fasten

[English4everyone]

Is the use of the word "fasten" in the following questions normal and correct?
1. Is your dog fastened?
2. Did you fasten your dog?
3. I think this dog is unfastened. Be careful.

 

[SoothingDave]

No. We don't speak of dogs being fastened. Belts may be fastened.

 

[English4everyone]

So what verb do we use to speak of dogs if "fasten" is not correct?

 

[SoothingDave]

"Tied up" or "chained up."

 

[Barb_D]

And the thing that you hold when you walk with your dog is a "leash."

While usually you see something like "Dogs must be on leashes" you may see something like "Leashed dogs only." But that means you are holding the leash yourself.

 

[bhaisahab]

And the thing that you hold when you walk with your dog is a "leash."

While usually you see something like "Dogs must be on leashes" you may see something like "Leashed dogs only." But that means you are holding the leash yourself.

In BrE we call a "leash" a "lead".

 

[SoothingDave]

Horses have leads in the US. Dogs have leashes.

 

[emsr2d2]

In the UK, horses can be on a rein if they're being led instead of ridden. Dogs are either on a lead or they're off the lead.

Note that "lead" is pronounced the same way as the verb (sounds like "leed").

 

[SoothingDave]

I meant a lead for walking a horse. What the jockey (or rider) holds is reins.

 

[JarekSteliga]

Can "tethered" be used instead of "chained up" in relation to dogs?

 

[Barb_D]

Can "tethered" be used instead of "chained up" in relation to dogs?

That sounds weird to me. I'd wonder why the person didn't just say "tied up." I feel as though you "tether" something you are afraid would float away.

 

[emsr2d2]

I meant a lead for walking a horse. What the jockey (or rider) holds is reins.

So did I. When a rider is sitting astride the horse, he/she holds the reins. When the horse is being led by someone who is on foot, the horse is on ​a rein.

 

[SoothingDave]

That sounds weird to me. I'd wonder why the person didn't just say "tied up." I feel as though you "tether" something you are afraid would float away.

"Tether," to me, seems to need to have an object to be tethered to.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Tether," to me, seems to need to have an object to be tethered to.

True, but in the context of a dog, if someone said "Please tie your dog up", I wouldn't think they wanted it wrapped up in chains, I would assume they meant "Please tie your dog's lead to an immovable object", effectively the same as "tethering". However, I agree that "to tether" is not natural for dogs on leads. As Barb said, it sounds as if you're worried your dog will float away unless you secure it to something. Boats are tethered to the dock. Hot air balloons are tethered to the ground.

 

[JarekSteliga]

True, but in the context of a dog, if someone said "Please tie your dog up", I wouldn't think they wanted it wrapped up in chains, I would assume they meant "Please tie your dog's lead to an immovable object", effectively the same as "tethering". However, I agree that "to tether" is not natural for dogs on leads. As Barb said, it sounds as if you're worried your dog will float away unless you secure it to something. Boats are tethered to the dock. Hot air balloons are tethered to the ground.

BNC quotes sentences in which dogs and cats are being tethered. Please have a look here:

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I understand from your comments that this meaning of "tethered" is obsolete.

Also whenever I tie my dog up (or chain it up) it is because I am afraid that it will float away or run somewhere I don't want it to. Therefore if "tethering" sounds to you as an action taken to prevent the animal from floating away, this is exactly my intended meaning.

 

[emsr2d2]

You have a floating dog?! Wow! I look forward to reading all about it in Fortean Times.