by Linda Spradlin

Created on: February 09, 2009   Last Updated: February 18, 2009

Should chaining dogs outdoors be legal?

Have you heard a resounding NO lately?! Well, here's one for you, NO, it should not be legal to chain a dog, in or out of doors, ever. I will share some of my reason's for having such strong feelings about this issue as we proceed. Please forgive, in advance for being brutally honest.

The reason's for my feelings on this issue are plenty, but I'll start with this one. There is no reason for a trained animal to be left outside on a chain or cable, or tied up with a leash. If you need to put your dog in a safe place, try his crate or a laundry room or any place else. A chain can act a noose if it gets caught over a fence, hanging your dog. He could get very excited and wrap the chain around your legs, or the legs of a child and break bones. If the chain is wrapped around the dog's neck, it can and will cause damage to the dog's neck. If the chain is attached to a collar, the dog could slip the collar off his neck. It is simply too dangerous to leave a dog unattended, tied up, for any reason.

Maybe it's because I'm a trainer, but teaching your dog the sit-stay, down-stay, or the wait commands can end the need to tie him up. Even a fenced in area would be a safer choice.

If he's being left outside to eliminate, you should be there with him. You should be walking him to his place designated for toileting, and you should be there to praise him for eliminating outside.

Chains, leashes, and tie out cables get tangled around all sorts of objects, even around the dog, causing another potential problem. I've witnessed many times, the tied out dog, with a nice big bowl of water that had been knocked over by the chain.

Additionally, we, as humans tend to live a very busy life. What if you put your dog outside on a chain for a little fresh air, and you get a long phone call? Or a child gets hurt, or if you fall asleep, or if any distraction keeps you from getting back to him within a reasonable amount of time? If you were only putting him out on a chain for a very short period of time, and you got distracted, did you put water outside for him?

I guess I've been hardened by being a groomer and trainer for over 30 years, but this topic just really struck a cord with me. I've seen situations that the general public would never dream of that involved putting an animal out on a chain. It's simply not safe. If your dog has a habit of running off, call a trainer. A good dog trainer can break the habit humanely in 20 minutes. It's well worth the call.

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