A trolley isn’t the best solution for helping a chained dog!

Please consider building a fence or bringing your dog inside. Dogs need to be able to run free. You wouldn’t want to live on a chain, and neither does your dog!

 

If your dog is a fence-jumper, there are alternatives to chaining your dog. However, a trolley/dog run is better than a fixed chain. Your dog will be attached by a leash to a line like a clothesline. The leash is attached to the line by a rolling trolley. The dog can run back and forth the length of the line. You can buy dog runs from Petsmart, Walmart and other pet and discount stores. Trolley kits include easy instructions. You can also buy the individual parts to a trolley (line, trolley, hooks for the posts/trees) at home improvement stores such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. We think the best trolley is: Prestige® Skyline Aerial Dog Run. The attachments are made of metal rather than plastic, so they are stronger and less likely to break. You can attach a stronger downline (leash) to the trolley for strong dogs. You can replace the downline in the package with the Prestige Beast Tie-Out.

 

The Easiest Method

The easiest way is to run the trolley between two trees. If you don’t have two trees, you can easily sink posts into the ground and run the trolley between the posts. Or you can use a tree and one post.

 

IMPORTANT!

Put the trolley in a place where your dog won’t get tangled up or be able to jump a fence.

If your dog jumps over a fence on his leash, he could be hung.

 

The trolley kit should include “stoppers” you can put anywhere on the line to stop the trolley. If you want the dog to stop four feet from one end of the line, put a stopper four feet from the end of the line. The trolley won’t be able to get past the stopper. You can buy extra stoppers at home improvement stores. Ask for rope clamps. Pick the size that works best for the size of your line. If the clamp is too big, it will slide around.

 

 

How to Set a Post

Materials:

• Strong wooden post long enough to allow 1.5 feet underground and 5-7 feet above ground. The post should be tall enough for someone to walk under the trolley line. It needs to be several inches thick so it won’t snap.

• 40 lb. bag concrete mix per post. You can use quick-set.

• Stick or dowel

• Water from a bucket or hose

• Shovel or post-hole digger

 

Instructions:

1. Dig a hole for the post. The post needs to be 1.5 to 2 feet underground.

2. Put a few rocks in the bottom of the hole, then set the post in the hole. It’s easiest if you have someone to hold the post in the center of the hole.

3. Pour one-third of the concrete mix in the hole around the post. Pour about half a gallon of water into the hole and stir the concrete around with the stick.

4. Keep adding concrete mix and stirring in water in until the hole is filled with the concrete mix. Use

directions on the package.

5. Cover concrete with dirt from the hole. Pile dirt or rocks around the bottom of the post to keep it in place while the concrete sets.

6. With regular concrete, the post should be set in 24 hours. With quick-set, it will be ready in an hour.

 

From UnchainYourDog.org