left when they moved away. It is terrible because she is really a sweet little dog and it is hard to imagine why she was treated that way.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I don't agree with it, mainly cuz sadly, a lot of dog owners use it as an alternative to buckling down and properly training the dog. Some people who used to live near me back when I was a teen had a pit bull they kept chained in the garden cuz if they took it out, it would attack other dogs. The dog kept barking nonstop, punctuated with the rattle of its chain. I don't think this poor dog ever once left its prison, at least not until someone anonymously called the RSPCA and the dog was taken away, hopefully to be retrained and rehomed.

[Jetfire]

My parents have had 2 Samoyed Huskies (one passed on, and then they got another), and for the most part, they live outside, on a long clothesline and a long chain that can run along that clothesline. They have more total run space than my Condo I think. And their current dog, he has a hole in the side of the garage so he can go in and out of the garage while on his chain. His bed is in the garage (when the cats haven't taken it over).

They do bring him into the house a few times each day, but it tends to be too hot for him. He'll eventually scratch to go back outside, or try to go down to the basement where its cooler.

He loves to go in the trailer with them too. When they take the 5th wheel RV out on vacation, if they don't take him with them he whines incessantly (happens when they go across the border). But they have taken him across Canada twice now, with a third trip coming this summer. (He rides in the truck with them while they're on the road, getting the entire back seat of the truck to ride on)

[ExRetailDrone]

I don't have a problem if the dog has a long enough chain to be able to still run a bit, and the owners don't just ignore it. That's what I pictured when I first read the OP - a short chain just long enough to go a little around the doghouse and into it, and being ignored by the owners - because, sadly, like Lace Neil Singer, I've seen that happen too often. There was a house up the street a ways from my parents' house that we had to drive by to get into town proper that had some larger dogs (don't remember the breed) that were always fenced into the backyard. The fenced area was not very large and there were at least 2-4 dogs out there. I heard that they were always out there and it seemed they never got much attention That is behavior I cannot tolerate.

Also, I see a lot of seeming neglect in the country I'm living now. This country is not known for its fondness of dogs (there are still many restaurants around that serve dog-meat stew even though I don't think they're supposed to...it's like it's frowned upon but nothing is really done about it) and I see too many who are chained up on the sidewalk on very short chains. I've seen one grow from a young puppy into a fairly large-ish dog over the months I've been here (and probably still growing...it'll be quite a sizable dog once it's done fully growing) and it breaks my heart every time I see it. The chain is just so short and all it seems to do is lay on its blankets. Its spirit looks broken already

[bara]

Many years ago we had some neighbors that had a doberman mix chained in the back yard.

No collar, just a chain, which predictably over time of a large dog wanting to play with kids, dug into her neck. Told mom and dad who made a phone call. Problem got solved.

[guywithashovel]

It's not a short chain, but the dogs really can't run around all that much.

Like I said, I think they mainly have them to bark if someone comes near the house, which they do.

[tropicsgoddess]

Personally, I don't like the idea of keeping a dog outside in a tie out. If a dog will be kept outside, FFS have a kennel area or fence to let the dog roam around.

[PepperElf]

Three times now I've found loose dogs in front of my apartment.

the first time there was no owner information so I had to give it to the animal shelter.

The second two times I found a number on the collar, called the owner, and they came to get their dog.


i don't know if any of these dogs had been tied up in a yard but... this is why my knee-jerk reaction is to be against leaving animals out like that.

even growing up, the cat was not left outside ... she was only outside if someone was home. that way if she was threatened by another animal she could come running and meowing for help.


but... with dogs it's different. sure the dog may be tied up to prevent it from leaving but... what's it going to do to defend itself?

and invisible fences only work if your dog isn't willing to run thru them.



pretty much my bf and i have already decided pooch stays indoors and goes outside only when supervised. it's our responsibility to care for her.