Tying Dogs Out

Taken from SPCA Behavior & Training Department

1. Stress… It can be extremely stressful for them to be left by themselves in unfamiliar surroundings. They depend on us. Next time you’re out and about, look critically at the worried and anxious faces and demeanors of tied out dogs.

 

2. Theft…The National Dog Registry states that nearly one out of every five dogsin the US will be lost or stolen this year. The pet theft trade has grown into an organized, multi-million dollar industry. There is demand for animals for use in research, dog fighting, human and animal food, and fur.

 

3. Accidents…A tied dog may panic at a loud noise and injure himself by entangling limbs or wrapping himself around objects. Anyone attempting to free a panicked dog, even if the dog is otherwise friendly, is at high risk of being bitten.

 

4. Agression…Not all dogs are completely comfortable around all strangers and even mild discomfort can be seriously compounded both by anxiety at being left and the tethered dog’s inability to retread. Passersby, especially children, may try to pat the unattended dog. This could result in an aggressive incident. Tied out dogs are also at increased risk to lunge at moving objects such as bicycles and skateboards and may display frustration-related aggression towards other dogs who pass by, even if they are normally friendly toward other dogs.

 

 

5. Courtesy to others… An unsupervised dog is much more likely to be a nuisance, which reflects badly on all dog owners, especially in an urban environment. Please do your part to make dogs welcome in our cities. Pick up after him, keep him trained, happy and socialized, and don’t tie him out alone.

 

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