Should a dog be tied up all the time? What to Know

The tie-down is a great tool used in positive reinforcement dog training!

Here at Wags and Wiggles, we have a very specific dog training philosophy. It focuses on building up both dogs and their owners through positive reinforcement. But training at Wags isn’t all sunshine and cookies. Every day the trainers get questions on how to stop a dog from doing a dangerous, destructive, or just plain annoying behavior. Our answer is always two-fold:

  • What would you like your dog to do instead?
  • What are you doing to prevent this problem behavior from occurring in the first place?
  • The answer to the first question varies depending on the behavior in question, but the answer to the second question is often solved with management tools.

    Tie-downs are one of the first things we like to introduce to our new puppy families. The tie-down has so many benefits and applications that most situations can be helped by implementing a tie-down into your dog training routine. It is beneficial for the new adult rescue dog, the family adding a new pet or baby to the home, and for the unruly puppy that hasn’t learned good house manners yet.

    A tie-down is a leash, rope, or cable that is 2-3 feet long and is attached to an immovable object (like a piece of furniture or an eye bolt that is placed in the wall). It is then attached to your dog’s buckle (or martingale) collar. A tie-down trains your dog to relax and keeps him out of mischief. It’s also extremely useful during dog training sessions.

    A tie-down is a great management tool used in dog training for:

  • Separation anxiety
  • Bothering the family at dinner
  • Barking at the door
  • Jumping up on people or furniture
  • Mouthing
  • Playing too rough
  • Inappropriate chewing
  • Meeting a cat
  • Housetraining
  • Jumping up on your bed
  • Giving an adult dog time away from the bouncy puppy
  • A tie-down should be placed in a fairly busy room in your house. It should ONLY be used when someone is home. A tie-down is not punishment; it is management. Your dog should be comfortable, have something good to chew on like a stuffed Kong, and something to play with while on tie-down. For safety reasons, please do not attach the tie-down to a Gentle Leader, Halti, choke, pinch, or any other restricting collar. Be careful that the dog can’t drag the piece of furniture around with him.

    Keep in mind a tie-down is NOT a tie-out. A tie-out is a cable that is used to tie dogs in a yard so they don’t run away. They often make dogs aggressive because the dog can’t run away from any perceived threat, and we NEVER recommend them.

    REMEMBER: ONLY use a tie-down when you are home and ONLY use it on your dog’s flat buckle or martingale collar!

    As many are aware, Huskies are very picky when it comes to food. My pet, Maya got bored eating chicken for 4 straight days. While researching ways to impress her food, I landed on poochles and ordered try pack. Being skeptical whether she likes it or not, I fed her two scoops a day with rice and now she aches to have it at any time of the day. My only suggestion, is if you could introduce a 500gm pack at discounted price for higher quantities will be bonus to customers like me.

    In India, not many houses have very huge yard space. Pets are kept even in small apartments and hence they are required to be kept on a leash sometimes. Tying up your dog needs to be done with certain aspects considered. Keeping your dog on leash plays an important role while training your dogs as well.

    I have three small dogs. I tie them out side for a few hours every day. They can not be in a fenced yard to run together with out being watched. Because they have to be separated in order to be fed. I want to be sure that they are all eating their own food. And other reasons. Is it against the law what I am doing. I do not have any fencing yet. I want to get one put up but I have a hard time to get someone to help me do it. I have them in the house with me most of the time. They do not live on them chains. They are inside the house with me at night. I have predictors here. I love my dogs I don’t want anything to happen to them What do I do? Am I in the wrong? Or am I doing the right thing

    Please be aware that keeping your dog tied up for a longer period of times, might make them aggressive as they are always on a leash and are unable to interact with other members in the family. Tying up your dog should not be a punishment. It can be used to manage your dog when there are guests at home and to keep the dog away from them.

    Dogs can be tied up while they are trained for certain basic commands like sit, stay, etc.. Not all training sessions also require your dogs to be tied up.

    Keeping a dog on a chain or a rope outside may not be always a cruel act. After all, dogs enjoy going outside, and keeping them on a leash is the only way to keep them under control and from running away.

    If you have trouble training your dog, take help from a professional trainer. They will help you in a better way. House train your dog and let him go for a walk outside, whenever he needs to relieve himself.

    Dogs that are tied up all day have the risk of bitting and are more likely to be the dogs that run off and do not come back when they are called.

    All dogs are not biters and runners if chained, but they would be happier if they were not chained. They want to be free to play with their owner, children, and other pets. Dogs that are tied are stressed, bored and nervous.

    Being alone and surrounded by many things that may provoke him or cause reactions, he may want to run and play but he finds himself restricted to the length of a rope or chain.

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    Keeping a dog on a chain or a tether outside might not always seem like a malicious act. After all, dogs enjoy getting outside, and keeping them on a leash is the only way to keep them from running away. While the intentions behind this act might be good, unfortunately, keeping them on a chain and restricting their freedom to move around can be extremely detrimental to a dog’s health, well-being, and ability to properly socialize with humans and animals. The myriad problems that chaining a dog presents may not be completely obvious to those who choose to confine their companion animals in this way, although there are some pet guardians who do know better, but have more malicious intentions towards their dogs.

    Without the freedom to roam around, play, and engage in their natural behaviors, dogs kept on chains or tethers can become bored, lonely, depressed, and oftentimes aggressive. Chaining confines a dog to a small area of space on the property, and they are not free to explore and engage with other pets or with people. Many dog caretakers who keep their dogs chained up often don’t realize the emotional and psychological harm it inflicts — and they often don’t check on their dogs often enough to find out.

    In fact, chaining your dog might be doing more harm than good and even fostering the beginnings of even more concerning behavior problems.