I needed a way to tie my dog outside for short periods of time, but didn't want the eyesore of a cable or rope strung across the sidewalk or lawn, especially since I'd have to pick it up every time I mowed. I did find some retractable cable tie-outs available commercially, but they didn't get great reviews and were a bit pricey, it did however provide some inspiration for this solution.

Step 1: Gather Supplies

All supplies were purchased from my local Harbor Freight, but you could use your existing leash or yard stake.

24' retractable leash - $5.99
spiral yard stake - $3.99
5" carabiner - $1.50

I already had a retractable leash, but it was only 16' long so I decided to buy the longer one to give her a little more range.

Step 2:

Find a suitable position for your stake. I decided to put mine in the rock bed so I wouldn't have to mow around it or remove it.
Clip the carabiner in the ring of the stake
Clip the leash handle in the carabiner

You also want to extend the leash fully and walk the path to make sure that your dog will be confined to a suitable area and not able to reach the street, driveways, etc.

Step 3: Tie the Dog Out

Now I can tie my dog out to do her business while I get ready for work in the mornings.

There are several benefits of this setup:

The leash comes in the house with the dog so it won't have to withstand the elements
No unsightly cables or ropes spread across the lawn
Auto retracting so no tangles in the leash
No need to pickup before mowing
Gives more time to get ready in the morning without waiting for nature's call for my dog