Dog Fence Systems provide an alternative to chaining dogs while granting dogs the freedom to explore and enjoy the entire yard.


A Case For Making your Pet a Family Member...

Most pet owners understand that sunlight and fresh air are essential to the well-being of our four-legged friends.  Like humans, dogs will grow obese if they do not have the opportunity to exercise, and obesity can lead to a wide variety of other health concerns, including heart disease and diabetes.  While some people utilize dog parks or take their dogs out for numerous daily walks, still others resort to the practice known as “tethering” or “chaining out” as a means to exercise their pet and to ensure that he gets outside to do his business.  In many cases, the tethering becomes a permanent arrangement, due to the fact that it’s more convenient, it’s simpler, or it’s even used as a form of punishment for dogs that are too rowdy or prone to soiling on the carpets.  But is tethering your dog out a safe option?  Is it really humane?

What Is Tethering?

The Humane Society of the United States defines chaining out or tethering as “the practice of fastening a dog to a stationary object or stake, usually in the owner’s backyard, as a means of keeping the animal under control.”  This practice is considered to be very inhumane, as well as posing a potential threat to not only your pet, but also to other animals and to humans, particularly children.  Regardless of whether or not you have provided a dog house or some other means of shelter for your pet, staking them outside is a dangerous option that should be avoided at all costs.

The Risk to Your Pet

Chaining a dog outside is very inhumane.  First of all, one must consider the natural instincts of these beautiful animals.  Dogs are pack animals and, when we invite them into our homes and take care of them, we become their family; they need daily interaction with us in order to remain healthy and happy.  When we take our pets and chain them up outside, it deprives them of their ability to socialize with us as well as forcing them into a form of isolation and punishment, quite often even when they did nothing wrong.  When treated in such a fashion, a dog that is normally friendly and well-behaved can often become neurotic or even aggressive when continuously tethered out.  Even dogs who are only tethered out for a few hours a day can come to look at being tied out as a form of rejection or punishment.

Dr. Theo Capaldo, past president of Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals states that, “One way that wolves severely punish a pack member is to ignore the animal.  It is highly likely that many dogs experience their prolonged chaining and separation from the rest of the “family/pack” as rejection.”  While we may mean well, chaining or tethering a dog outside can often make him feel as if he is being punished.  Capaldo also adds that “For dogs, prolonged chaining is emotional abuse.”

Chaining dogs out can also be inhumane because it often leads to neglect.  It’s a known fact that many humans seem to be inclined to follow the “out of sight, out of mind” rule and, quite often, this includes our pets.  Dogs that are chained out are often forgotten and neglected; the area where they are staked out is less likely to be cleaned of waste, making it very unsanitary for them, and it’s common for a tethered dog to become entangled around his shelter or other objects in his yard.  Numerous dogs, each year, are choked to death when their chains are hung up or become tangled.  They unknowingly hang themselves by jumping over gates, dog houses, or off of porches - the numbers are staggering.

Many chained dogs resort to pulling on their chain and running back and forth at the end of the tether, wearing down the ground beneath their feet to a hard-packed concrete that turns to mud and mush when it rains.  The constant pull and tug on their neck can eventually make raw open wounds or, in severe cases, some dogs have even been forgotten to such a point where their collars have literally become imbedded in their flesh.  No animal should have to endure such suffering.

Tethered dogs are often dehydrated and malnourished, as well.  While owners may mean well and feed their dog every day, it’s common for dogs that are chained out to spill their water and food dishes, not to mention the fact that birds and other pests will often come around to eat your pet’s food.  This not only robs your dog of healthy nutrients, but it puts him at the risk of injury and disease, especially because a tethered dog cannot run away and escape something that chooses to attack him.  Even a couple hours, on a hot summer day, can be unbearable without clean, cold water to drink.

The Risk to Others

Tethered dogs also have the potential to be dangerous to other animals, as well as other people.  When chained to a stationary object or even on a running pulley, dogs tend to grow anxious, angry and neurotic.  This makes them more likely to snap or bite, particularly if they feel threatened, and has led to numerous attacks every year.  In fact, the organization Unchain Your Dog states that a chained dog is three times more likely to bite than a dog that is kept unchained and either walked or allowed the run of his own back yard.  Sometimes, dogs that are chained will even break free of their tether and chase after other animals or humans, the dog retaining his aggressive tendency even after he is free.

Is it any wonder that many chained up dogs have this reaction?  In extreme cases, not only do they have to suffer the feelings of being abandoned and forgotten, but they may also endure things such as teasing or harassment from children, abuse from neighbors, the discomfort of becoming entangled or choking on too-tight collars, as well as stinging and biting insects.  A tethered dog is at the mercy of the environment into which he has just been thrust.  Even dogs that are only tethered for a few hours, per day, still can suffer abuse from strangers and from the elements.

Before you chain your dog out, ask yourself this - Would you feel comfortable doing the same thing to a child?

The Safer Alternatives

There are many other alternatives to chaining your dog up outside.  Walking your dog several times a day can provide them with the opportunity to socialize with you, as well as granting them a little exercise, though it’s hardly enough exercise for a young and energetic dog.  Dog parks also provide relief, allowing your pet to socialize with you as well as other canine buddies.  Unfortunately, however, not all of us have the time to take our dogs down to a dog park every single day; whether they are too far away or you’re too busy today, there always seems to be something going on.  Whichever way you look at it, the safest and most convenient place for a dog to romp and play is within the confines of a responsible owner’s back yard.

Dogs enjoy the liberty of being able to run in their own back yard.  They love to be able to race around and smell all the different scents, they love to roll in the grass, and they love to flop down in the shade after a good.  But just because you put up a fence doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the safest place for your pet - chain link fences can be scaled or jumped over, particularly if your dog is very energetic or a large-breed dog.  Some dogs turn it into a scene from Mission Impossible and use tree limbs, cars, or anything else they can to help them hop the fence.  But don’t underestimate the small dogs either; small dogs are notorious for squeezing out of weak spots in fencing or they can dig holes and tunnel their way to freedom.  Just because there’s a barrier in his way, just because we realize that a fence is something erected so you don’t go around it, it doesn’t mean that your dog will understand it as such.  In fact, with many dogs, escaping the confines of his fence can become a fun and exciting game.

The Safest Fence

Perhaps the safest kind of fence you can purchase for your pet is an electric dog fence.  When properly trained within this kind of pet containment system, dogs learn the boundaries of their yard in a method that is both safe and humane.  By instructing them to stay within these boundaries, using this gentle and consistent method, you provide your pet with the perfect opportunity to run and romp within the safety of their own yard, without having the hassle of erecting an unsightly fence that can obstruct your view, be vandalized by local youth, or even decrease your property value.

Traditional dog fencing also poses other risks, in that it can be easily damaged; they can be cut open or knocked down, or your pet can escape even through a harmless mistake, such as a delivery man or child not latching the gate tightly enough.  Not all of us go out and walk the perimeter of our yards each and every day, before letting our pets out for exercise - before you know it, Rover can be halfway to Mexico, hopelessly lost and alone.

Electric dog fencing provides a much safer alternative to your traditional styles of fencing, through a combination of conditioning, training and reward.  Your dog gradually learns the visual boundaries of his yard and is taught to stay within these confines, rather than just being tossed in the lake and told to swim.  There is no focus placed on a gate for him to try and escape out of, nor is there any way for your dog to jump over or tunnel under and electric fence.  In no time, your dog will learn that it’s much more fun to spend his time romping and playing in his own back yard, rather than wasting his time trying to escape it.

The Cost of Pet Containment Systems

Many people balk at the idea of installing electric dog fencing, because they worry that it’s too expensive.  Surprisingly, electric dog fences are really no more expensive than traditional dog fences and, in the end, will actually save you money in veterinarian bills and in the labor of upkeep.  Wire fences can be cut, privacy fences can get holes kicked in them or become a blank canvas for graffiti art, whereas electric dog fencing is hidden away, buried beneath the ground where it requires very little maintenance and doesn‘t suffer vandalism.  For most pet owners, the only concern that they need to worry about is whether or not the batteries are running low in their pets’ collars and, even then, quality systems have even taken the guess work out of this, providing collars that feature a low-battery indicator light for your convenience - All you have to do is change a couple of batteries and your electric dog fence is in perfect working order.

While the ideal situation is to have someone come out and install your hidden fence, you can cut costs by installing an electric dog fence on your own (or put it on your husband’s honey-do list).  Good-quality systems are easy to understand and provide convenient and reliable customer service, helping you to install your own dog fence.  It’s entirely up to you, which route you wish to take when it comes to installing your pet containment system.

Doggone Good

Whether you own cats or dogs, an electric pet containment system will grant them the opportunity and the freedom to run and romp on their own property, while still keeping them safe from harm.  It’s a proven fact that providing a good environment for your pets promotes good mental and physical health, as well as being rewarding to you as a pet owner - there’s nothing better than seeing a wagging tail and a happy face looking up at you.  A much safer and a much healthier alternative to chaining or tethering, electric fencing is highly recommended by many veterinarians and pet-welfare organizations; your pet deserves the best, so why not check out some today?