One of the things I hate to see is a dog that is chained up in a yard at the furthest point to the house. Because of that, I agree with this WRAL story wanting to ban chaining an animal up. But I realize that just letting the animal roam is not the answer. Some people just don't have the money for a fence. Is there a solution to this?
Ok, playing devil's advocate here, if only those people who can afford a fenced in yard are allowed to have pets, what is going to be the result for the shelters and rescues. Are we going to see more and more pets put down? Also honestly a fence doesn't really keep a lot of dogs from running loose either, considering a big majority of breeds are diggers.
Here's a great site...gotta love their gear! http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/home.html DOGS DESERVE BETTER is a nonprofit organization dedicated to freeing the chained dog, and bringing our 'best friend' into the home and family.
Ken, I have always liked this idea and I wish the license idea could be law. I even tend to agree that the more aggressive animals would be more controlled if for more capable owners.
But to me, requiring a square footage of fenced area per dog would be so much better than a 6 foot chain. The entire yard would not have to be fenced in.
There's nothing I hate more than seeing a dog chained up. But, where I live it is in our ordinance that all dogs must be chained or in a fenced in yard, but must not be chain link, chicken wire, or Pickett fences. So, you can basically only have it run in a six foot privacy fence. I am maybe one of three people who do have a six foot privacy fence. Most of the dogs in our subdivision run free and only about two or three are chained up. My dogs are inside at night and outside during the day. During the day we have several dogs come to our fence and aggravate ours in the fence. I've called the dog pound several times and they never show up. Well, I've never seen them and there are still 10-15 stray dogs running around. Seems they would try to fix these problems instead of more running around. Stray meaning no collars, rabies tags ,and run when they see a human. No one "claims" these dogs and the county has done nothing! Maybe Johnston County should try what Durham is doing. I AGREE 100% that people should be responsible for their dogs and the population their pets seem to make !
I have 2 pits and they are the most lovable dogs you will ever see. People who tend to characterize these dogs usually have never owned a pit. It is all in how you raise a dog. Dogs are made mean, it's something they are taught. My dogs are the ones that will bark when they don't know you but their tails are wagging the whole time. The dogs aren't bad but there are bad owners. Punish the owner not the breed!!
OK, so what exactly do you mean by "chained". Our beagle (who is a digger & a jumper) is either on a 20' overhead run or in the house during daylight hours when someone is home. When we are not home or after dark he is in a 10' by 10' pen and stays in the house at night when it is below 30 f.; plenty of cedar, water and a shelter. Are you saying that we are not good caretakers?
what I see as a problem with a dog "chained" is when you have a dog who can only run in a five foot circle , with no water or shelter. My dogs have been on runners before. But when you see a five foot circle of dirt around a dog....he's been on the chain too long.
Okay, my 2cents - My aunt is 70 years old and she has an inside dog, a big lab mix, he lives in the house and she puts him out on a chain (10foot) when he wakes up in the morning, mid day, dinner time and before bed for 20 minutes at a time so he can take care of business. In nice weather, she takes him for a walk once a day. There is nothing wrong with a chain for a situation like this in MHO For people who want an outside dog, which for the life of me I do not understand the purpose of, then fence your yard or a good portion of it or don't have a dog. If you wish to have your dog be outside when you go to work, and cant afford to fence in the yard, get a 10 x 10 kennel. Do they dig? Put in a concrete base, or concrete around the perimeter. Do they climb? Put a roof on it or hotwire the top. Unlike getting pregnant, which happens....you have to CHOOSE to allow a dog to live with you. Don't make a choice you can't afford. While I hate the thought of dogs being put down, I think I'd rather be in doggie heaven than living on a chain 24/7 with little or no human contact except to be fed. Living on a chain is not mentally stimulating, nor is it safe should another dog(s) approach....either they will fight and the chained dog is held back by inability to fight well or get away - or if unspayed, the dog is essentially raped.
I agree with what a lot of you have been saying about putting dogs out on tie-out chains. Dogs are social animals and need to be a part of the family. They can't be if they are chained up outside 24/7. That is cruel to the dog, and you might as well put them down rather than treating them that way. However, I don't know that banning the practice of putting them on a chain is necessary. I know responsible dog owners who put their dogs out for short periods but keep them inside the house most of the time. These dogs are happy, well adjusted and well cared for. Currently, if you see a dog being abused or neglected, you can call animal control and have them investigate. If owners are allowed to keep dogs on a tie-out all the time, maybe we can change the definition of neglect to better protect the beasties. Snuff P.S. Turtlepits is right, and dog experts will tell you that there aren't mean or dangerous breeds. Individual dogs can easily be taught to be mean and dangerous by their owners. People who do this kind of thing are usually attracted to breeds like Rotties, Pit Bulls, Dobermans, but those breeds are not inherently mean.
Playing devil's advocate one more time cause as everyone knows i love and care for all my non-human family. What exactly makes putting a dog in a pen 24/7 in the backyard any more humane than on a chain? Already there are laws in place that if the dog is on a chain he must have shelter and food.
And some on this board know full well that a dog can be a target of other dogs if on a chain or a runner.
