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16 Ways to Improve Your Dogs Life
16 Ways to Improve Your Dog’s Life
from the website: www.UnchainYourDog.org
1. Bring your dog inside!
Dogs get bored and lonely sitting on the same patch of packed dirt day after
day, month after month, year after year. Dogs are social pack animals who
want to be inside the house with their “pack”: their human family. Also, inside
dogs make the very best guard dogs.
2. Put up a fence. Fences give dogs freedom and make it easier for owners
to approach their
dogs, since they won't be excitedly jumping at the end of a chain. Fences don’
t have to be very
expensive if you are willing to do some work yourself.
3. Put up a trolley system if you can't put up a fence. A trolley system is
cheap and will give the dog much
more freedom of movement than a chain.
4.If your dog can escape your fence, do one or more of the following:
o If your dog can climb over a short fence, extend the height of the fence by
installing tall metal T-posts
and attaching mesh fencing across the top half of the posts
5. Purchase a 15, 20, or 30 foot lightweight tie-out if a fence or trolley
aren’t possible. Attach the
tie-out to a strong stake that screws into the ground. Place the stake in a
central location so that the dog can
move around all sides of the stake. Note: We have found that the Duckbill
Anchor kit is a very strong stake.
6. Spaying and neutering a dog will help him to calm down and stay
closer to home. A sterilized
dog won’t try to escape to find a mate! Sterilization will NOT change your dog’
s personality!
Sterilization is healthy for your dog: it reduces his or her risk of
contracting certain types of cancer.
Investigate low-cost spay/neuter programs in your area. Contact CARES for
financial assistance.
7. Replace ill-fitting, old collars with a new nylon collar. Be sure the
collar is not too tight. You should be
able to easily fit two fingers between the dog's neck and the collar. If you
need to add a hole to a collar,
hammer a thick nail through it, or heat a pick and poke it through.
8. Provide food and fresh water EVERY day. Every day that you eat, your
dog needs to eat, too! You
can place a water bowl inside a tire or in a hole in the ground to keep it from
tipping. You can also
attach a water bucket to a wooden doghouse or fence. Stretch wire, a small
chain, bungee cord, or
twine across the bucket and secure the wire on either side of the bucket.
9. Provide proper shelter for the dog. Dog igloos can be purchased
pretty cheaply from
discount stores, farm supply stores, and hardware stores.
• Dogs get cold in the winter just like we do, especially short-haired dogs. If it
is too cold for
you to sleep outside, your dog is going to be cold outside, too. If you can’t
bring the dog
inside in icy winter, fill doghouses with hay or cedar chips to help your dog
retain body
heat. (Cedar chips are preferable to hay because they are less likely to rot
and don't contain mites.) If you
use hay and it gets wet and soggy, spread it in the sun on a sunny day to dry
it out.
To keep cold air from blowing through the doghouse, the door should be
covered with a plastic flap. You
can use a car mat, a piece of plastic carpet runner, or even a piece of carpet.
• Doghouses should be large enough for the dog to stand up and turn
around comfortably, but small
enough to retain the dog's body heat.
• Wooden doghouses should be raised a few inches off of the ground to
prevent rotting and keep out rain.
Flat concrete blocks are an easy way to raise a doghouse.
• Dogs enjoy having towels and blankets to sleep on, just like we do.
Remember to wash them every few
weeks so they don't get stiff with dirt.
10. Give your dog toys and rawhides. Dogs need the stimulation provided
by toys,
just like kids do. A big rawhide will occupy a dog for several hours (dog toys
and
rawhides are available at grocery stores). Even a knotted towel or ball can
provide hours
of entertainment.
11. Take your dog on walks! It will mean the world to your dog to be able to
get of the yard, see new things, and smell new smells! Walking your dog is
great exercise for both you and your dog! If the dog is very strong or large,
you can use a prong
collar or harness to make walking easier on you.
12. Take your dog to school! Obedience training can solve behavior
problems and help the dog
learn how to be a good “inside” dog. Most pet stores offer inexpensive dog
training.
13. Provide your dog with flea treatment and annual worming. Biting
fleas make a dog’s life miserable. You can purchase flea treatment at pet,
discount and grocery stores. Most farm supply stores sell
wormers and vaccinations at much cheaper prices than vets.
14. Provide shade in the summer. A doghouse isn’t the same thing as
shade. It gets very hot inside a
doghouse during summer months! Bring your dog inside during heat waves if
possible. Plant trees to provide
shade. You can also create shade with tarps and pieces of plywood.
15. Fill up a plastic kiddie pool for hot summer months. Dogs enjoy
cooling off in a pool as much
as we do. What a cheap way to ease those hot summer days for a dog!
16. Consider finding a new home for your dog
if you cannot meet his or her needs. Talk to GCARES if you cannot meet
the needs of your dog(s)
from the website: www.UnchainYourDog.org
1. Bring your dog inside!
Dogs get bored and lonely sitting on the same patch of packed dirt day after
day, month after month, year after year. Dogs are social pack animals who
want to be inside the house with their “pack”: their human family. Also, inside
dogs make the very best guard dogs.
2. Put up a fence. Fences give dogs freedom and make it easier for owners
to approach their
dogs, since they won't be excitedly jumping at the end of a chain. Fences don’
t have to be very
expensive if you are willing to do some work yourself.
3. Put up a trolley system if you can't put up a fence. A trolley system is
cheap and will give the dog much
more freedom of movement than a chain.
4.If your dog can escape your fence, do one or more of the following:
o If your dog can climb over a short fence, extend the height of the fence by
installing tall metal T-posts
and attaching mesh fencing across the top half of the posts
5. Purchase a 15, 20, or 30 foot lightweight tie-out if a fence or trolley
aren’t possible. Attach the
tie-out to a strong stake that screws into the ground. Place the stake in a
central location so that the dog can
move around all sides of the stake. Note: We have found that the Duckbill
Anchor kit is a very strong stake.
6. Spaying and neutering a dog will help him to calm down and stay
closer to home. A sterilized
dog won’t try to escape to find a mate! Sterilization will NOT change your dog’
s personality!
Sterilization is healthy for your dog: it reduces his or her risk of
contracting certain types of cancer.
Investigate low-cost spay/neuter programs in your area. Contact CARES for
financial assistance.
7. Replace ill-fitting, old collars with a new nylon collar. Be sure the
collar is not too tight. You should be
able to easily fit two fingers between the dog's neck and the collar. If you
need to add a hole to a collar,
hammer a thick nail through it, or heat a pick and poke it through.
8. Provide food and fresh water EVERY day. Every day that you eat, your
dog needs to eat, too! You
can place a water bowl inside a tire or in a hole in the ground to keep it from
tipping. You can also
attach a water bucket to a wooden doghouse or fence. Stretch wire, a small
chain, bungee cord, or
twine across the bucket and secure the wire on either side of the bucket.
9. Provide proper shelter for the dog. Dog igloos can be purchased
pretty cheaply from
discount stores, farm supply stores, and hardware stores.
• Dogs get cold in the winter just like we do, especially short-haired dogs. If it
is too cold for
you to sleep outside, your dog is going to be cold outside, too. If you can’t
bring the dog
inside in icy winter, fill doghouses with hay or cedar chips to help your dog
retain body
heat. (Cedar chips are preferable to hay because they are less likely to rot
and don't contain mites.) If you
use hay and it gets wet and soggy, spread it in the sun on a sunny day to dry
it out.
To keep cold air from blowing through the doghouse, the door should be
covered with a plastic flap. You
can use a car mat, a piece of plastic carpet runner, or even a piece of carpet.
• Doghouses should be large enough for the dog to stand up and turn
around comfortably, but small
enough to retain the dog's body heat.
• Wooden doghouses should be raised a few inches off of the ground to
prevent rotting and keep out rain.
Flat concrete blocks are an easy way to raise a doghouse.
• Dogs enjoy having towels and blankets to sleep on, just like we do.
Remember to wash them every few
weeks so they don't get stiff with dirt.
10. Give your dog toys and rawhides. Dogs need the stimulation provided
by toys,
just like kids do. A big rawhide will occupy a dog for several hours (dog toys
and
rawhides are available at grocery stores). Even a knotted towel or ball can
provide hours
of entertainment.
11. Take your dog on walks! It will mean the world to your dog to be able to
get of the yard, see new things, and smell new smells! Walking your dog is
great exercise for both you and your dog! If the dog is very strong or large,
you can use a prong
collar or harness to make walking easier on you.
12. Take your dog to school! Obedience training can solve behavior
problems and help the dog
learn how to be a good “inside” dog. Most pet stores offer inexpensive dog
training.
13. Provide your dog with flea treatment and annual worming. Biting
fleas make a dog’s life miserable. You can purchase flea treatment at pet,
discount and grocery stores. Most farm supply stores sell
wormers and vaccinations at much cheaper prices than vets.
14. Provide shade in the summer. A doghouse isn’t the same thing as
shade. It gets very hot inside a
doghouse during summer months! Bring your dog inside during heat waves if
possible. Plant trees to provide
shade. You can also create shade with tarps and pieces of plywood.
15. Fill up a plastic kiddie pool for hot summer months. Dogs enjoy
cooling off in a pool as much
as we do. What a cheap way to ease those hot summer days for a dog!
16. Consider finding a new home for your dog
if you cannot meet his or her needs. Talk to GCARES if you cannot meet
the needs of your dog(s)