Chains
of Love? Think Again
By Kris Johnson
Some
dog owners believe that dogs, especially large dogs, should be kept
outdoors on a chain. Chaining your dog is not in itself inherently
bad, it is when irresponsible pet owners chain their dogs up outside
permanently that the problem occurs.
Dogs
are social animals with a deeply ingrained need for contact with
human beings/or other dogs. It is a must. Dogs who spend most of
their time alone or only it the company of other dogs may demonstrate
fearful, aggressive, or overactive behavior towards family members
or strangers because they've never learned how to act around people.
Even a dog that gets proper care is still apt to develop serious
behavior (such as neuroticism and aggression) and physical problems
when their existence is ruled by a length of chain. One quarter
of all dog bites reported nationally are inflicted by chained dogs.
These dogs frequently become withdrawn and depressed which may result
in compulsive barking, chewing or digging.
People
who chain up their dogs because of bad behavior only compound the
situation. Many dogs are chained because the owner did not spend
enough time to properly train or socialize them. The more a dog
is kept outdoors, the less behavioral control the owner has. It's
easier to solve four or five indoor problems than one outdoor problem.
The reason is valid and simple: the more you control the stimuli
that reaches your dog, the more you control the responses. You've
got a lot more control over your living room than you do over your
neighborhood. When your dog is bored, but teased by every dog, cat,
squirrel, motorcycle, paperboy, meter reader, mail carrier, airplane,
firecracker and backfiring truck in your neighborhood, of course
he'll dig, chew and bark. Would you sit still all day every day?
When a dog is alone indoors, you are still there. Your scent and
things he associates with you constantly remind the dog of you and
your training. When he's out, your dog is alone whether you're home
or not. If a dog is constantly chained, it will change his behavior,
resulting in hyperactive or aggressive behavior.
Protection
and aggression are not the same thing. Protection is defensive,
reactive, often passive and threatens no one. Aggression is active,
harmful, offensive, threatens all and benefits no one. Aggressive
dogs need professional training, not chaining. An outdoor dog has
an address, not a home. Properly socialized dogs offer a real value
as a companion. Stop behavioral problems and start enjoying real
protection (not aggression) and companionship. Brings your dogs
inside. Your neighborhood will be a happier and safer place to live.
Kris
Johnson is an animal control officer in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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