What Are the Dangers of Tieouts & Runners With Dogs?

A tie-out secures your dog to an in-ground stake, while a runner attaches your dog to an overhead clothes line or trolley. A runner lets your dog run back and forth and allows greater movement. Unfortunately, both devices carry similar risks. Certain risks occur within minutes while others develop over time. Although tie-outs and overhead runners prevent your dog from running away or damaging your garden, the only way to safely use either device is when you're outside and supervising your dog.

  1. Strangulation and Tangling

    • A few leaps and twists and your dog becomes tangled in cord, leash or chain. Your tangled dog panics and flails, which tightens the line around his neck or limb. From here, two serious injures are possible. The first scenario occurs within minutes as the line becomes so tightly wound that your dog dies or suffers brain damage from oxygen deprivation. The second possible injury occurs when your dog tangles the line or leash around one or more of his legs. The leash eventually tightens so severely that it cuts off the blood supply and requires amputation.

    Attack Vulnerability

    • Just because your dog can't run away from his tie-out or runner doesn't mean he's safe. Even if your yard is fenced, other predatory animals can still enter. In his tethered state, your dog can't flee a predatory attack from other animals such as dogs, wolves or mountain lions. Being attached to a runner or tie-out also makes your dog vulnerable to any human tormentors looking to tease or abuse your restrained dog.

    Territorial Issues

    • According to the American Humane Society, tethered dogs are nearly three times more likely to bite a human. Dogs who spend the majority of their lives attached to a tie-out or runner are at risk for developing undesirable behaviors including excessive barking and territory aggression, reports the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Confining your dog to a small area of the yard for an extended period, away from human interaction, increases the chances of him defending "his" territory and attacking anyone who enters the yard, including family members.

    Chewing and Choking

    • A dog intent on freeing himself from a runner or tie-out will chew on whatever is attached to his collar. Chewing the plastic-wrapped wire lead can cause internal bleeding when the sharp wire fragments perforate his intestines. While trying to chew himself free from a leather or nylon leash, he can accidentally swallow and choke on a piece of material. Using a metal chain isn't any safer. Bored or anxious dogs will often chew on the metal and wear their teeth down to painful nubs.