For many older folk, when we talk about tethering a dog, a picture of a sad neglected hound on the end of a rusty chain springs to mind. And when I was a kid, that kind of tethering was often a way of life for many lonely dogs left to ‘guard the yard’ all day.
Nowadays, tethering tends to have a different meaning and I think it’s important to look at the kind of role that modern tethering techniques can play in the life of a happy, well-adjusted and much loved family dog.
Tethering information
- Is it cruel to tether a dog?
- What’s the purpose of tethering
- Pros and cons of tethering
- Tethering safety and tips
What do we mean by tethering?
Tethering simply means attaching a dog to a fixed object, or stationary human, for several minutes or more.
Dogs can be tethered indoors or outdoors.
A tether must be long enough to enable the dog to lie down comfortably but not so long that the dog can run around and gather speed
Is it cruel to tether a dog?
It’s very unkind to tether a dog for long periods of time. Or to tether a dog suddenly and without any preparation or training.
But using tethering as part of a training program is perfectly compatible with treating a dog kindly. And being comfortable when tethered is an extremely useful skill for any dog to learn
The purpose of tethering
The aim of tether training is to help dogs relax in all kinds of situations where they cannot move around and explore.
This type of training is essential for service and therapy dogs and can really benefit pet dogs in a big way.
Tethering a puppy to you, can also be used to help with potty training in much the same way as a crate. The puppy is less likely to relieve itself indoors while tethered to a human friend, and you are more likely to notice that the puppy is restless and needs to pee or poop.
Pros of tethering
- A dog that is relaxed and comfortable with being tethered can be taken to many more places than a dog that gets upset when they are tied up.
- For example, a dog that can be tethered can be safely taken to outdoor urban restaurants or cafes without being at risk from traffic.
- Tethering can help attention seeking dogs learn to spend short periods of time without physical contact and without the need to put the dog in a crate.
- Tethering can help a dog learn to relax in the evenings while family members watch TV or talk to one another
- Tethering can help with potty training
Cons of tethering
Much like crate training, the downside of tether training is its potential for being abused. Of course it would be possible to tether a dog for long periods of time and to use tethering to isolate and ignore a dog.
When you use tethering techniques you need to think about what you want to achieve, and train your dog to be comfortable with that. We’ll look at the training steps below, but first a word about tethering a dog safely.
Tethering safety
Dogs should never be tethered and left alone in the house or yard. Quite apart from the cruelty of isolating a tethered dog, the risk of the dog getting tangled and even strangled are too great, even when using swivels on a chain.
Never use a long line or training leash as a tether. Not only will you make the dog ‘leash-wise’ (obedient on the leash, disobedient off it) the dog could be injured when it hits the end of the line at speed.
Don’t tether a dog without preparation and training. Young dogs tethered suddenly for the first time may panic, become very distressed and even harm themselves.
Always attach a tether to a well fitting harness. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you never to attach a tether to any kind of slip lead, choke chain, or any collar with a running noose.
Don’t tether a dog to a light object that they can pull over and drag along. If you attach your dog to a garden chair for example, and they chase the neighbour’s cat, the noise of the chair bouncing along behind them may cause the dog to panic and run faster and faster.
Tethering Dogs For Training: Tips
Tether training begins with you right next to your dog either sitting, or standing. In this position the dog gets comfort from your proximity and you can reassure and stroke them if necessary.
Try tethering your dog to you while you watch TV, read a book, or play a video game. Keep tethering times really short to begin with. Take some treats with you, ignore any fussing and reward the behaviors you want (sitting quietly/ laying down etc) with a treat.
When the dog can relax next to you, you can progress to tethering the dog while you move around the room or are busy in the yard or garden. Tether the dog where they can see you, but not interact with you.
Set your dog up to win by keeping training sessions short and increasing the duration of the tether very gradually. In new places its a good idea to sprinkle a few treats on the floor the first few times you tether your dog there. It all helps to make tethering an pleasant experience.
Tethering can be controversial, but if done thoughtfully, it doesn’t need to be unkind or even upsetting to your dog. And it is a very useful lifeskill for any confident canine citizen to learn!
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Lidy Riedstra
Just wanted to thank you for all your wise advice, and your Puppy Handbook. I used it to train our new puppy, and he’s now a well behaved dog, and polite, which is what you teach a dog to be. If I had done everything you suggested he would be perfect, but there were times when I was too lazy. I love getting your emails.
Hi Lidy, thanks for your lovely feedback, which I’ve passed on to Pippa. It’s so good to hear that you found her puppy book helpful :). There is nothing lazy about recognising what level of training is right for you, and your other commitments and priorities – it sounds like you’ve done a brilliant job with your pup and should be proud of yourself! 🙂
I am wondering about putting a dog on a long run. Is this a solution or is it cruel? They are escaping by digging under the fence around our yard and clearly it is not safe for them if they get out. We live not far from a main road so it is very important that I find a way to let them run around on our completely fenced in property. I want them to be happy and not tied up all the time. Any solution for this would be great! We are on 2 acres and there is lots of running room.
Hi Roxann. It’s important that any tether you use is short enough to prevent your pup from getting up speed before reaching the end of the line. This is to stop them being injured by a sudden stop at the end of the line. If you’d like your pup to be able to exercise outdoors without you, a safer option might be to fence a small portion of your land with a fence that’s more dig proof than your current one – for example by extending the fence down in to the ground below it.
Thank you for this article. I have always associated tethering with neglect or potential abuse; however, I now see that there can be a good use for it, if done with knowledge, attention, and care. We have a new pup and, for potty training purposes, I think I will try tethering and see how it works, albeit gradually and in short durations. Thanks again for posting this article!
It surprises me that anyone would think that short term tethering would in anyway be cruel. We use a leash to walk our dogs. We kennel our dogs. Why? For their safety and training. Same with the occasional use of a tie out or tether. Any procedure could be used in a manner that would be cruel. I see many many dogs that are overweight. That is certainly cruel in that it causes disease states, joint damage, etc, etc. So overdoing the treat bag can be cruel.
Lets get real. Never using any adversive of any type is not realistic. Yes we want to change things from traditional punishment based training but tethering when done reasonably is certainly appropriate and useful
I really value tethering. With my current SDIT I chose to tether more and not use gates around the house. I found like, you mentioned, this helps with potty training and she was learning how to settle at the same time; a huge skill needed for a service dog. Great article!
This is very useful for puppies. I wonder how it will work for my adult dog who goes into a frenzy of leaping when anyone enters the house. She’s fine anywhere else but very over reactive when people visit. I think I’ll try it. Thanks!