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There are many ways we can keep our dogs safe in our home and in our yard, but tethering is not one of them. 

Tethering Your Dog

• By nature, dogs are social animals and thrive on interaction with humans and other dogs.
• Unfortunately, approximately 200,000 dogs are left tethered outside by themselves everyday in the USA.
• This inhumane treatment causes otherwise friendly and happy dogs to become bored and lonely which often leads to the development of aggressive behavior.
• When threatened, all dogs have the natural instinct to fight or flee. When you tether or chain a dog up outside, you are eliminating the ability for flight and are leaving no other option but to build the fight instinct.
• It's not safe to leave a dog unattended and tethered. They can injure themselves, be injured by another dog or person or even be stolen. Not only is tethering dangerous, it is often illegal depending on where you live.

Flight or Flight in Dogs and How This May Affect Behavior on a Leash

• Dogs (and animals in general) have a defense instinct - when posed with a threat they can either stand their ground (fight) or run away and flee (flight). When a dog is on a leash, you are taking away its ability to flee.
• If possible, it's best to introduce 2 dogs to each other off leash. If you must have a leash, learn the correct way to do the introduction.

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Links mentioned in this episode:

>> Table of State Dog Tether Laws