Animal Abuse: Chaining

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

03 Jan 2007 07:00 PM

According to the Humane Society of the United States, chaining is the inhumane practice of fastening a dog to a stationary object or stake, often in the owner's backyard in order to keep the animal under control. Chaining (or tethering) has been condemned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the Humane Society.

Why is tethering unsafe for a dog?

Dogs are social animals. They thrive on interaction with humans and animals; dogs who are chained are often left alone and in one spot for long periods of time. Not just hours, but days, months, or even years. This can cause psychological damage. A dog who would normally be docile, friendly, and peaceful can become anxious and destructive on a tether.

• Severe movement restriction is inhumane.
• A tether can become tangled around a dog's shelter or other objects, restricting movement further and potentially causing injury or death by choking.
• A chained dog's neck may become covered with sores from poorly fitted collars or straining to escape.
• Collars may become embedded in a dog's neck after years of living on a chain.
• The American Veterinary Medical Association believes that chaining a dog can contribute to aggressive behavior.

A chained dog is also an easy target for attack by humans and other animals. They are easy targets for people looking to steal animals to use in animal fights or sell to research facilities.

Chained dogs do NOT make good guard dogs -- the general aggression created by life on a chain is not the same as being protective of a family. A dog who is protective is used to being around people and can sense when his family is threatened. Leaving a dog on a chain and ignoring him creates an aggressive dog who can't distinguish between a threat and a family member. Aggressive dogs may attack anyone.

If someone wants a dog for protection, a dog INSIDE the house may be a better deterrent than a dog chained outside the house. A robber may think twice about breaking into a house with a loud, barking dog on the other side of the door.

First aid for choking animals.

Everything you need to know about collars.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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Crickett (272) 03 Jan 2007 11:21 PM

Well, we tether our dog for a couple of hours each day while people are coming in and out of the backyard so he doesn't slip out and get lost. He gets petted a lot while he's tethered and he's in my sight. We walk him twice a day and spend time with him inside the house each day so I hadn't felt like this was inhumane... The other option would be to put him in a room inside the house by himself during those high traffic times. I'd just as soon have him in my sight where the kids can pet him as they walk by. what do you think?

Aimee Amodio (12040) 04 Jan 2007 04:06 PM

It sounds like what you're doing, Crickett, is VERY different from what I'm talking about here. What I'm talking about is dogs left chained for weeks, months, or even years. Dogs that aren't a part of the family. It definitely sounds like your dog is part of the family. A tether/pulley system can be a great thing for a dog who doesn't have a fence or one who lives in a high-traffic yard like yours does. There's a big difference between a few hours in the yard on a lead and a lifetime at the end of a chain. Thanks! :)