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Aloha and mahalo for visiting our website! You probably came here because you’re concerned about how dogs are treated. You also may want to learn if you, or someone you know, is abusing their dog, maybe without even knowing it. So here’s some important information about chaining or crating a dog.

THE FACTS:

(1)       Dogs are the neediest animal in existence and are most like humans in their need for companionship.

(2)       Dogs are pack (socially dependent) animals and must be with their “pack,” which is you, your family members or friends or they suffer from anxiety and stress.

(3)       Isolating dogs from their human “pack” is cruel even if they are hunting or cattle dogs. How would you feel if your family kept you from being with them except when they used you for a specific purpose? Or thought you were different because of your job? What if you were forced to be by yourself all day and night, without interacting with your family when your whole existence and natural instincts are centered around being with your family?

THE MYTHS:

(1)       Chaining my dog, or keeping him outside in a crate makes him more protective of my house, land, family and stuff. False!

Chaining or crating a dog does nothing but create aggression, not protection. A protective dog is used to being around people and can tell when his family is being threatened. Dogs learn to be protective when they spend time with and are loved by their human family and are “part of the pack.”

Chaining can also make dogs so aggressive they will attack anyone who happens by, such as curious keiki or delivery people. Unfortunately, dogs who suffer from continuous chaining and crating can maul people so badly they are disfigured for life, or may even die from the attack. No dog is born aggressive. Dogs become aggressive when they are abused and many abuse cases involve continuous chaining and crating.

Bottom Line: It is NOT OK to chain or crate a dog except for very short periods of time and then only under conditions when you are outside with them. Dogs should not have to live as prisoners wanting a place in the family, craving acknowledgement, respect and love.   It is absolute abuse for a dog to live in feces and urine until you have time to hose down its living area. For the dog, it’s no different than a human prisoner being put in solitary confinement, which is the most severe punishment prison authorities can do to an inmate. So, why should it be OK to treat your dog like this on a daily basis?

(2) All my dog really needs is feeding and watering every day, and maybe it’s even OK if he gets a little deprived, cause that will make him even more eager to hunt. False!

First off, your dog must have fresh water and food every day! Neglecting to feed or water your dog is just plain abuse and using the excuse that it’ll make him a better hunter has no basis in any facts. Again, dogs are pack animals and need to be in a social environment with their human companions. How would you feel if your family told you they’d only provide food and water when they thought of it and it might do you some good to be hungry, thirsty and lonely?

(3)   Inside dogs won’t hunt! The myth is that a hunting dog must live outdoors and that by living indoors a dog will somehow become mentally and physically weak and its sense of smell will be ruined.   False!

The truth is that keeping your hunting dog indoors allows you to bond with him/her and allows your dog the opportunity to learn what makes you happy and/or unhappy. In other words, the dog can learn his place in the pack and how it fits in with the family. Keeping your dog indoors will also increase your time to train things like obedience, patience, and commands. Your dog will be much happier and will respond to you and others in a positive way, which will make them a much better hunting dog.

Keeping a hunting dog indoors will not ruin their sense of smell! Think about it: if a dog can take a direct spray from a skunk up the nose and still sniff out turkeys, pheasants and other game, just being inside your home isn’t going to destroy its ability to track. For one thing, dogs possess up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to about 6 million in humans. Put another way, dogs can detect some odors in parts per trillion. So, a dog isn’t going to suffer any loss of smell just because he lives indoors. A great resource is Gun Dog Magazine. You’ll find this same information about hunting dogs if you read each issue.

(4)       House-training my hunting dog is just plain silly. False!

Dogs should be house trained so they can be with the “pack” at night after the family returns home from school and work. If you don’t want your dogs in the house, then this is a good time to ask yourself why you have them. They need to be family and given all the consideration you give other family members. If you now understand that what you’ve been doing isn’t right, then train them to indicate when they need to go outside to “take care of business” and let them be inside with you when you are home.

(5)       All that’s just BS! I can treat my dog any way I want! False!!

Hawaii has some very strict laws about how you can treat animals. See https://www.animallaw.info/statute/hi-cruelty-hawaii-cruelty-animals-provisions-chapter-711#s1109 for State laws.

If you are unwilling to make a safe and healthy environment where your dog(s) can be well adjusted, happy members of your family, PLEASE consider turning them in to one of Hawaii’s no-kill rescue organizations. Your dogs deserve a loving home where they can flourish. If you cannot provide it, please allow someone else to have the opportunity.