JRammit Posted September 11, 2016 Report Share Posted September 11, 2016 I know I'm not the only one in this predicament... And I'm sure many of you have some funny stories to share... Or maybe some do's and don'ts we can all learn from Here's my situation... I have two 3 year old black lab muts, and one 6 month old black lab mut puppy (my future hunting dog)... They have roughly a half acre fenced off, in the middle of which sits my shop.... So being the nice guy I am, I decide to install a doggy door in my shop... They now have the ultimate dog house... A/C in the summer, heat in the winter, and a dry place on a rainy day Consequently, they also have unlimited and unsupervised access to all my stuff... They taught me a few things real quick.... Like "don't leave your buck tails where we can reach em, cause we WILL eat them"... And "the only thing cooler than a bag of duck feathers, is a bag of duck feathers spread out all over the floor"....... I couldn't even be mad about that, those things are just too tempting to a dog But let me tell you about a few other things dogs like.... Play-do, an easy convenient way to seal a mold box... But it only works if you stand guard, cause soon as you walk away they pick it clean... Might as well use peanut butter Screw driver handles... No big deal, they still work with or without teeth marks Acrylic paint bottles... These are a big turn on for some reason, I swear I find a new color in the yard at least once a week... Ever seen a black lab with red freckles??... Kinda funny Silicone molds... RTV is some pretty tough stuff!!!.. I can still use most of those molds There's more on the list, but those are the big ones So what do you have to put up with?... Cat? Dog? Snake? Hamster?.... And how do you deal with em??..... I'm running out of top shelves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted September 11, 2016 Report Share Posted September 11, 2016 I have had dog hairs get into baits a few times but only a few times. I don't let my dogs in the shop for the most part. The lab comes in every now and then and will lay down on a pile of wood shavings but doesn't like most of the tools so finds her way out quickly. The shop is also too small for me to have a dog in there (12x16) and safely move around and navigate on a table saw, router, bandsaw, etc... If I am just pouring baits not as big of a deal but still would rather not have the dog in the shop to avoid dog hair. I really don't care much for the dogs even to be in the house. They never are allowed to go upstairs, they aren't allowed on furniture, etc... they stay on the floor or curled up in their kennel in our garage. Don't need top shelves, you need to remove the doggy door and just get them a dog house. AC and heat? They are dogs they will be just fine in a dog house. My lab stays outside most of the time hard to get her to come in. The cattle dog was the same way for the most part. I built the kids a play house and just left it and the dogs hang out in it if need be. It is too large for winter use however and a smaller dog house would be much better. Everything else we have are in tanks and cages so no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Yea, most dogs aren't spoiled like ours... They were indoor/outdoor dogs at our old house... Big mistake! Animals have no resect for things like carpet and trim..... The shop idea was to solve that problem, the dogs are no longer allowed in the house.. Except my puppy, she only comes in for feedings and short training sessions, which will be moved outside now that the weather is cooling down (black labs don't train well in the heat) Animals do fine in the elements as long as they're acclimated to it.. It's our fault these dogs aren't..... I've considered kicking them out of the shed, but haven't quite been pushed to that point yet.. Close! But not yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 I had an unwanted "pet" rat for a few months in my shop. Does that count? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 I got one of those too... Only saw him once, and he hasn't chewed anything up yet, so I don't bother him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudPeteMahiMahi Posted September 20, 2016 Report Share Posted September 20, 2016 Shared my space in the basement with two cats for a while. Wife kept wanting to take them to the vet cause of the hair loss. Made some nice nymph flies with calico dubbing during their stay. Cat's don't seem to like me anymore.Vet said they had a nervous condition he had never seen before. My black lab was also missing hair at the time. Space is pet free now....just the way I like it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 my lab just comes in to supervise. he is not allowed in the spray booth though..he owns the remainder of the shop though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 Shared my space in the basement with two cats for a while. Wife kept wanting to take them to the vet cause of the hair loss. Made some nice nymph flies with calico dubbing during their stay. Cat's don't seem to like me anymore.Vet said they had a nervous condition he had never seen before. My black lab was also missing hair at the time. Space is pet free now....just the way I like it. Ha!!! That's good stuff!.... Had that vet scratching his head, hilarious! I used our cat once, wife gave me dirty looks, but the cat liked the attention 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted November 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2016 (edited) So I took a little break from lure building.. For one, duck season is approaching, so I needed the time to get me and the new puppy ready.. But also because I started overwhelming myself with ideas and projects..... Now I understand why so many don't sell baits! Anyway, were as ready as we're gonna get for hunting season, so I decided to spend my day off giving my shop a MUCH needed clean up/organize day..... Well, having not been inside for a week or two, I wasnt surprised to see that my cute little bird dog puppy had run a MUCK! Muddy footprints on the top of my bench, empty containers laying about with objects previously occupying those containers spread out all over the floor.. Bags of soft plastic baits laying outside the door, a full paper towel roll shredded into pieces blown all over the yard... Ect. Ect. Ect. So I decided to fix her wagon! That's my little lab mut Nessie (named after the Lochness monster Edited November 3, 2016 by JRammit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 3, 2016 Report Share Posted November 3, 2016 Labs are great dogs. You can't ask for a better companion. They want to be with you all the time. The story and the pic sure make me miss mine. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted November 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 Yea they are.. Loyal, friendly and great with kids Only problem with labs is keeping them home!!!.... It's been a constant battle patching holes in my fence.... Earlier this year, my previous hunting dog got out and went on a chicken killing spree... That was her last rodeo, somebody shot her Now, just this morning, my wife calls and said the puppy dug out and got hit by a car... She's ok, just has a busted leg now.... Wife says it doesn't look broken, just a nasty deep gash on it, and a little skin off her head.... Guess it coulda been worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 Dang JR. That sucks. I hate to see animals get hurt. My lab got ran over as well. He wasn't as lucky though. We lived out in the woods and it was over a mile to the highway so he pretty much had the run of things until my ex decided she would look cool riding around town with the dog in the back of the truck. I'd told her to tie him in the truck if she carried him to town, but since she was sooooo much smarter than me she decided it wasn't necessary. Too bad I didn't get to make the choice as to who got ran over. Hope your dog is OK and that he heals up quickly. Ben 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted November 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2016 Thanks Ben.... That's a sad story too... I try not to get too close to my dogs now, try, but I can't say it works That's what I miss about my last dog Hemi.. She's the only dog I've ever had that would ride in the back of my truck and STAY there...... I use to take her to the little beer store on the corner, they fed all the stray cats there, so there were plenty of them running around..... I could leave her unattended in the truck bed while i went inside and she NEVER jumped out But the puppy looks like shell b fine... She's well enough to limp around and jump on the couches (where she doesn't belong)...... It is a nasty nasty cut! Well just have to keep an eye on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 5, 2016 Report Share Posted November 5, 2016 Your a cruel man parking that puppy around all those cats and her having to stay in the truck. It's hard not to get close to a dog. I wouldn't let myself get another dog for many years for just that reason. The dog I have now is a neighborhood mutt that was mistreated. The family that had her went off and left her chained up for over a week with no food and water. I took care of her until they came back and then went and got her from them. She's been with me for about 12 years now. Good to hear your pup is doing well. Maybe it learned a lesson and won't be doing that anymore. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Good for you, Ben. Makes me wonder how people could ever be cruel to animals. My son brought home a kitten on Halloween night. Mom hated it. Dad loved it. So now it's part of the family, and being spoiled........BIG TIME. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Thanks Al. Critters can find a way into our hearts like no human ever can. They don't hold grudges and are the definition of unrestricted love. I'm not sure we are spoiling our pets or if we are just paying them back. They usually end up giving a lot more than they receive. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...