Dog Training & The Tie-Down: Setting Your Dog Up For Success

The tie-down is a great tool used in positive reinforcement dog training!

Wags & Wiggles - Tustin, CA and Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Dog Training Using Tie-Downs
Maverick in puppy class!

Here at Wags and Wiggles, we have a very specific dog training philosophy. It focuses on building up both dogs and their owners through positive reinforcement. But training at Wags isn’t all sunshine and cookies. Every day the trainers get questions on how to stop a dog from doing a dangerous, destructive, or just plain annoying behavior. Our answer is always two-fold:

  1. What would you like your dog to do instead?
  2. What are you doing to prevent this problem behavior from occurring in the first place?

The answer to the first question varies depending on the behavior in question, but the answer to the second question is often solved with management tools.

Tie-downs are one of the first things we like to introduce to our new puppy families. The tie-down has so many benefits and applications that most situations can be helped by implementing a tie-down into your dog training routine. It is beneficial for the new adult rescue dog, the family adding a new pet or baby to the home, and for the unruly puppy that hasn’t learned good house manners yet.

What is a Tie-Down?

Wags & Wiggles - Tustin, CA and Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Dog Training Using Tie-Downs
Ares in puppy class!

A tie-down is a leash, rope, or cable that is 2-3 feet long and is attached to an immovable object (like a piece of furniture or an eye bolt that is placed in the wall). It is then attached to your dog’s buckle (or martingale) collar. A tie-down trains your dog to relax and keeps him out of mischief. It’s also extremely useful during dog training sessions.

A tie-down is a great management tool used in dog training for:

  • Separation anxiety
  • Bothering the family at dinner
  • Barking at the door
  • Jumping up on people or furniture
  • Mouthing
  • Playing too rough
  • Inappropriate chewing
  • Meeting a cat
  • Housetraining
  • Jumping up on your bed
  • Giving an adult dog time away from the bouncy puppy

A tie-down should be placed in a fairly busy room in your house. It should ONLY be used when someone is home. A tie-down is not punishment; it is management. Your dog should be comfortable, have something good to chew on like a stuffed Kong, and something to play with while on tie-down. For safety reasons, please do not attach the tie-down to a Gentle Leader, Halti, choke, pinch, or any other restricting collar. Be careful that the dog can’t drag the piece of furniture around with him.

Keep in mind a tie-down is NOT a tie-out. A tie-out is a cable that is used to tie dogs in a yard so they don’t run away. They often make dogs aggressive because the dog can’t run away from any perceived threat, and we NEVER recommend them.

REMEMBER: ONLY use a tie-down when you are home and ONLY use it on your dog’s flat buckle or martingale collar!

Setting up your tie-down:

Put your dog on the tie-down several times a day for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. You can give him a stuffed Kong or other chew toy. Then begin to extend the time the dog is on the tie-down. Vary the time he is on it so he doesn’t know exactly how long he’ll be there and will learn to be patient.

If he barks while he’s tied, leave the room and return when he’s quiet for a moment and quietly praise him. Some dogs like to chew pretty much anything they can get their mouth around, including leather or nylon tie-downs. If your dog chews the tie-down, use a cable or chain.

Using the Tie-Down as a Management Tool:

Your dog has several decisions to make every day. For example: Should he choose to chase the cat? Nip at the kids? Bark? Jump on the person at the door?  It may be difficult for you to monitor what he is doing and be able to get anything done yourself.

  • General environment management: If you’re busy and you can’t keep an eye on the dog, put him on his tie-down. That way he can’t chew up the furniture while you’re not looking!
  • Separation anxiety: Some dogs follow their owners from room to room. Although it’s nice to think he loves you, there is such a thing as too much attention (and often these dogs are awful when left alone). Setting up and consistently using a tie-down a couple of times a day allows your dog to learn that though you go away, you always return and that he can’t attach himself to you. If you need additional help, our Zen Dog program is a great option!
  • Dog/cat introductions: If you have a cat that needs to be introduced to your dog, and you’re concerned they won’t get along, use a tie-down for the dog and give the cat the run of the room. When the dog sees the cat and remains calm, he gets a treat (the cat also gets a treat for looking at the dog). This allows your cat to feel safe.
  • Empowering children: Small children can benefit from a rambunctious puppy being on tie-down. It allows them to interact with the puppy on their terms. If the puppy gets mouthy or plays too roughly, the child can simply walk away without being worried that the puppy will chase or jump on them.
  • Begging prevention: A tie-down can allow you to eat your meal in peace. Give him his own toy or bone on his tie-down before you begin eating.

Using the Tie-Down During Dog Training:

  • Jumping up: If your dog has a habit of jumping up on guests, prevent him from doing that by putting on his tie-down before the guests come in. After you’ve done your greeting and he’s calmed down, your guests can pet him or you can let him off the tie-down. If he jumps on you, you’ll need to tell him “Off” and calmly take him back to the tie-down. After a few minutes of peace and quiet, you can let him off the tie-down again. Put him back on it if he gets rough or starts jumping up.
  • House training: A tie-down is a good tool for house training and can be used in conjunction with crate training. Having your dog on a tie-down is just like having him in a crate, but it gives him a different view and more variety. It also allows you to be more interactive with the opportunity to pet and praise when he’s good. Just be sure to take your dog outside frequently to relieve himself.
  • Obedience training: Having your dog on a tie-down is extremely useful during dog training sessions. Tie-downs can be a handy tool when teaching your dog basic commands, such as “sit,” “down,” “go to your mat,” etc.
  • Training calm behavior throughout the house: A tie-down can be portable or you can set up multiple tie-down stations. Use the tie-down when you are cooking dinner, checking email, watching TV, or getting ready for your day in your bathroom. Your dog is learning that calm behavior is expected and rewarded throughout the house.

The tie down is a versatile management tool that can save you from potty accidents, chewed shoes, harassed cats, and so much more. We hope this information leads you to a habit of setting your dog up for success. Remember to praise and reward your dog when he is calm and relaxed. It’s easy to notice the unwanted behavior, so be on the lookout for the good behavior! If you need additional advice, tips, or tricks during dog training, register for an obedience class and/or feel free to contact us!

23 Responses

  • My mom wants her new dog to be well trained and not be too anxious. It was suggested here trying tie-down because it helps with separation anxiety and playing too rough. Moreover, it will also help a lot having a professional private dog trainer.

  • Hi, First I need to say thanks for sharing such a useful info about dog training & the tie-down. It was worth reading your post. You mentioned some valid points and the way of your writing is excellent. As a pet owner, I certainly agree with you that a tie-down is a good tool for house training and can be used in conjunction with crate training. Very helpful concept. Please keep sharing!!

  • I like what you said about using a ti-down to help your dog relax. My sister wants to get a puppy soon, and she wants to make sure that they behave well. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for properly training her puppy.

  • You made an excellent point that one of the benefits of hiring a dog training service is that our dogs will be properly trained. My sister is looking to have her dog trained to be a guard dog. I will definitely look into hiring a professional contractor for my sister.

  • I have a reactive rescue dog. He is good except when he comes in close contact with other dogs, then he pulls, growls trying to make contact with the other dog. I have tried introducing him at a distance by walking outside a dog park. Also, letting him meet up with a neighbor dog outside but he gets too excited, eventhough he likes the neighbor dog. It is difficult to control him, this gentle dog becomes superman! He also has separation anxiety. Exactly what type of trainer would be best for reactive?

  • Thanks for the info about dog training. My friend wants to train his new puppy. I’ll share this info with my friend as he looks for a way to train his dog.

  • It’s another great post on pets by the admin. I am a regular reader. Herewith I wish to ask him one more thing that how to train a cat accept the newly installed pet door.

  • I want to make sure that my dog is trained properly. It makes sense that it could be hard to do if I don’t have experience. It would be smart for me to get a professional dog trainer to help me out with this.

  • After reading this, I have been doing the tie-down with our Aussie pup (now 12 weeks old). It works at times, and I quietly reward her when she keeps herself busy with a chew toy or kong, but the problem is that she goes for the walls, baseboard, and the door she’s tethered to (with the leash coming from under the door). She’s already chewed down to the wall plaster on 2 large spots, right through 80 years of accumulated paint layers, which aside from being annoying, can’t be good for her health. I didn’t think it was possible to chew a wall before seeing this! Anyway, our house is small, and there’s really nowhere else to do the tie down. As it is, she requires constant supervision there, since she can damage things in less than 30 seconds. Does this ruin the point of doing the tie down? Any advice? Thank you for your site and helpful posts!

    • Your puppy should still be supervised on the tie down so you could redirect her away from chewing inappropriate things. An Exercise Pen might be better for you until she gets a little older.

  • The other day my wife mentioned that she is looking to have our dog trained to comprehend commands such as sit, fetch and guard. I appreciate that this post explained that it is possible for our dog to feel anxious in the beginning and that it is completely normal. I think it would be best for us to hire a professional trainer who can come over to our home and offer at-home pet training services as we are often swamped with work to go offsite.

  • How helpful that you talk about what a tie-down is and how it helps. I am getting my first puppy this spring. I will also find a great puppy training service to assist in my area.

  • I loved how you said that a tie-down leash can help with house training. My husband and I want to get a puppy for our apartment in a couple of weeks, and I want to make sure that we know how to train one. I appreciate you helping me learn more about the benefits of tie-down training.

  • Thank you for explaining about obedience training using a tie-down. My sister has been wondering how to better train her dog. I’ll have to share this with her so she can look into this option.

  • Thank you for this article. My dear dog had been doing quite well but in the last month has started fixating on shadows and “digging” on the floors indoors. Out of desperation, I started tethering him to me and noticed how he calmed down a lot. I have also supplied him with an Adaptil collar and also Bush Flower remedies so I hope all this will help him “forget” those disruptive tendencies.

  • Thanks for reminding us that when we are training our pets, we should be mindful of separation anxiety. In doing so, it will be much easier for us to manage them. Since I plan on having my dogs trained, I will definitely prepare some things to help ease the anxiety.

  • It really helped when you said that we might need help from a trainer if we have no time to focus on our pet and even teach it to avoid chewing up the furniture. When my husband and I got our puppy, I was not busy at all, but I had to have appointments lately. So we definitely need help to ensure that we can leave it at home without damaging our belongings.

  • It is fascinating that you talked about how dogs are trainable animals and can be handled through proper training. My girlfriend just adopted a dog from the dog pound and was seeking to train her, she asked me if I had any idea. Thank you for this very informative article, I will surely tell her to research and inquire about a dependable dog training service.

  • Read this article to know more about dog training & the tie-down: setting your dog up for success. In order to get better information and guidance can be taken from this blog specifically. It plays a vital role in taking us through. It can be really great for people like me who are looking for grabbing more knowledge about it.

  • It’s helpful to learn about the tie-down technique to train our dogs and manage their habits. My sister told me that her puppy is driving her insane, and she doesn’t know how to change her behavior, so I think she’d benefit from reading your post. Thanks for the advice on using a tie-down for house training and crate training. [Link deleted]

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