Being able to "stand tied"; a life skill for your dog.
by Cheryl Carlson | September 1, 2016 | ©Cher Car Kennels
Much has been said about never tying your dog out to his dog house, or simply tying him in the back yard. It is rarely a good idea. The dog can be attacked by other dogs, or animals. He can get tangled in such a way that he can’t reach his water, or shelter. He can be approached by strangers, and if he bites them, you are on the hook. So, as a matter of daily living, a dog should not be tied.
Being ABLE to be tied, though, is a life skill, a temperament test, and just all around good for your dog. I find that many dogs that are badly leash trained can be “fixed” by simply tying them to a tree, under supervision, and letting them work it out. A couple of caveats, though.
Obviously, don’t use a slip collar (also known as a choke chain) or a prong collar on the dog being tied. A good, stout leather collar is preferred. Never use an adjustable “clip” collar, and make sure that the collar fits properly so that the dog cannot slip it over his/her head. Many people do not fasten the collar tight enough. It should NEVER be able to slip over his head, even in a panic mode. If it’s on so loose that he can pull free, you can lose your dog in an emergency. Two fingers loose is the best measure. I make sure that I can get two fingers between the collar and the dog’s neck, but not anymore.
Chain or Cable? I like them both. Some people really dislike a chain, but I haven’t heard a great reason for it. Worry about it tangling, or somehow injuring the dog seems to be the greatest concern, but a cable can wrap just as tight, if not tighter. Worry that the dog will break his teeth chewing on the chain is misplaced, as well. Dogs will bite and chew on a cable much longer than on a chain. The chain simply doesn’t offer good purchase, or good “mouth feel” to the dog. Always chose a large chain, or large cable. The smaller cables can really scar a dog if it wraps tightly, but remember, we are not leaving the dog unattended.
When tying your dog for the first time, short is better. I have tie out chains scattered about our property for just this activity. They are bolted to full sized cedar fence posts, and vary in length from about two feet to about 4 feet. Even a very busy dog can figure out how to unwrap himself if he only has a couple of feet of chain or cable to deal with.
Bring your dog to the secure tie out, snap on the tie, walk him/her out to the full distance of your chain/cable, and simply walk away. I usually say “you’re tied” to the dog, but at first, they won’t understand. If you don’t walk them out to the end, they may bolt, and hit the end very quickly, causing a panic. A client of mine, who fancies sight hounds, will not tie her dog because she is worried that the dog will break its neck if it sees a rabbit. For this purpose exactly, use a very short chain or cable. Do not allow the dog running room. Walk away, and watch from an area that allows you to see your dog, but your dog can’t see you. Watching from a window is great. What does he do? Rage and pull on the leash? Stand with it as taut as it will go? Circle madly? Stand absolutely still, as if frozen in time? Or simply accept that his world is a bit smaller right now, and move calmly about his area? The best result of this exercise is the latter.
If the dog understands the leash and collar completely, he will not “freak out” when tied. If he doesn’t, well, this is how you train it. Wait until some progress is made, whether he stops pulling, or moves into the post and learns to relieve the pressure on his neck from the collar, or in the case of freezing, starts to move about. This can take an hour, or ten minutes, depending on the age and temperament of your dog. Obviously, a younger dog learns this much faster than an older or spoiled dog. After you have your dog accepting the fact that he is tied in one location, make sure you vary your tie out area. You will find that this life lesson helps you in a multitude of ways. He will stop pulling back on a collar when you are trying to move him forward. He will stop resisting if you need to take his collar to help him get into a vehicle, or up on an obstacle. He will be much easier to teach to heel, if using a choke or prong collar technique, because he’s already trained to “give” to the collar. It is an important life lesson, so don’t miss out!