Have a Heart for Chained Dog Week
Why chaining harms dogs and when restraint can keep them safe
Have a Heart for Chained Dog Week asks us to pause and look closely at something that’s often normalised in many countries: dogs living on chains. Around the world, countless dogs spend hours, days, or even their entire lives tethered to a fixed point. It may seem convenient, practical, or even protective for the human who chains the dog but long-term chaining causes serious harm to dogs’ physical health, mental wellbeing, and behaviour.
At the same time, it’s important to be honest and balanced: there are limited, short-term situations where a restraint can protect a dog. The difference lies in how, why, and for how long a dog is restrained.
Why permanent chaining is harmful
Dogs are social, curious, intelligent animals. Their world is meant to be explored, not reduced to the length of a chain.
Physical harm
Chained dogs commonly suffer from:
Neck and spinal injuries caused by constant pressure or sudden lunging
Embedded collars, wounds, and infections
Muscle atrophy and joint problems due to restricted movement
Exposure to heat, cold, rain, and snow with no ability to seek comfort
Psychological damage
Perhaps even more damaging is what happens internally. Long-term chaining leads to:
Chronic stress and anxiety
Depression and learned helplessness
Frustration from being unable to flee, explore, or interact
Heightened fear responses
A dog left alone on a chain learns that the world passes by, people, animals, sounds without any control or escape.
Increased aggression and risk to humans
Many serious dog bites involve dogs who were tethered. This isn’t because chained dogs are bad, it’s because:
They cannot move away from perceived threats
Their stress threshold is already maxed out
They may react defensively when approached
Chaining doesn’t make dogs safer. It often makes situations more dangerous.
Social deprivation
Dogs are not meant to live in isolation. Chained dogs are frequently deprived of:
Companionship
Mental stimulation
Training and enrichment
Basic affection
This kind of neglect leaves lasting scars, even after rescue.
When restraint can be a dog’s friend
While long-term chaining is harmful, there are moments when short-term restraint is necessary for a dog’s safety. The key word here is temporary.
Emergency situations
After an accident or injury a community carer may use a restraint to keep a dog safe in those minutes before help comes to take the dog to the vet clinic. Often stray dogs carry a bite risk when injured because of fear & pain.
Veterinary or medical care
During treatment or recovery, controlled restraint can keep a dog calm and prevent sudden movements that could cause harm during initial intake. It is vitally important to keep the dog safe & protect them from injuring themselves
During transportation
Most community carers do not have access to ambulances or even vehicles kitted out for dog transportation. They use what they have at hand to get a sick or injured dog to a vet as soon as possible. This may be the use of a chain to securely tether a dog in the back of a vehicle. We need to recognise these situations & not punish poor people for doing their best.
In all these cases, restraint is:
Short-term
Supervised
Part of a wider plan for safety and care
Chains are not homes
A chain should never replace:
A secure fenced area
Proper shelter
Human interaction
Exercise and enrichment
Dogs need space to move, choice in where they rest, and the ability to engage with the world in healthy ways.
What having a heart really means
To have a heart for chained dogs is to recognise that convenience should never come before welfare. It means:
Choosing safe containment over permanent restraint
Understanding dogs’ emotional and physical needs
Speaking up for dogs who cannot speak for themselves
If you see a dog living on a chain, don’t look away. Awareness leads to change and change saves lives.
This week, and every week, let’s choose compassion, understanding, and better lives for dogs everywhere.