Is It OK to Tie Your Dog Up Outside a Store?

We’ve all been there. You’re out walking your dog, you wander past the grocery store, and oop — you realize you forgot to buy toilet paper. Or maybe you walk by a coffee shop and suddenly notice how under-caffeinated you are. Or maybe the scent of your local burrito joint sets your stomach growling. 

Or, or, or. The point is, if your dog walks stretch far enough, there’s a non-zero chance you’ll be tempted by a quick pit stop. But is it safe to leave your dog tied up outside unsupervised? Are a few minutes OK, or is it just too big a chance to take? 

As a paranoid freak who is also acutely aware of how adorable her dogs are, I’ve never done this and never could. What if both of my BFFs got dog-napped? Sure, they’re chipped, but contrary to popular belief, microchips aren’t tracking devices. As it turns out, I’m not the only one who worries that leaving my dogs unattended could yield less-than-ideal results. All three of the trainers I spoke with raised this possibility. Still, a couple of them said it’s OK to leave your dog securely tied for a few minutes under the right circumstances.

Here’s what the experts say.

Kristen Menes, a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant, would not generally recommend tying a dog up outside. “There are a lot of components that go into making it a safe situation for your dog, and there are a lot of factors that you can’t always control,” she cautions. For example: What happens if a stranger approaches them, or a squirrel runs by, or another dog tries to play?

“A lot of dogs are a lot more confident with their owners,” Menes says, “...so leaving them by themselves can subject them to fear or anxiety.” 

Dog trainer Emily Delaplain believes it’s OK to leave certain dogs tied up for a few minutes under the right circumstances (you especially want to be sure you can keep an eye on them). But first, you should consider whether they’re properly trained.

Your dog should feel safe when they’re tethered and you’re out of sight. “They should be calm, not barking, and be courteous if someone random were to come up and say ‘hi,’” Delaplain says. “A dog that is reactive or is nervous [and] unsure in new situations is not a dog that could handle being tied up outside without their owner present.” Dogs with separation anxiety also probably can’t handle being tied up without panicking, barking, and trying to pull on their leash after you leave. 

Consider all the dangers here.

Professional dog trainer and animal behavior consultant Rayanne Craven also mentions reactivity as a potential concern. She would not recommend tying a dog up outside under any circumstances.

If your dog is feeling on edge and becomes more reactive, Craven says, they could become defensive and bark, lunge, or even snap and bite at strangers. Beyond endangering their safety and others’, it could open you up to liability. Even if your dog does nothing or only barks, she points out, a stranger could claim your pup bit them or behaved more aggressively than they did.

“If the pet parent is not there to watch,” Craven says, “then they could likely not know exactly what happens.”

The risks don’t stop there, either. According to Craven, other hazards include someone feeding your dog something they shouldn’t eat, or your dog finding and ingesting something on the sidewalk. They could come untied, or (my personal nightmare) someone could untie them. Menes also notes that if your dog is completely out of sight, in extreme weather, or in a high-traffic area, they could easily be in danger.  

The bottom line? As Menes puts it, “There are too many unpredictable things that could happen when your dog is tied up outside a store or other type of business, and most owned dogs aren’t ‘bombproof’ or well-prepared for those types of situations.”

Although Delaplain is fine with well-trained and socialized dogs being tied up for a few minutes under certain circumstances, she also has limits. For example, she does not recommend going on a full 30-to-45-minute shopping spree while your dog waits outside.

“You should be able to see [and] check on your dog every couple of minutes to make sure they are safe, people are interacting with them appropriately … and they are behaving appropriately,” she says. Ideally, people shouldn’t interact with your dog at all if you are not present, but that’s one of those things that Menes points out that are out of our control when we leave our dogs unattended. 

Do what you can ahead of time to keep them safe.

Another potential red flag? If a lot of dogs are walking by. Delaplain generally does not like to see dogs greeting one another while on a leash, especially when one of them is tied up. Even if your dog is usually super friendly, she says, “not everyone understands dog body language or can understand when a dog is feeling uncomfortable, and other people’s dogs can be unpredictable.”

Part of what makes this question so tough is that so many people do tie their dogs up outside under all sorts of circumstances. But only you know what your dog can handle, and just because a neighbor has left their dog hanging outside for an hour doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for your own pup. 

“I know there are people who do leave their dogs tied while going into places,” Craven says, “but for me, there are way too many variables, and it is safer to leave the dog at home or with a trusted friend or family member who could come along with you and hold the leash while you go in the store.”

If you do decide to secure your dog outside for a few minutes, there are certain things you can do to make the situation safer. For one thing, Menes recommends keeping their time alone very short. She also suggests tethering your pup to a sturdy, immovable object — preferably one that doesn’t have an open end that your dog can slide themselves out of, like a short pole or a bollard. 

“I’ve seen a few different types of knots, like bowlines being used for tying a rope or a leash,” Menes says. “I probably would recommend using a harness instead of just a collar. That way, your dog won’t be injured if they chase after something and hit the end of the line.”

Delaplain recommends a multi-clip leash or dog tether. “A leash that can clip back to itself is going to be the most safe and have the least likely chance of coming undone,” she says. As with so many choices in a parent’s life, the choice of “to tie or not to tie” is a judgment call. But if you’re not sure, I’d recommend taking them home and coming back instead.