The magazine Animal Sheltering is my source for verification/clarification of the information on this section of the site. It has both an online and a postal service delivered version of its magazine and comes highly recommended. I use it often and it’s one of many resources I use when I need backup for my writing. It’s located at www.animalsheltering.org. AS it says on the banner above, this is about “On the End of a Chain” with respect to dogs and a dog’s perspective. The work “chain” isn’t necessarily a literal as people often use other things to tie their dogs out. Leashes, aircraft wire, ropes of many kinds and sizes. The choice of an actual chain is usually in the circumstances where a dog is going to be literally chained for many hours a day, even 24/7.
A dog’s needs are, in order of importance, water, food, shelter, company to satisfy their social or pack needs, and then the rest such as love, loyalty, companionship with a human, and so on.
There are actually laws and precedents covering the weight of a chain used to confine a dog. It cannot weigh more than 1/8th of a dog’s body weight. Anything heavier than that is considered animal cruelty. The REASON for using a chain is because dogs, when tied outside for long periods of time without company, toys, companionship of any kind will get nervous and chew anything they can reach. They can readily chew through rope and nylon, etc..
But perhaps you noted the word companionship: Dogs are pack animals and pets consider their humans to be their pack. Without the pack, nature tells them they are no good, not worthy, and inferior; that part is nature, not something learned. So a tied dog needs companionship to maintain a healthy, happy attitude.
Do YOU chain YOUR dog out for long periods of time without anyone around? Let’s hope not because it sends mixed messages to the dog. I have 3 dogs: One is always tied whenever I cannot be out with her. But that’s because she’s a runner and will go over, under or through any fence you can put in front of her<g>. But she’s never without company either of myself and/or the other two dogs. And her leash is a long one so she can run, and with springs at each end to soak up any running mistakes she might make. She always looks forward to the leash because unpleasant things don’t happen to her. She’s in her elder years now and quite satisfied with the indoor life, although she’ll run off in a split second if she sees an opportunity!
So, I know a lot of people tie their dogs outdoors, most for various but good reasons. It’s not for long periods of time, and they don’t allow their dog to become lonely at all. A lot of accidents happen on leashes, up to and including hanging themselves. A caught up, shortened by wrapping around something leash on the steps and a jump off the step are plenty to hang a dog. I was working in the
garage one day and had a different dog with me, one who normally sticks close to me at all times but had taken to crossing the road out front on me. So I put him on a leash while I worked. About an hour later I heard him whimpering so so turned to check on him. He looked perfectly fine but kept whimpering softly. He had a nylon leash wrapped around his back foot, several times, and very tight, effectively tightening every time he pulled on it. It was quite a job to get
it off him. His foot was cold from the blood being cut off by the leash, and it was squeezed well into his skin, barely visible through the fur. I rubbed it for him after the leash came off and he laid there and let me. After a few minutes he got up and gently put weight on it. And after another minute he was doing fine. I was all set to take him to the vet but he recovered so quickly I decided to just watch him closely for the next day or so. He’s perfectly fine
now, I’m happy to say. And then we come to the cruelty of those who chain their dogs outside 24/7, unattended, even unfed and unwatered most of the time. These people are breaking laws, breaking the dogs, and wasting a beautiful animal that could have been someone’s perfect pet. I abhor this type of thing (actually I abhor ANY chaining of a dog in any unattended situation) enough in fact, that
I’ll make a page just for that subject rather than include it here. Click here to read the reality of what happens on the end of a leash: perhaps you can save a dog yourself someday with this information under your belt. Read More top | 
