Hello,

I was wondering if I can get some advice on tethering dogs outside. My dog, a 2.5 year old cattle dog mix, has separation anxiety so whenever I leave him, whether it be in his crate or in a room he gets anxious. I just adopted him about 2 months ago.

Now that the weather is nice I have started tethering him on a high line outside my barn while I am at work. He wears a Bark Limiter collar which prevents him from barking but while on the high line he paces in a circle usually till exhaustion.

My question is to see if you think it is unacceptable to let him pace on his line till exhaustion?

Thanks,
Jeremy

 Quote: jeremy shaba

Hello,



My question is to see if you think it is unacceptable to let him pace on his line till exhaustion?

Thanks,
Jeremy

NO!!! Sorry, but I think that it is unconsionable to allow a dog to get themselves into that kind of a state of mind until they deplete themselves. I suspect that if you continue to do this...you will most likely come home, at some point, to a dead dog. Especially, in the warmer weather. (I don't know where you live, but state in you post "now that the weather is nice".)

Dogs left tied & unattended become prey to dogs & other animals without the ability to defend themselves. Also exposed to the elements.

You don't say how long he is left there or if he has access to cover & water.

I would think that the dog can & will do less 'damage' to himself crated. If he has a history of breaking out of crates & very sturdy steel cate will prevent that. Also giving him a frozen stuffed kong or knuckle bone may give him something to do in the crate & hopefully distract him for a while.

Dogs with anxiety issues are very challenging to deal with. Depending on the degree of anxiety...it might be possible to work with the dog, overtime, to desensitize him to your absence by starting to leave him for very short periods of time...just up to the point that he become anxious. Depending on the dog...this could be 30 seconds to minutes....& then build from there. There is NO quick fix for this kind of problem.

You mention that you have a barn...is it possible to put him in a stall while you work around the barn doing chores so that he can hear you close by, but not see you? Then use this as a starting point to desensitizing him. Overtime you can walk in & out of the barn & then increase the time you are out of the barn. Other animals in there may also, possibly,m ease his anxiety.

Sometimes the only answer is to administer anti-anxiety drugs.

Good luck with him. Nice of you to give him 'another' chance in a new home.

I agree with Anne in that it is never a good idea to leave a dog tethered outside, left unattended etc, especially one that has anxiety issues.

Jeremy, do you give this dog plenty of exercise before you head off to work? A tired dog is a happy dog and might tolerate taking a nice nap inside his crate while you are away at work.

A good exercise plan can help with nervousness along with some desensitizing work like Anne suggested. I have a dog that is anxious about certain triggers. I have found that giving extra attention to working with both mental stimulation games we play inside as well as good physical exercise at the right times have helped tremendously.

 Quote:

Good luck with him. Nice of you to give him 'another' chance in a new home.

Ditto, it always makes me glad when people give the dog a second chance. I wish you the best with helping him with these anxiety issues.

I have heard it can take up to two years for a dog to feel 'at home' after being abandoned by their 'pack'. Your dog sounds like it is in an extreme state of distress. Please do not leave it alone in this state of mind! Your dog is still trying to figure out what things mean - you going in and out, you going out and not coming back for a period of time...

We adopted a senior dog, and he has separation anxiety. We are constantly figuring out work-arounds so this dog does not have to suffer. We have had him a year now, and although he is still not willing to stay in his crate, he is getting better at being home with our big pup (who is perfectly happy in his crate). Yesterday I packed him out to the university with me in a little travel bag. He was amazingly calm, sleeping on the bus in a cramped bag, with all manner of noise and people coming and going. It was a revelation to see how rock solid his temperament is, in certain situations.

You need to tire your dog out in a good way, and then work on building his confidence so he can be left alone. One way I do this is to tether my adult dogs to me. Yes, it is a bit of a nuisance, but they very quickly get tired of having to follow me around doing chores and then will lay down and be quiet.

I would suggest you also need to familiarize your dog with the routines of his new home - what certain sounds mean, what sequences happen everyday as a matter of course.

I'm going to assume you have a highly intelligent working lines dog, who is going to suffer without mental and physical challenges. Have you started working on training/games to play with your pup so he can feel more bonded in his relationship with you? And perhaps learn some useful chores he can do to contribute to the family economy?

I once heard that tying a dog up is bad for them mentally and it is so true. A crate is much more calming. Like a den, somewhere safe to sleep until the pack comes home. If you want to leave him for longer periods of time a dog run is much better than tying him up. If being tied out is bad for an attached secure dog think how much worse for a new, insecure, abandonment issues dog! Please listen to the others above, tire him out and let him rest in a crate or dog run!
Good luck!
~ Melissa

Thanks for the pointers!

A dog with an owner to wait for, tied, is WAY better off than a dog for whom no one is coming.
It's really great of you to have taken this dog, and I'm sure with a little time and ingenuity you guys will figure it out.

Welcome to the forum and kudos to you for rescuing this dog. I am not a proponent of tying out a dog while not RIGHT there with them. I'd recommend giving the dog much more exercise before you leave for work and rhen crating the dog with a yummy treat filled kong.And what the other folks have suggested!

I picked up a 10' x 10' run kit at Lowe's this week for around $240. Don't know how you're fixed for funds, but that would be preferable to being tethered.

And ditto all the other good advice here.

Jeremy, welcome to the board. You do have a dilemma, but one that is faced by many dog owners. You have to go to work, obviously, but your dog is not happy being left alone.

I'm wondering how long a period of time you are away at work each day. If it's a typical eight-hour workday, plus commuting time, which may make it a nine- or ten-hour stretch, then my view is that I don't think it's fair or kind to crate a dog for that long a period of time.

If you're going to crate him all day, then I feel he needs someone to come by and let him out at least once during the day. Stuffed kongs and knuckle bones are a great idea, but they're not going to keep his mind occupied for a whole day (even assuming he can "hold it" for that long).

I'm also wondering in what way the separation anxiety was manifesting itself when your dog was left inside, in a room or crate. Just thinking out loud here about which situation would cause him the least amount of stress.

Seems like what the dog needs is a solution that provides for both his safety AND his sanity. Maybe the outdoor kennel is one possibility, although if he has any tendency to dig, he could escape that way.

While it would be great if you could come up with a better solution than tethering, I have to agree with Betty who pointed out that a tethered dog who has someone coming home to him and taking care of him is better off than a lot of other dogs. I think providing him with LOTS of exercise and interaction with you when you are home will go a long ways toward helping him adjust to his new home.