This is a very hard subject to write about. Some things just get to you more then others and the subject of chained dogs is the one thing that truly makes the hair on the back of my neck raise. I can’t think of anything more cruel than to pass by someone’s house and see their dog tied outside to a tree or a shabbily made dog house, the water bowl overturned and the poor dog sitting alone, isolated from his human family, with flies buzzing his poor ears, with no way to get exercise and not able to escape from any threat, or, even worse, tangled in his chain.

Most people who chain their dogs up are not even aware of the pain and cruelty they are inflicting on their pet. The owners chain the dogs up because they lacked the time or energy or finances to train them or simply didn’t have the proper room to keep the dog in the first place. Before you decide to add a dog, or any pet, to your home you should always research everything you can first. Be sure that you have the room, the time, the money and the equipment before bringing any pet into your home, and never purchase a pet on a spontaneous decision.

Dogs are not lawn ornaments! They are very social animals and when you become a dog owner you become his pack. They need and want contact either from you or other dogs. A dog seldom receives this when they are chained outside to only be a member of the family when it is convenient for the owner. This is very harmful for the dog's mental health. They may and probably will become withdrawn and depressed. Compulsive barking, chewing and digging could also result, which usually leads the owners to take the dog to the pound or Humane Society because of their ill behavior. Although the dog may be receiving vet care and a plate of food, they need more! They need to be a active member of the family and if you decide to bring a dog in as part of your family, having the proper equipment, room, and time to make it part of your family should be included in the decision of whether you want a dog as a pet or not.

One of the biggest mistakes made is thinking that a length of chain gives the dog plenty of room to move about; they can still get tangled up in their chains. This may result in the dog not being able to get to the dog house, or the food bowl and water bowl will become out of their reach. This could be extremely dangerous in hot weather - imagine being very hot and very thirsty and your glass of water just out of your reach. Dogs that spend their lives chained have been known to grind their teeth down to stumps. Many will compulsively lick an area on their body until it turns into a bleeding sore - this will draw flies, mosquitoes and other pests making their already miserable conditions even worse.

The reasons people chain their dogs could be because of bad behavior, but chaining a dog doesn’t correct bad behavior, it makes it worse. Chaining a dog causes aggressiveness (due to always needing to be on the defense since it has no way to escape danger) and hyper activeness (because they are not getting the exercise they need). A dog with behavioral problems needs trained not chained.

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