Welfare special · 13 September 2026

Off duty. Still on a chain.

Scout and Barry on a bench, asking about life for working dogs — “I’m still learning what ‘off duty’ means. I’m fairly sure it should involve a nice stretch.”
A word from Scout · imagined dialogue

The real story behind this edition

This is about long-term confinement, not a lead on a walk. Working dogs need a life beyond their work.

Scout’s conversation with Barry is imagined. The country examples and welfare guidance are sourced below. This special sits alongside his life story rather than forming a new event in its chronology.

1. Scout asks who is changing that

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The Scout Report: Off duty. Still on a chain. Scout, wearing his recovery cone, sits beside Barry and asks who is working on change in Ireland. The page explains Germany’s and Slovenia’s tethering rules and cites RSPCA Australia’s welfare guidance.

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Off duty. Still on a chain.

Scout asks who is changing that.

This is about long-term confinement, not a lead on a walk. Working dogs need a life beyond their work.

An imagined conversation

Barry: Germany and Slovenia have changed their rules.

Scout: Grand. Who’s working on it here, and when do we see the plan?

Germany · 1 January 2023

Keeping dogs tethered is prohibited. A narrow exception allows supervised activities for which a dog is trained or being trained, subject to safeguards.

Source: TierSchHuV, §§ 7 and 13.

Slovenia · 11 November 2025

The ban on permanent tethering in domestic settings took full effect after a transition period. Leads on walks are not covered by this ban.

Source: Slovenian government, 29 October 2025.

Scout’s questions for Ireland

Owners: What’s the plan for safe housing, exercise and company?

Farming bodies: What practical help can you offer?

Government: What action, what timetable, and who checks?

Why it matters

RSPCA Australia warns that long-term tethering can cause stress, distress, behavioural problems and physical injury. It recommends suitable yards or enclosures instead.

Reference: RSPCA Australia, ‘Can dogs be safely confined by tethering?’ Updated 16 April 2025.

Scout’s final word

‘Working dog’ is a job description. It shouldn’t describe who gets all the work.

About this page

Sources and further reading

The edition summarises these sources as checked on 13 September 2026. For the full legal scope and exceptions, consult the original texts.

RSPCA Australia: Can dogs be safely confined by tethering?
Welfare guidance, updated 16 April 2025. It discusses working farm dogs and distinguishes prolonged confinement from temporary restraint.
Germany: Dog Welfare Ordinance, § 7
Official German text: the prohibition and the conditions attached to its supervised-activity exception.
Germany: commencement provisions, § 13
Official German text: the revised § 7 applies from 1 January 2023.
Slovenia: government announcement, 29 October 2025
Official Slovenian text: the transition ended on 11 November 2025; the ban concerns permanent tethering in domestic settings, not leads on walks.

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This is illustrated welfare commentary, not a report of an actual conversation. Share the page link; downloads are for personal reading. See sharing & permissions.