How Beau's life has improved.

[biancaDB]

The point of this thread is that Beau is switched from chaining to kenneling and he likes it. I could have made a similar thread when I went from crating and kenneling Bonnie to tethering her because she became a much happier dog when I did. The point of the thread, as I understand it, isn't to debate. It's just a girl saying how she's working to make her dog's life better by interpreting what her dog wants and by increasing the time and energy she spends on her animal. Methods of containment are as good or bad as you work to make them; you do what's best for YOUR DOG in YOUR situation.

I'm with Muttkip. We've gone round and round on the "my method of containment is better than yours, nya nya nya boo boo!" train a thousand times, let's not turn this thread into that.

I'm not condemning her for her choice to chain Beau, I understand that some peoples living situations just don't allow it. As I mentioned before, I'm happy she's making his life better by doing these new things for him. I'm just confused with some of the things she's said thus far...that's all.

[Cliffdog]

I'm not condemning her for her choice to chain Beau, I understand that some peoples living situations just don't allow it. As I mentioned before, I'm happy she's making his life better by doing these new things for him. I'm just confused with some of the things she's said thus far...that's all.

I was more talking to Noodlesmadison. To say that you wouldn't let someone touch your dog just because you don't agree with how they choose to contain their pets is just a little absurd to me. To each their own, though. Maybe I should start not allowing people to touch my dogs if they feed their dogs Purina or Science Diet, LOL!

[Dude and Bucks Mamma]

I don't think chaining in and of itself is a bad thing but unsupervised chaining and 24/7 chaining is, in my eyes, neglect. I LOVED tethering my boys out front when I lived in California. Dude didn't need one but my deaf and nearly blind brittany needed to be tethered when he was out with us because he couldn't see if we walked away or hear us calling him to us. So we tethered him on the lawn next to our chairs. We would sit in the driveway and just enjoy the summer evenings. No big deal. I would never leave a tethered dog alone, especially since mine are intact. There are just too many things that can happen to an unsupervised tethered dog. Just thought I would jump on the bandwagon of opinion-speaking! Haha

That said, I am glad to hear that you have thought about what would make Beau happiest. It is too true that we need to spend as much time with them as we can. Dude is exactly one year younger than Beau. He will be 9 in November. They really don't have that many years left. I can guarantee you that if you don't continue on this path and don't make him an indoor dog/switch him to raw/make time for him every single day you will regret it for the rest of your life. My brittany was put down this past year the day before we got Buck. He was 17. I spent time with him. He was an indoor dog. But I didn't really make time for HIM. Sure, he was with me most of the time but it was usually just because he followed me from room to room. My focus was never on HIM. I regret every day that I didn't take just an hour every day to play with just him and to focus on just him. He is gone and I will never get the chance to fix it. It sounds like you are on the right track with Beau. Don't let my regret over Hoss become your regret with Beau. And Takoda too. I think Miss Thing should be an indoor dog too! Hahaha.

[Muttkip]

I don't think chaining in and of itself is a bad thing but unsupervised chaining and 24/7 chaining is, in my eyes, neglect. I LOVED tethering my boys out front when I lived in California. Dude didn't need one but my deaf and nearly blind brittany needed to be tethered when he was out with us because he couldn't see if we walked away or hear us calling him to us. So we tethered him on the lawn next to our chairs. We would sit in the driveway and just enjoy the summer evenings. No big deal. I would never leave a tethered dog alone, especially since mine are intact. There are just too many things that can happen to an unsupervised tethered dog. Just thought I would jump on the bandwagon of opinion-speaking! Haha

That said, I am glad to hear that you have thought about what would make Beau happiest. It is too true that we need to spend as much time with them as we can. Dude is exactly one year younger than Beau. He will be 9 in November. They really don't have that many years left. I can guarantee you that if you don't continue on this path and don't make him an indoor dog/switch him to raw/make time for him every single day you will regret it for the rest of your life. My brittany was put down this past year the day before we got Buck. He was 17. I spent time with him. He was an indoor dog. But I didn't really make time for HIM. Sure, he was with me most of the time but it was usually just because he followed me from room to room. My focus was never on HIM. I regret every day that I didn't take just an hour every day to play with just him and to focus on just him. He is gone and I will never get the chance to fix it. It sounds like you are on the right track with Beau. Don't let my regret over Hoss become your regret with Beau. And Takoda too. I think Miss Thing should be an indoor dog too! Hahaha.

Miss Lab Mutt thing might get a shot at it....maybe....she's a work in progress and the last time I had her in the house she ate a whole bedroom and this was with me in the room O___O...how she managed that one I'll NEVER know!! But I'm not going to regret spending time with my old man...I'm making a turn around and it's better to be late then never :)

[Dude and Bucks Mamma]

I agree.

And if you ever need help with your house eating mutt... I have been there... Buck will eat anything. We have an entire room dog proofed so that he can't eat anything, chew on anything, or even DO anything. He doesn't even have access to the carpet thanks to a very large tarp. It won't happen overnight. When she does get her shot I would recommend tying her leash to your belt so she HAS to stick right next to you. That way, she will ALWAYS be reachable should she grab anything she shouldn't have and she can't sneak off and chew on something while you have your back turned. A dog who was raised outside is always going to take a bit longer. Dude was an outdoor dog (thanks to my mother) for 7 years. When I moved out he became an indoor dog and he is great. It took longer to make him understand the concept of peeing outside but it wasn't his fault.

I still tie Buck to my belt sometimes. When he is getting too rowdy or harassing Dude he gets tied to my belt. It is easier to control their environment with them within arms reach at all times when they begin to get out of control.

[ShanniBella]

I'm not in favor of chaining 24/7 or saying muttkip is right in her choices....however, bleeding hearts against chaining wouldn't fair well on a pit bull forum. I am on a few of them and alot of responsible owners chain there dogs to keep them separate and to prevent fights. You can't have a multiple pit bull home and have them all live happily in a house together without altercations because you can't change the genetics of DA in this breed. Alot of the responsible pit bull owners who chain there dogs are also active in showing/confirmation, agility, dock diving, schutzhund, etc who own multiple dogs or kennels. I would rather see a dog on a PROPER chain set up outside with housing and water access then sit in a crate for 12 to 16 hours a day. I don't chain my dog and never would but I don't judge others for there choices unless the dogs are not being cared for properly. In this case muttkip wasn't taking proper care of her beagle but has made changes and I commend her for that. She didn't have to come on a public forum and tell us these things but she obviously needed someone to talk to. Oh, and for some strange reason I just realized muttkip is on a pit bull forum that I frequent and she has a beagle but pit bull owners don't discriminate because we know how it feels owning our breed ;)

[Rodeo]

I wouldnt let you near my dog. Im just haPpy your dog now has a somewhat better life than before

What is your deal? She bought him a kennel and you STILL want to go on with this?

ETA: Tethering CAN be done responsibly and I have no problem with it. Especially when it comes to pit bulls. They are a very high energy, high drive dog. I know of a few people who own multiple dogs and tether them. They still get great care and don't spend day in and day out tied up.