by Paula Countryman

Created on: November 19, 2008   Last Updated: May 04, 2010

Chaining a dog outside should be illegal after three hours . Three hours is maximum for any dog to be chained. In California recently, a law was passed preventing dogs from being chained or tethered longer than three hours.

Dogs should be members of the family and if they're not , then one should reconsider why they brought home the dog in the first place. One should never take a social animal who craves being in a pack, (even a human pack) and placing that animal outside to spend its life alone. Those who regularly chain their dog outdoors will try to defend their actions, with the safety of the dog at the forefront, but what they won't tell you is they lack commitment, compassion and understanding of dog behavior. To some, a dog is simply just a dog. To others, it's baffling that any dog owner would want their dog to spend his life in solitary confinement for a crime he did not commit. Most dogs live between thirteen and sixteen years. Chaining them is a cruel life sentence. Makes one wonder why the dog wasn't trained to blend in with the family in the first place.

The first rule of anyone considering bringing home that puppy or adult dog, is ensuring they have a fenced in yard or that they are willing to consistently walk the dog every day. Parents consider fenced in yards for their children, so why not their dog? As children love to run and play, so do dogs. Also, a lawn will look much better if the dog isn't chained, as when on a chain a dog paces so much he actually destroys the grass and makes his own dirt path. Again through no fault of his own.

Defecation is another problem with a chained dog. Because his freedom is limited, he sometimes will step in his own excrement, causing flies and other biting insects to want to feast on the feces and on the poor dog. Have you seen a dog with fly strikes to his ears? It's a pitiful and preventable situation.

What about fresh water? On a freezing day, how many will really venture out to chip ice and refill the water dish? Then there's the feces. Picking up the feces daily is another task to be committed to, especially with a dog jumping up and down out of the sheer joy of receiving some human attention, makes the task even more unpleasant especially if it has rained and there is mud involved. If there is any child or adult who will want to play with a muddy, smelly dog, one would wonder where these remarkable people live. Again, all this could be resolved by simply including the dog into the human social pack. If properly trained, a dog does just fine in the house with his family. If he's in the process of being trained, and the owner needs to leave for awhile, he can confine the dog to the kitchen with access to the outside via a doggy door, or puppy pads if no door is available. Placing a favorite chew toy, providing dry food, and fresh water will keep the dog safe and happy while the owner is away.

Please do not chain your dog. It's not only cruel, it's against the law.

http://www.unchainyourdog.org/Laws.htm

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