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A singular, unanimous voice would be "NO to CHAINS"... if dogs could talk. ALL dogs should be living comfortable, useful lives. I don't like to see dogs chained up. There are exceptions though. I'm extremely glad when a vicious dog can't get a piece of me ... because of a chain attached to his doghouse!

Ask any wolf or coyote if he'd prefer to be locked up in your apartment all day while you're at work. I'm sure your answer would be "I prefer to be wild and free ... there ought to be a law against keeping canines locked in houses and apartments! Oh, and don't even think about CHAINS, leg-irons, bars, cages and such!"

My dog would be in tears if he were forced to live in a kennel ... or an apartment. He can't even imagine having to be CHAINED up! We live on a farm, and he is as free as a wolf or coyote. I'm sure he'd like to see a law against keeping dogs incarcerated!

- But, if he wants to come camping and fishing with me ... he'll have to agree to be tethered to a person, stake, or be stuck in his travel kennel while in the public campground!

I have helped dogs of all kinds for over 40 years ... as a veterinarian. I feel for their well being. We need laws to protect dogs ... from inhumane situations, and some situations where dogs are chained are just that ... inhumane.

I'm sure if I tried hard, I might recall several cases of dogs being injured by their tie-out chain, rope, cable ... whatever. It is NOT an everyday occurrence. Dogs that are fully used to being tied outside ... are not really at great risk, any more than dogs being stuck halfway out of their kennel. Many more HUNDREDS of dogs are HURT or KILLED BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOSE! (Same applies for DOG ATTACKS on people, by unrestrained animals!)

Dogs CHAINED up do tend to be more aggressive ... mostly it's because they can't run away ... and feel threatened.

Some working dogs live their whole lives in kennels or being tied out. The only time they actually get some quality time is when they are taken out for training or work. I must admit, they really love their work. People watching dog performance events think it looks great, but for a lot of these dogs, the other 95% of their lives is a life BEHIND BARS in a kennel or in CHAINS.

Who are these dogs? Sled dog teams. Working sheep dogs. Some hunting dogs. Watch dogs. Breeding dogs. Are they really sad? They usually look anything but sad. Enthusiastic workers I must say! Guess they don't really know anything else. But I'm sure the wolf, my dog, and your lap dog ... would all like to see a law against it!

When I've talked with people that have strings of real working dogs ... they usually tell you that if they treat their dogs like house pets ... they really get messed up and don't work well. Working dogs are treated differently than we treat our pets.

If a law against dogs being chained or tied out was enacted, some of those dogs would be euthanized, and I'd hate to be the one asked to do it.

There are many activist groups fighting to control how we keep dogs, but none fighting for our individual right to keep dogs as we see fit. This does tend to look badly for one side ... it's akin to a debate with only one side showing up!

There are two sides ... to everything. I would hope we are able to do what is right ... for dogs, and people!

In conclusion, I am against dogs being chained up, but there are exceptions. Use or improve the humane laws of your area, and don't be afraid to put complaints in, and rewrite the laws if necessary... so that the bad situations are controlled. But remember, not all dogs are pets. Not all dogs would thank you to live the life of a pet.

Learn more about this author, John Edwardson.
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