• Tethering & Pen Confinement: A Cornell University study entitled 'A Comparison of Tethering and Pen Confinement of Dogs' to determine whether tethering was detrimental to the dog’s welfare compared general activity and specific behaviors and concluded there was no improvement in welfare in pens vs tethers.
• Limiting tethering time will not change the mindset of any person who has such disregard for his dog that he will ignore or abuse it. Local animal control can and should address these cases of abuse within the current existing cruelty statute.
• Tethering can be the safest method of controlling a hard to contain animal. There are dogs that can escape from anything. They can chew through fencing and even chain link, break out windows, open doors, climb or dig under fences, and destroy wire and plastic shipping crates in seconds. These dogs can only be contained securely (and humanely) with a well thought out tether system.
• Setting time limits for tethering is unenforceable without stakeout and surveillance of owner’s property. Time limits will be used to antagonize dog owners by spiteful neighbors.
• Setting time limits for tethering discriminates against owners, i.e. renters, low or fixed income people, who cannot install fencing or kennel runs as an alternative.
• Setting time limits discriminates against people who work and prefer to leave the dog outside; and denies their animal access to the outdoors for the work day.
• A dog in a 10 X 10 ft kennel has 100 feet of play room. A dog on a 10 ft tether has 360 ft of play room; a dog on a 20 ft tether has 1256 ft of play room.
• Responsibility cannot be legislated. Responsible owners already care for their animals, and irresponsible owners are not going to follow the law, no matter how many new ones are enacted.
• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interaction did NOT issue a position statement opposing tethering. The 18-page report mentions tethering one time, as a circumstance that needs further investigation. (from NCRAOA)

It seems that the conventional wisdom among conscientious dog pet owners is
that keeping dogs on chains is cruel and abusive. This attitude probably
stems in a large sense from the tendency to humanize dogs. People are not
chained; therefore, dogs should not be chained. We will make a case here that
generally keeping dogs on chains, given that they get proper daily exercise off the
chain, is not only reasonable but actually better for at least working dogs.

As appealing as the idea of equating humans and dogs is, we need to
recognize the undisputable scientific fact that we are two different species with
different needs, perspectives and patterns of behavior. Dogs are basically a
product of instincts, developed from the days when the dog was a wild predator,
and patterns of behavior, installed mostly in their youth by environment
through repetition; not greatly different from humans except that humans have
greater ability to change in later life. Dogs as adults are happiest if their
life involves consistency, regularity and as little change as possible, not to
mention the obvious requirement of fulfillment of their basic needs (food,
exercise, companionship and sex). Therefore, to be kept on a chain along with
consistency and satisfaction of their basic needs is as acceptable to a dog's
psychic as living freely in a small enclosure.

Furthermore, there are a number of advantages to both humans and dogs in a
kennel with tethering as opposed to runs. These include the following:

(1) Dogs on tethers get more and better exercise. A 6-foot tether offers a
dog about 113 square feet of living space; a 7-foot tether offers 154 square
feet. Contrast this to a 5 x 20-foot run offering 100 square feet, or if two
dogs are in it, only 50 square feet per dog. More importantly, dogs on a
tether can move (run) continuously forever, albeit in a circle. Dogs in a run are
limited to the length of the run, usually not long enough to even allow the
dog to break into a lope. The end result of a tethered dog is a dog where the
body is physically developed uniformly; muscles in both the front and rear
get exercised. A dog in a run develops strong rear leg jumping muscles from
jumping against the fence at the ends of the run, and his front end essentially
withers away from lack of use.

(2) Dogs on tethers get more and better people socialization. People are
more likely to move among and touch dogs in a tethered set-up simply because it
is easy to do. They can easily move in and out of each dog's area, smother
some dogs with attention, and make just a peripheral contact with others. People
are discouraged from entering runs with free dogs because gates have to be
manipulated and special attention has to be paid to keep dogs from escaping,
and this has to be done repeatedly with every dog or two. Thus, a kenneled
dog's extra human contact often just consists of a lot of finger tips sticking
through chain link squares, compared to the tethered dogs getting a complete
person.

(3) Kennel clean-up is easier when gates and escaping dogs aren't present.

(4) Dogs socialize better with each other and their environment in general
when there are not partitions (fences) between them.

(5) Dogs get better rest when they learn that no other dog can get into
their space. In a run with a companion, or even without a companion but with a
dog in an adjacent run, a dog instinctually never lets the thought of the other
dog out of his brain. In a tethered set-up dogs seem to quickly recognize
that no other dog can get into their circle and that there they are totally
safe. Furthermore, dogs learn over a period of time to respect their companions'
areas. When dogs are released to the exercise area, they are quite careful
about moving only between or on the fringe of the remaining dogs' areas.
Should a dog accidentally get loose, immediately everyone else roars their
disapproval, so all dogs, sleeping or otherwise, are forewarned of a possible
intruder which increases their feelings of security over time.

(6) Dogs on a tether develop dexterity and agility regarding moving around a
line. This is very helpful for sled dogs, whose work involves just such
abilities.

Although a tethering kennel set-up is good in itself, I strongly believe
that it should be accompanied with a regular free running exercise routine.
Compatible groups of dogs should be turned loose at least once a day to run free
in a pen of enough size to allow the dogs to really stretch out at a full
gallop without fear of crashing into a fence. I recommend at least 1 acre, and a
release time of anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Of course, free
exercise can be reduced or even eliminated on days when a dog is worked. It is
interesting that tethered dogs released to exercise, really do exercise. Kenneled
dogs so-released often tend to not do much running, but just lay-around like
they are still in a run.

The tethered kennel set-up that I have described here has a lot in common
with the life of a predator in the wild, presumably the basis for a dog's basic
instincts. First, there is the stalking, then the wild chase and kill,
followed by food gorging. Finally, there is a long (20 hours) rest. Then the
process is repeated. Liken this to the tethered set-up with a daily free exercise
period.  Dean Ayers   Animals C.L.U.B.- Freedom is for the 'Tethering' of Dogs