chaining

[Guest Anonymous]

I own a 4 year old lab/springer/dalmation/chesapeak mix and for about 2 years now she has been living mostly outside. She has a chain that is attached to the garage and we leave the door open about 2 feet for her to get in and out as she needs while we are gone. Her food and water are kept inside that area.
I know chaining is a bad idea that has many bad behavior traits linked to it. I let her inside whenever I can, but my dad continually takes her back out. I am still a teenager so I live at home and things must be followed by his rules. I have tried aproaching him about this, but "His house, his rules" She is well trained but does shed quite a bit.
Is there anyway I can make her day more enjoyable? Or can anyone help me convince my parents chaining is a bad idea?!?! Any help is appreciated
Thank You

[Guest Anonymous]

What a mix!!! I know what you mean about parents, when mum was living with us the dogs weren't allowed inside, but they weren't chained up either :o
I'll do a search for you later, I wrote in about it quite some time ago and there were some very good ideas that people gave me!!! Of course they didn't work too well with my stubborn mother, but they were still great ideas! :lol:
Another thing that i don't think was mentioned back then but I think could work, is if you buy her a crate and just have her in in the evenings, so she can spend time with her "pack" but is out of the way from your dad, he can't complain if she's just spending some quality time but isn't shedding everywhere or in anyones way can he?
Another thing you could do to make her days more interesting is buy her a kong and also give her a large bone a few times a week :D

[Guest Anonymous]

OK, I took the liberty of doing that search but the discussion some how got sugar coated in my imagination!!! :o
There weren't terribly many good suggestions, it pretty much turned into a bashing between me and mum :o
LOL, its kinda funny though, things are so different now... so I'll post it anyway seeing as I promised I would!!!
Here it is... if you dare :o
http://forum.dogomania.com/viewtopic.php?t=746&highlight=inside+cold+puddles

[Malamum]

:o :o :o Wow Aroura - just read that thread - it really got out of hand didn't it.

[Guest Anonymous]

Thank you for your help, that fight got a little nast at the end!! Thanks much!! I will try that crate idea too, sounds like a good one

[courtnek]

Is he chained because there is no fence? The garage is not a safe place for a dog - they love the taste of antifreeze and it will kill them if they drink it. Oil isnt good for them either, or windshield wiper solvent.

I would like to make a suggestion -

instead of the chain and the garage (if the yeard isnt fenced) I would
put up an outside doghouse. behind the garage maybe, but definitely blocked from the wind. If you have any skill with wood and a saw, they are fairly easy to build. If not, there are pre-made igloo doghouses that
you can purchase. They're not terribly expensive. The best thing to fill it with is straw, and make sure that there is a rubber covering over the dog, that the dog can get in and out but it will block the wind. Then, replace the chain with an overhead line tether. It's a wire line that runs from say a tree to the house, and you attach the dog to it on a long leash (at least six feet) and it gives the dog more freedom than a chain. they can run up and down it and out a little from it. Attach it close to the doghouse, so the dog can get in and out easily, and then make your dad feel REALLY guilty
about leaving a pack animal outside by itself.....

:evilbat:

[Malamum]

Excellent suggestion Courtnek!!! Though I think you meant to say put a rubber covering over the door - not over the dog :wink:

[courtnek]

:oops: :oops: :oops:

typing is not my strong point.....

:)

[Malamum]

LOL I only pointed it out cause I thought it was funny. I got a mental picture of the dog running around with a rubber mat attached cape like fashion :lol: :lol: :lol:

[courtnek]

OMG!!! I AM CRACKING UP!!!

We have a hot dog stand here called "SuperDawg" - I had this visual of this poor dog running with the rubber "cape" under the SuperDawg sign!!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Guest Anonymous]

That does sound really good but I'm afraid she will be permantly moved out to the back then, which i think is worse then being able to go in and out of the garage....i donno....but haha right now my dad is gone and my doggie is curled up next to me :D

[courtnek]

altho dogs prefer to be inside with the family, if your dad is going to insist on her being outside, this is a better solution. She has the relative freedom to run the yard, and has a warm place to sleep that's safer than the garage. I would not let any dog live outside, but theres not alot you can do about your parents.....

except make them feel guilty..... :evilbat:

the tether line is better than a chain anyway, because they cant wrap themselves around things and choke with it.

Good luck to you!! and glad to hear your pup is inside with you now


:lol:

[Guest Anonymous]

Haha, you guys are so funny!!! :lol:
Yeah the dog tie sounds like a better idea than the garage, but I hear what Boarder is saying about the dog being moved permanatly outside... Dad "she's got a perfectly good set up outside now, I've spent the money on it so she has to use it now...".
Of course a fence would be ideal, Tessa has to be chained up some times during the day when we aren't home because otherwise she's straight over the fence, I feel bad leaving her on a chain, but she has a kennel and gets let off when we are home and she can be trusted... some of you may recall that she wouldn't stay in the yard for even 5 minutes unnattended before when mum was at home, but since mum has left the house is a lot more peacefull and Tessas happy to stay in the yard unchained :wink:
Well I'm sorry that thread I posted couldn't be of more help!!! It did get a little out of hand, its funny to look back though, its like a blast from the past!!! lol, I'm sure there was another thread that had alot more ideas and alot less flaming but i can't seem to find it!!!
Other ideas, some of which were on that thread, others weren't, make a little bed for her, train her that she is only allowed in the house when she is calmly on her bed. I know you can't play with her then, but at least she's in with you. Also, make a deal with your dad, that you will vacuum twice a week if she can come in for a few hours every evening. If you get a crate maybe she could stay in there at night, if you're as lucky as me though you'll be able to work up to having her sleep in your bed at night!!!
Good luck!

[DogPaddle]

Please note the igloo dog houses provide no cold insulation by themselves and some prelim investig find that they may trap the cold - there was a rash of dogs who died in them during the really cold weather last year.

If your dog must remain chained you may want to consider:

Bring dog inside whenever possible - yay for sneaking dog in to curl up with you while dad is out :kciuki:
Take the dog for a walk everyday - socialization.
Play everyday - excercise and fun.
Train everyday - most dogs need a job for their mental welfare and tricks and obedience can help.
Keep area clean, provide sun and cold shelter - very important, secure water source - regularly checked, replentished and cleaned, ensure their are no tangle or choke hazards - an overhead tether is good for this, at the very least make sure there is nothing dog could jump over or fall of while chained that will hang him.
Always leave a variety of safe toys, more than one is important because at least one will get kicked or tossed out of reach, check back often.
Change something in the dogs environment at least weekly, try for interactive things - new toys, a tug attched to something, something to climb up on, find a strange (and safe) scent - natural scents are best eg. pb and scent a few things even walls, if there is loose dirt and it won't get the dog in trouble - bury something for the dog to find - should have a scent and possibly be edible - watch that area is not contaminated by motor oil or antifreeze or other pollutants. Maybe add a kiddie pool in warmer weather.
Brush and groom weekly or more often. Bathe once every 6 weeks or more often. (BTW if you offer to vacume 2x a week and bath the dog weekly and brush 2-3x a week maybe you'd have better luck bringing the dog inside :question: )
Keep vet care up - vet care for outside dogs is extra crucial and sometimes extra expensive.

Subtly leave pamphlets on the problems with chaining dogs and the nature of dogs as pack animals around the house :wink: