Why have a dog if you are just going to keep it chained up in the yard?

Yes, it is heartbreaking to see a dog neglected like that. I have a chocolate Lab and a beagle, and they shed like crazy, but I wouldn't think of keeping them outside. I just vacuum my floor every day and love them like they were my kids. My husband would love to keep them outdoors, because he feels that's where dogs belong, but that will never happen! He'd be the one in the dog house. ;) -Listasaurus.com

I agree 100%. Not only doesn't it make any sense for any reason, it is actually CRUEL. These people often claim to be animal lovers,yet will tell you that as long as he/she has food and water and a kennel they are being 'looked after' and are even happy. Rubbish! A normal wild dog or wolf or dingo lives with it's pack 24/7. No cub leaves the pack till mature as they couldn't survive! but We 'choose' to take our dogs away from their pack, (their 'family' Mum and siblings) so we should at least try to replace it. Lone kept dogs are the ones who suffer seperation anxiety and that anxiety can show in many different ways, mostly aggressively if it's a chained animal. If people want an animal that they can ignore 95% of the time they should get one that lives alone in the wild. As for it being a 'guard' dog, if it's chained up how is it going to stop someone breaking in? It can only reach as far as the chain allows. All someone needs to do is get past that length! Or break in where the dog can't see them. A dog that has the run of the house can get to any entry point in less time than an intruder can get in, they are going to obey instincts to protect or warn the pack! What more guard do you need! Also like others I really can't understand how anyone could pay a lot of money for anything just to then ignore it!

I agree with you, these people should be reported for cruelty to animals.

Because some people like the IDEA of having a dog rather than having the dog itself. Once they realize it's a living breathing creature with needs, wants, desires and flaws they lose interest and outside the animal goes. What's worse is that the poor animal is now a sitting duck for any vicious stray or mean spirited person wandering past the yard.

I agree with you totally. I know of a few people that have big dogs and they don't do anything with them. My son is one that I have had a talk to on many occasions about this tpoic. He has a dog that is part rotreiler and part lab and he is a huge dog. He wieghs about 100 lbs. or more and my son doens't ever take him for a run or walk even. His dog is in the house all day long while they, his wife and him, are at work. Then when they get home they put him in the yard and they don't chain him, their yard is fenced, and they just leave him out there for hours. They bring him in at night time, which I am glad for, but why not take him out for a run now and then. I have asked him why he doesn't and he says they are too tired in the evenings to take him out. They say they take him out on the weekends, but I have never seen it, so I don't think they do, at least not very often. We, my husband and I, take our dog out for a run every evening and he is just a little dog, so I can't imagine how their little dog must feel not going for runs.

YES! Thank you! I have a black lab who's about 13 years old and she still lives at my Dad's house because I haven't been able to bring her to live with me. When my Dad got remarried a couple years ago, his new wife decided that the three dogs (who had been inside dogs since we got them as puppies) needed to stay outside because they were big, dirty, hairy creatures and she wanted to have a clean house. She also bought electric anti-bark collars because she didn't like that they barked while they were left outside all the time. Those didn't remain in the house for long once my brother and I heard about it. I'm glad that my Dad is happy with this woman but there will always be a part of me who detests her for treating my dogs this way. That's normal, right?

That's a damn good question. I don't know why people do that either. Walker and I were "stuck" with a dog, when the ex-wife came for a visit this summer, and decided to leave her behind. Though we never thought we'd have a dog in our lives, but since we have one, we're treating her decently. We feed her well, we take her for walks, and she has a nice comy spot on the ocuch to sleep, at night.

It breaks my heart to see my dogs chained but I can't do anything about the choices of the adults in our house.But I am very passionate with my pets and it's only me that they love because I bring them food everytime I have spare allowance,take them for a walk everytime I'm free,and I spend some time with them.

I would figure it would be too much of a burden to keep a dog on a chain. Just imagine how many children you would find chained up in the back yard if that was allowed. Don't get mad at me folks I am sure a lot would chain up their kids. It bothers me too. I often wonder why waste the money on dog food for a dog that is only tearing up your grass, smelling up the area with poop and inconveniencing someone to feed it. It makes no sense. I know someone who has 14 dogs and asks us to feed them when they go out of town. The dogs are chained up all the time. They never come off of the chain. They just live. That is all the dogs do. It is a shame that this is allowed. I don't feel that the dog has to come inside the home. That isn't necessary but dogs are pack animals. They need to be part of a group. As well as go on daily walks. It is a shame that it is allowed.

Great question! I have always wondered that myself. When I moved out to a rural area, I found that just about everyone has a dog tied up in the back yard. My neighbor even had his Golden Retriever tied up behind his outbuildings. The poor thing couldn't even see the house, really. It did no good to report him, either. In this area, nobody does anything about animal cruelty unless it makes the news. I just think it's so sad. Dogs are such social creatures and they want to be with people. I can't stand the thought of it. Some people say they keep their dogs outside for protection...well, if they are tied up, how much protection could they be? My dogs were indoor dogs. They were Mini-Schnauzers. They were great watch dogs from inside the house! They always let me know if someone was around outside. I could never have put them outside and left them anymore than I could have my children!

I couldn't agree with you more embhc8! I have 3 dogs. They have a huge doggie door so that they can come in or go out as they please. We have five acres and my husband and I fenced it in all by ourselves just so that our dogs and other animals would be safe. It's a real pain having to get in and out of the truck to open and close the gate but, it's well worth it for our pets.

Thats the reason I dont want to keep dogs because they are meant to guard the house and all you can hear is a crying dog at the backyard. One you cant get to sleep because they always bark at the middle of the night to dogs must be treated like people. Just imagine yourself as the dog and you are placed in the yard and see how it feels like.

Some people think the dog enjoys it. Unforntely they find nothing wrong about chaining it and forgetting it.

I recently got a lab, and I couln't agree with you more. I am not even a real pet lover, but this dog really is part of our family. We don't even like her to go outside when its cold, let alone stay out there 24/7.

Me either. I have 4 dogs and they are all indoor dogs. I do have a pen that I put 2 of them outside for the day when the weather is nice. I love dogs and I almost always have one curled up on my lap, one or two sitting beside me and one on the back of the couch snuggled to my neck.

You are so right! This should be a punishable infraction, they should be chained in the yard, day & night. These poor animals develop a lot of issues, irregardless of their breed. What a nightmare. Not that it does any good, but I always report these cases, and I get slapped on the wrist, with the most common response, "well, at least the dogs are confined/not a large." What a crock!

I feel exactly the same way, because whether you like it or not, you have a dog and it just becomes part of the family. Putting them in the garden and leaving them there is just horrible, I couldnt do it. My husband kept going on about having a dog, I dont want one simply because I had my dog from 4 months old and lost her when she was 11 years old. I dont want to go through that again it hurt me so much losing her, and he said we would keep it in the garden and build it a kennel and that. I was really cross with him, I told him straight it would be cruel and I would end up having to bring it in the house, but then it wouldnt be fair on me because I just dont want another dog plus it would be me having to take it out all the time. I have known many a person who locks their dog in the garden all day and all night, one neighbour I had at one time used to put the dog in the garden all day and then at night would lock it in the tiniest shed in the dark, terrible.

I hate that too! I think that anyone who does that deserves to live a day in their dog's life. Get chained on a short leash outside of the house for a day with just your food and water somewhere within reach of your mouth. See how fun it is. And, it should happen when it is raining and chilly, or worse yet, cold and snowy outside. I hate, hate, hate when people do that! It is cruel and if your dog doesn't deserve to stay in a nice warm house, why do you?

I could never leave a dog tied outside...i have a boxer, bichon frise and a shi-poo. they are all inside dogs...even though the boxer is a total cluts...he's like a bull in a china shop!

I don't understand people who have children, work all week which means leaving them about 40-50 (or maybe more) hours each week and then getting a sitter for Friday & Saturday nights either. Why have children if you don't want to spend time with them. My uncle had hunting dogs that were always kept outside. They went hunting several times a week and were very happy dogs. They were well fed, had adequate shelter, and never ran out of water.