Tie outs for traveling Shelties

M

Mike in Bakersfield

Forums Novice
We have two adult Shelties, 3 1/2 & 4 1/2 yrs old, that we've had for about 2 months. They are "semi-rescues" as they have very limited training and one is very shy. One is so-so on "come" and the other is very poor. We are going cross country by car and are taking them with us. We have soft crates for hotels and staying inside my relatives' homes but the homes do not have fenced yards like we do. We think a tie out would be best when we can be outside with them so they get more roaming room than on a regular leash.

What are your recommendations for a no-tangle tie-out setup for two dogs? Neither are pullers on leash or chewers. We will be moving locations fairly frequently so want something simple to setup and take down. Note again, we will not put the dogs out on the tie out unless we are there to supervise.
 
I wish I could offer you some advice on tie outs - I have never used them as I have a fenced yard.
I would suggest investing in a GPS collar. I am going to post on my experience with it...
 
Would you be open to trying something a little different?

Check out an x-pen, in lieu of a tie-out. Here's a selection: https://www.chewy.com/s?query=x-pen&nav-submit-button=

Here is my thought process here: Shelties in general can be flighty dogs. If they are spooked and get loose, even a well-socialized Sheltie can go into "flight mode" and be extremely difficult (or impossible) to catch. For me, a tie-out (even a secure one) just wouldn't give enough security for me to feel comfortable traveling with any Sheltie (especially one who is shy and doesn't have a reliable recall, and who I've only known for two months).

An x-pen is incredibly portable. It's easy to set up and take down. You can fit one in most vehicles. They come in a variety of sizes. You can bungee shade cloths on top, or (for some models) purchase a "lid", for additional security. And I look at it this way: professional show dog handlers travel hundreds of miles, year after year, with very valuable dogs that don't belong to them and need to be kept fit and comfortable. These handlers use x-pens.

Definitely walk and exercise your girls on a leash (with a properly-fitted martingale collar, to prevent backing out) to keep them fit and happy. But when it's time to hang out in the mornings and evenings, pop them into the x-pen where they'll be secure.
 
tofu pup said:
Would you be open to trying something a little different?

Check out an x-pen, in lieu of a tie-out. Here's a selection: https://www.chewy.com/s?query=x-pen&nav-submit-button=

Here is my thought process here: Shelties in general can be flighty dogs. If they are spooked and get loose, even a well-socialized Sheltie can go into "flight mode" and be extremely difficult (or impossible) to catch. For me, a tie-out (even a secure one) just wouldn't give enough security for me to feel comfortable traveling with any Sheltie (especially one who is shy and doesn't have a reliable recall, and who I've only known for two months).

An x-pen is incredibly portable. It's easy to set up and take down. You can fit one in most vehicles. They come in a variety of sizes. You can bungee shade cloths on top, or (for some models) purchase a "lid", for additional security. And I look at it this way: professional show dog handlers travel hundreds of miles, year after year, with very valuable dogs that don't belong to them and need to be kept fit and comfortable. These handlers use x-pens.

Definitely walk and exercise your girls on a leash (with a properly-fitted martingale collar, to prevent backing out) to keep them fit and happy. But when it's time to hang out in the mornings and evenings, pop them into the x-pen where they'll be secure.
Click to expand...

Outstanding response and I totally agree with everything you said! Now that I own an extremely shy and reactive sheltie I can see the need for your recommendations! Thanks!
 
X=pens are great, as long as you don't have a jumper. We got Penny a GPS collar tag because we wanted to be sure we could find her if she scooted. It's fun to see her paths through out forest, too!

We also got two for Kiyomi and Toshiro, our guests.
 
"We also got two for Kiyomi and Toshiro, our guests."

You never cease to amaze me Chris... talk about going above and beyond for your new house guests! I am truly amazed! Thank you!
 
ghggp said:
"We also got two for Kiyomi and Toshiro, our guests."

You never cease to amaze me Chris... talk about going above and beyond for your new house guests! I am truly amazed! Thank you!
Click to expand...
It's the least we can do. This morning we Facetimed with their Mom and Dad. If you could have seen their faces light up -- humans and Shelties! I haven't seen Ken smile like that in ages, and Vicky said it made their day so much better. You know, it's not hard to be kind -- only takes a moment.
 
Chris said:
It's the least we can do. This morning we Facetimed with their Mom and Dad. If you could have seen their faces light up -- humans and Shelties! I haven't seen Ken smile like that in ages, and Vicky said it made their day so much better. You know, it's not hard to be kind -- only takes a moment.
Click to expand...

How wonderful to hear! I can just visualize it! Technology is a wonderful thing... makes these moments priceless... BLESS YOU! What you are doing is beyond measure... Yes, being kind only takes moments... yet, few people really understand the positive impact it has...
 
Do Kiyomi and Toshiro recognize their Mom and Dad's voices?

I have traveled with Gavin a lot, and I never used more than a leash. Gavin wanted to be with me most of the time anyway. An ex-pen would be good to have, though.
 
I have two x-pens - one plastic and one metal. I would trust a tie out before a plastic x-pen. My doxie can flip ours. I got one for Brodie when he was a puppy, but Kooper would either stand on it and flip it if inside, or use his nose and flip up if outside. It got taken apart and used as blockades for larger doorways and is now in our attic.

Even the metal pen can be iffy; def go for 30" high minimum and use with constant supervision to see how they act in it. You can clip 2 metal pens together to make a decent sized pen if you don't have jumpers.

When we camped, we used to bring both a metal pen and long tie out cables (metal cables coated in plastic) but never used the stake. Our cables have clips on both ends so we could clip it around something steady, like the camper - but not tangle free by any means, we'd just untangle every time they got tied up too much.
 
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