Dog Tie Out Cable

If you have camped out with dogs, you find that you need to temporarily confine them at times. For example, as you are setting up camp, as you are building up the camp fire, as you are eating and when cleaning up. I learned about this the hard way.

I was camping out in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. My dog was normally good and obedient off leash, so I didn't think much about having her off leash as we set up for dinner. She, however, somehow understood this was our camp, and then took off to confront all the other campers around us. Basically, she was telling them to go away. It's very interesting in a way, since if I had been sitting at a park bench back home, she would hang out and never did do this kind of thing. Also, this was her first overnight camping adventure, so there wasn't any previous experience on her part. 

It reminds me of a story I heard about Lewis and Clark. Their dog, Seaman, would do the same. He would stay up at night, and warn off bears and other animals as L & C would camp in tents at night. Very interesting. 

So, I like using a tie out cable to keep my dog in my camp. You attach one end to a tree and the other end to the dog. I can then keep them out of the fire, from taking off, from knocking over any stoves or chairs, and I can put down some comfortable bedding for them if they want to rest. I can also pick an area in the camp where it is best to lay, instead of getting into tangly or thorny bushes. I would say the maximum length cable should be 25 feet. The reason I use a cable is because sometimes a tethered dog will chew through a typical leash or rope and still take off. While a dog might chew on a cable, it is vinyl covered and you can supervise them to tell them to knock it off. Now, as a warning, I would NEVER tie a dog to a vehicle bumper (remember the movie, Vacation?). That is too much of a risk. I have used them at rest stops on the highway while taking a lunch break. That way they can be standing and moving around while you eat, and thus, they are less restless in the vehicle when you drive. 

I don't get the coiled up type, by the way. Nor the ones with a recoil spring. I want a bright color. I could type a lot more about that, but I'll leave it at that. I think these are a must for road trips and camping. 

Here is the type of Tie-Out Cable for Dogs that I prefer to use. 

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