Tethered pets OK for short while

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Updated: January 23, 2012 3:58AM

Q. I hate to see dogs hitched up like frontier town horses outside restaurants or stores in the city. I’m such a softy that on a rainy day last week when I saw a dog tied to a parking meter outside Starbucks, I stood with my umbrella over the dog. When the owner came out, he explained that because the dog is a Husky he wasn’t bothered by the rain. May be true, but I didn’t say a word and strolled away. What could I have said?

A. You made your statement by holding the umbrella over the dog’s head. And the dog’s owner returned with an excellent point. If Huskies race across the Arctic in blizzards, they can endure a few raindrops. In fact, a Husky probably prefers being outside.

However, when hitching up a dog, the owner takes risks. Dogs can shed their restraints and escape or nip at a passerby. There have been incidents of dogs stolen by people who see the cute dog without a caretaker.

If anyone must tie up a dog for a quick errand, keep your pet within eye sight. Always ensure your canine has proper identification.

Q. My relationship of 10 years ended suddenly. Despite the painful breakup, my ex and I share custody of our English bulldog, P. Nutt. We have been trading him off every two weeks. P. Nutt has come through it and is back to his little loveable self. Now my ex is getting married and moving about 30 minutes away. She wants to change our custody arrangement so we’ll trade P. Nutt every month rather than every two weeks. I am fine with a four-week rotation if it won’t make a difference to the dog.

When a dog shuffles between homes, feed it the same food and try to use the same veterinarian.