Tethering dogs,..in the country???

Up-the-Creek

Songster
11 Years
May 16, 2008
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West Virginia
I know there is another post similiar to this one, but I want to know what people in general thinks about tethering/chaining dogs. I am not talking about out in the backyard and all alone in a city or suburb with no water or food, Im talking about in your frontyard in the country with all of your other critters and kids hanging out with them type senario. (reason why the dog is being tethered is to keep it out of the neighbors chickens.)

Reason why I am asking is I have been seeing a lot about them trying to tell people they can no longer tether their dogs. Here where I live, in this little rural area, they are trying to pass this as a law. They say the dogs need to be in your house with you, let out on a leash to potty or supervised off leash. Dogs should never be left outside for no amount of time (no longer than three hours)alone or in the cold. Okay,..my head is about to explode at this point,..WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A DOG,...RIGHT????? IF they are outside they have to be kenneled,...KENNELED? They are crying about tethering because a dog has limited space,..do they have more room in a kennel?,...no.

I have 4 large dogs. We live on a farm, 40 acres or so. I have two of my dogs tethered in my front yard. They are not isolated, they are fed very well, fresh 5 gallon buckets of water everyday. One dog is tethered because it is for his own safety, he likes cats and chickens, plus when he gets a chance to run,..he dont know when to come home. The other dog is also tethered for her safety,..she want to be a coyote and run with the pack,..not a good idea on her part. Before anyone asks,..no our dogs does not live in our house with us. The house is for us,..not the dogs. I know there is people out there that thinks it is terrible that we dont let our dogs live with us in the house,...But we all have our opinions, mine is that they need to be outside where mother nature intended them to be. My other two dogs are loose during the day most of the time, but kenneled at night to keep them from mischief. I am sorry this is so long, but, I want to know how people can take a law or guidline from another area, like from a suburb or city and try to apply it to people and their animals that live out in the country. Also we have so many people here that hunt their dogs, and these can be some expensive dogs, and they keep them tethered or kenneled all the time. Hunting dogs are not to be spoiled, it will ruin them. They hunt, that is what they do. Where and when did this all get off track??
 
It comes from the few people trying to legislate their view of how everyone should live on the masses. IMO, if the dog is cared for, fed, exercised, fresh water and shelter, than how they are kept is up to the keeper, not the city council.

The long and short of laws like this is they are overreaching and only force folks who are doing right to have to do wrong. I drive a big rig and the gov't is constantly changing the rules to legislate the "bad drivers" to stop breaking the law. Well guess what, the drivers who are breaking the old law aren't gonna all of a sudden start following the new laws.

Folks who aren't treating their animals properly arent' gonna start just because there is a new law passed. If those kinds of people had concern for their animal's well being, they'd ALREADY be doing the right thing. Passin another law won't change those people's attitude.

That being said, my dogs are in door dogs. I don't tie my dogs. My rotti goes literally insane if she is tied. My chow mix acts like he's been beaten if he's tied. Our dogs are better behaved than most I have seen. They come when called and don't leave the yard. Of course if they are out, so are we....they are part of our family.

This is how WE have raised our dogs. I realize there are folks who don't feel the same way as I do. But, I would NEVER presume to force my beliefs on others personally or legally. But then, I believe in the freedoms the founding fathers gave in the Constitution and I believe our government has become way too full of themselves. I also believe, I'll end this now before I get myself into trouble......
 
i've decided that people are crazy. i'm waiting for the law that says you have to put little sweaters on your dogs and carry them around in a purse all day. my big ol' dogs wouldnt stand for that for a second and frankly neither would i
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Im with you ohiofarmgirl,..I believe people have gone loco too. I have a sister who has a jack russell,..she buys it pajamas and shoes,...she has waaaaayyyyyyy too much time on her hands.
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BTW,..she lives elswhere,..not here.
 
In our area they passed an anti-chain law. It says that they cannot be on the chain more than 4 hours, that's all. It doesn't require them to be inside, but housed in a PEN, if outside. I, personally, think a pen is far better for a dog than a chain.
 
my sister moved in a cabin in my front yard a brought their dog... he is chained because he fights with my dogs chase my horse, donkey and goats and pulled my favorite chicken thru the gate of the chicken pen... we put him in a chainlink dog kennel and he chewed thru it and escaped... they are going to buy cattle pannels to build his fence if that doesn't work he has to go... he escapes the chain several times a day... he is on my last nerve... he will be a year old in sept... he was found on the side of the road with his sister by my nephew wrapped in a towel when he was two weeks old the day after hurricane ike hit... we all took turns bottle feeding them...

as for clothes... I am one of the crazypeople who puts clothes on my little dog who weighs a little over a pound...but only in the wintertime.. she stays cold... she doesnot where pajamas or shoes though..
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We have all types... growing up we only had pampered show dogs (Great Danes) but here on my little piece of land, we have all kinds.

First there are Sasha & Ginger... two little 30lb mutts who when let out together would run for miles before they realized they were lost! They must be let out seperately if not within a fence, and they do not wander as far. We have our front yard fenced because of those girls. They are medium to short hair and not outdoorsy kind of dogs really. The must be on a leash or in a run of some kind. And so most times, they are right here under my desk at my feet and sleep inside every night.

Then there is Angel, 35lbs of some kind of shepard/hound mix and she was born to sleep on the porch. We know that because she rarely likes to leave ours. Right now part of the fence is down (I'll get to that) and even with that, she rarely ever leaves the porch and if she does she's JUST on the other side of the fence... she's been sleeping outside on our covered front porch with her choice of beds, for the last few weeks. No chain and other than her inability to keep up with you on walks, she is always right at your heel when taking a walk.. she's getting old and has a gimpy leg

And finally we have Boy. He is our most recent addition, a 100lb GP/mix of some kind and he hates being inside. Recently he started walking our daughter to the bus stop, which was promptly the end of his total freedom. The neighbor got upset because he sniffed their pig, it's doubtful he would do anything, he is wonderful with our poultry.. good thing is though the neighbor was ok, just wanted to see more training.. and less of Boy. They recommended that we tie him out and let him run free for a couple hours per day while we were around so that he would learn. Since then he's gotten off the leash for a long walk with my husband around the property two or three times per day, and now exists in all but bad weather living under our big tree between the coops on a 30' tie out cable. We had to take the yard fence down to accommdate his need for 30' of clear space in every direction and so the little dogs are becoming pests about running off when they go out to pee. Anyway... at first Boy was VERY VERY mad at us about the whole thing... but after a couple of weeks, he seemed to accept the new situation, and then we started letting him run for a couple hours while we were out working. He's getting better I guess about it, but still has TERRIBLE recall!!! I just don't know how to fix that.. he is NOT a pleaser like my little dogs... but he does always come back... and so far the only way to get him before he decides it's time to come back on the leash is to bribe him with a clanging plate of people food!!! Bugger!

Well.. so I figure i gotta do what is best for the actual dog.. like you, different situations for different pets. I'd like to get back to where Boy can be free 24/7 but he is only a year old so perhaps we'll be able to train him well enough over time.

sorry to ramble...
 
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Copy this letter, past it into an email addressed to each of your State Representatives, State Senators, U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators. It is VERY easy to do, and the one thing they do is read letters from constituents. In absense of your comment, they will assume those pressing for such stupid legislation are the majority. Email addresses for these legislators are only a google search away.

cc the letter to all of your neighbors, and encourage them to do the same. When you send an email like this to the lawmakers with a list of their other constituents also copied on the address line - they really do take notice. Also would be a good thing to include your local and state newspapers in the address line for the same reason.

Then call. Be calm, well spoken, and tell them the logic behind your position - ask them why this might be a real consideration (might be a sideways way to address dog fighting or something weird)

The best thing to squash these kinds of things is to exercise your right to oppose it. You have already done most of the hard work by writing a great letter here. Now send it out there where it will work for you.

Good Luck!!!
 
I wouldn't tether/chain my dogs up outside at all. Too much can happen to them. If another animal were to come around, you aren't really providing much protection for them.

I know that my dogs are treated like kids - they are indoors, sleep in our beds, etc and some people have dogs that they keep outdoors. I do think that it is best to kennel the dogs as opposed to tethering or chaining them up. Also, I believe that when it gets too cold, that you should provide a warm sheltered area (they make heated dog mats now) and the same for when it's too hot.

Just my opinion, but I've been a dog lover a lot longer then I have a chicken lover.
 
Chewing through the kennel is a problem I have encountered. I had a nice small kennel for one of them to stay in overnight,.. well needless to say, it was chewed up in a week. Some dogs cannot be kenneled,..like some cant be tied. They either can jump out ( my dog will jump out of a six foot tall kennel from the ground, not on top of nothing) or they will dig out. My two labradors, you cant tether them. You cannot keep a collar on their neck.

Okay before everyone gets carried away,..why is it I allready have gotten the feeling that people assume I am being cruel to my dogs?? They do not stay out when it is blistering cold, they go to the garage or in the house. We dont have that much if any cold weather like that. They ARE NOT being treated cruelly,...they are well taken care of. That being said, this is why this issue has become a problem. People having an opinion and thinking their way is the only way. If YOU want to treat your dogs like children, fine, so be it, that is your right. I treat mine the way I see fit, that is my opinion. I respect your right to do what you want, and others deserve the right to the same respect. I think it is cruel that people adopt a hunting dog or herding dog then keep them in their homes without the dogs getting to do what they are born to do, but people do it. It is not in my place to pass judgement on them who do, but I never would. Im getting off my stump now,..
 
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