I just got a chain for three dogs to use when I go to hunt tests.  Since it is getting pretty warm here in Texas (85 this weekend) I thought it would be better than being in a crate.  Of course, I will put it in the shade and put water out for them.  I tried it with them in the back yard and Halo and Ringo were unfazed by it.  They just laid down and waited.  Belle look like I was punishing her, but them she thinks she shouldn't ever be on a restraint.  Personally I think it will work good for waiting their turn to run.  It is not something though that I would use to teach no pulling on leash.  I teach that at an early age.  Besides with Ringo and Halo I think they are smart enough to figure out the difference between the chain gang and when we are walking, and I am sure they would test me. Belle has never been a puller so it is a moot point with her.

There are some puppies and dogs that throw a fit when introduced to the leash. they thrash about,drop to the floor,refuse to walk,ect. If the method is designed to teach accepteance of the leash then it is a good method for this. I do not see how the method would teach a dog to not pull like a mule,criss-cross front and back or work with the handler.

The details have been left out. Like: how old the dog is when the method is imployed,what is the average length of time for teaching a dog,what to do if the method creates a whiner,barker,digger,circler.It can't work with every dog so what is the time frame or signs for knowing when to change methods?

My method of teaching to walk w/o pulling teaches handler awareness,sit,basics of whoa,down,and to stay on one side.My method puts me and the dog together to help form a team.

I have a friend that uses the stakeout very successfully but I'm not well versed in it's appropriate use to be able to speak to it in teaching "Whoa" which is where this discussion really started. We teach whoa on a table.

As for the chain gang, it's an excellent and passive teaching tool. Pups very quickly figure out that fighting it is pointless. I watched our Brit friend teach 6 pups age 9 weeks all at once to tolerate the chain gang. We trained first so they were tired, then we hooked them up and sat quietly watching out of the corner of our eye. Their varying reactions were interesting to watch. Some hardly fought at all, some struggled for several minutes and whined and cried. One pouted and refused to move for an hour - which honestly was amusing. But they all learned an important lesson. And the human was not involved at all.

As for our dogs, a chain gang is our preferred stake out arrangement. We use LONG and heavy fence posts with the tops wrapped so they can't rear up and hurt themselves. We leave enough give in the chain that it moves just a little. This keeps them from being able to really yank on it and accomplish anything. This is far better than using individual tie outs. When we did that, they quickly learned how to pull them out of the ground and come find us. Moderately amusing when you're training another dog and you hear the CLANG CLANG CLANG coming behind you. Not amusing at all during a brace at a field trial.

Jean

Sounds like some people have been drinking far too much PETA koolaid.

Staking dogs out produces dogs that don't pull or freak out when staked out, nothing more, nothing less.

If you want to short cut the process to getting a dog to "give" to a lead, try the stake out for a few hours each day for two or three days.

Then put simply a short rope on the dog, say six feet, dragging from it's collar and allow it to drag the rope during normal running and playing for a few hours each day (supervised of course) for a day or so. It works even better if you have multiple puppies to do this with.

Usually after no more than a couple of days of this the puppies have leash broken themselves and each other.

Again, going back to old school, "Simple is as simple does" Delmar Smith dog training 101.

Neither will traumatize a dog in any way.  Neither is abusive in any way, neither causes any harm in any way.

Used properly few tools are harmful or abusive but use something as innocuous as a leash wrong at it's an impliment of torture and abuse ie beating or choking a dog with it.

Tie a dog up on a short stakeout, ignore it, abuse it, don't provide food, water, shade etc for extended use and the dog is abused but it's not the stake out that's inflicting or causing the abuse.

This is from the Ronnie Smith Foundation seminar I attended over the weekend. We had 20 dogs on the chain gang.I took Jake my 11 month old GSP. He had been on a one a few times before for a brief time.

A dog on the chain gang is in training, just like a dog on a leash is in training.  They are learning patience, they are able to see other dogs working in the field, they are learning that jumping and fighting the chain is futile.  Just like a dog on a leash is learning about heel, not to pull etc.  The chain gang and stakeouts are both good training tools, and essential for those who run trials and test so not to have to leave dogs in kennels for hours especially when it is hot.