Anti-Tether Law
Angel Lee Cauffman
Why the Law Must Be
Hitting the nation with a fierce vengeance is the new anti tether law. These laws swing into effect with what seems like little warning. This Law has been put into effect to save the masses of dogs that are bought on a yearly basis and put in the back yard on a 3 ft chain for the rest of their life. These dogs are condemned to spend the rest of their lives having mixed breed litters of unwanted puppies which are culled or given away to people that could not otherwise afford to neglect a dog. People take them as if they were lawn ornaments and throw scraps to those little socialized and although often idealized, seldom loved animals. The law imposes that dogs only be left on a tether unattended for a few hours. More time than specified in that state, is punishable by fine.
Who does this law effect
This law affects some of the dog world’s biggest mass producers of puppies. Some are back yard breeders, some fight their dogs. The dogs are left in circles that are inadequately cleaned, sometimes numbering into the hundreds.
Unfortunately it is shaking up the routine of some honest dog breeders who have used tethers as a healthy part of kennel life for centuries. The owners of a lot of sporting and working breeds will now be at the drawing board, coming up with the new living arrangements for their working packs.
Making the Law Work for you
If you are a respectable dog owner, there is no reason to be afraid of these new laws. A tether is a safe and effective way to allow your dog a bit of fresh air, but there is no reasons at all to think a limit on consecutive tether time, will greatly cramp your dogs outside time.
Block schedules
The block schedule is a great way to make use of this new law. As long as you have a reasonable amount of land to suite the number of dogs in your breeding program, it should turn into a proposition that benefits you and the dog.
In an ideal block schedule each dog would get time allotments for the fallowing; Time on a tether (best used for feeding and eliminating needs), Time in enclosed fenced area (To run, play, and burn calories), Time crated (down time in which the dog must be controlled. For sleeping or chew toys), and when at all possible, Personal Time spent with you (on a leash or running the house).
Advantages of free Roaming
The most important part of the Block schedule that every breeder should consider is the free roaming portion. Dogs are much more than beasts of burden. They are beings with feelings and physical exercise requirements that are necessary for their mental well being. Although your dog will feel physically better from having a chance to extend muscles, tendons, and improved circulation, the mental soundness benefits tremendously outweigh in terms of having a dog at the top of its’ performance.
Free roaming is also an excellent chance to work with your dogs off leash, as well as a chance keep an eye on pack relations. It is through unrestricted free movement observation that one can understand the most about an individual dog. To never see a dog at it’s’ most uninhibited, is to never really know that dog. If you do not know every part of a dogs’ personality, you can not even begin to claim you have trained it. If you can not train a dog to its’ fullest potential, why have it. More importantly, why have a huge number of partially trained dogs??
How This Law Can Promote Better Breeding Programs
Although the onset of these new laws may seem terrifying, they will be the dawn of a new era in reasonable breeding. Dogs will be stimulated mentally by being moved around, and having a chance to have many experiences in a single day. Breeders, who are otherwise bad at population decisions, will be forced to keep a number of dogs consistent to what they can give attention to.
Focus in dog sport kennels, will be shifted from looking through many for the one, to training each dog to be the best that it can be. Dogs will be accounted for and receive the individual attention that they deserve.
One dog in the house
To make a conscious effort to always have at least one dog in the house will promote more self confident and workable dogs. If you allow each dog a half or full day in the house in rotation, each dog will be easier to re-home if they are not working out in your kennel. A lot of breeders will say that their dog is “only for work” for hunting, sledding, or herding. This view however does not make provisions for dogs out of their prime, or that is not working out for its’ job. How to live with people is something that every good dog should know.