How many of y'all keep a dog around??ÿ Yes I understand you cant on certain site or areas blah blah blah I just want to hear people that have tried or have dogs out there.?ÿ I do alot of wetland surveys and farm splits solo (unfortunately) and wouldnt mind the company of a canine companion.?ÿ Looking for general testamonials here.?ÿ Also for those who have been doing this, what breeds do you find best??ÿ Pictures more than welcome
How many of y'all keep a dog around??ÿ Yes I understand you cant on certain site or areas blah blah blah I just want to hear people that have tried or have dogs out there.?ÿ I do alot of wetland surveys and farm splits solo (unfortunately) and wouldnt mind the company of a canine companion.?ÿ Looking for general testamonials here.?ÿ Also for those who have been doing this, what breeds do you find best??ÿ Pictures more than welcome
The only animals I have are ones served up with mashed potatoes and gravy. About 2 months ago I rescued a young female beagle from getting run over but fortunately the owners tracked me down after the vet office posted about it on Facebook. I refuse to live my life around the needs of a dog. I don't dislike them but they are needy and I just don't want to deal with it.?ÿ
For many years I had?ÿeither 1 or 2 constant field & office canine companions, but they?ÿpassed on, the last one over a year ago.?ÿ I still have customers asking me "where are your dogs?"
I never did have anyone complain about them, in fact they worked quite well at starting conversations with?ÿadjoiners.?ÿ However, there were a few people that wouldn't come into the office if I didn't meet them at the door.?ÿ The dogs were cattle dogs (blue heeler/border collie mix and?ÿhanging tree), well trained but very protective and loud,?ÿnot aggressive unless provoked.
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I had two dogs in the field with me for years. You need to have well behaved dogs that will respond quickly to voice commands, and can act intelligently when confronted with wildlife. On the rare occasions that I was near busy roads they would wait in the truck or be tied up.
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My two Tibetan Mastiff's guard my property while I'm away working. Anyone thinking of robbing my place while I'm out would quickly move on to easier pickings. I had a Golden years ago, Maggie, that I just couldn't bear to leave home along while I was away working all day so she went everywhere with me. We were a package deal and anyone I worked for had to accept that. One day we were out doing topo on a large area for a future housing development and she was laying at my feet at the gun and a dirt foreman approached me and said to me, "what the (expletive) is this dog doing on my site." Looked over at him and told him she was free help, called my rodman on the radio a few hundred yards out and said, "Hey Jake, you just ran out of flagging and need a package delivered", gave Maggie a roll of flagging and Jake called her and she raced out there and dropped it off and raced back. That dirt man just stood there with his mouth gaping open to his belly button and walked away without saying a word. I had her grandaughter, Bess, for 15 1/2 years. She passed just about a year ago. That's her in my avatar picture getting ready to shred a mountain. The tears are starting well up just thinking about her.
Mans best friend...
Put your dog and your wife in your trunk, for a half an hour and see which one is most happy to see you, when you open it up.
About 25 years ago I took my pet racoon with me to go look at a corner. Actually calling her a pet is a bit of a stretch, they are kinda like cats. I had done the fieldwork on 30 acres but something didn't look right on what I had written in the fieldbook about the back corner. I just needed to look at it to be sure.
We walked in, looked at the corner, and got about half way back out. Rachael got tired so she climbed up a tree and went to sleep. I waited around for a couple of hours calling her. Nothing worked. It was getting dark so I walked out to the truck and got a flashlight. As I walked back in, Rachael was just waking up and ready to come down.
I never did that again.
James
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I've only had one dog that I ever took to the field.?ÿ He was a setter named "Roper"?ÿwith ADD...I had to stop him from tagging along because it always took a half hour to find him and get him back in the truck to leave.
Over the years I've toyed with the idea of finding a pup with a good nose, like a lab or a beagle, and toss them a goody every time I dig up a pin.?ÿ It wouldn't take too long for the pup to start sniffin' out pins when you get the shovel out of the truck.?ÿ I would probably name him "Schonstedt" ....
But every time we have had an opening in the pack of dogs we keep SWMBO gets to pick the next one...and we have always wound up with?ÿyour typical?ÿschizophrenic aussies.?ÿ
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I have a hundred year old Great Pyrenees that generally rides in the back of my truck fall, winter, and spring.?ÿ He is glad to go and if I leave him home, he gets bored and runs down the road.?ÿ He is too old and frail to jump out but is a great guard dog.?ÿ I was on a traverse way out in the woods once, about a half mile from the truck and I heard his bark and recognized it for a "somebody is at the truck and they don't belong".?ÿ There was an irate neighbor that didn't like the fact that surveying was happening near his place.?ÿ He has been everywhere from the big cities to subdivisions to farms.?ÿ Never had a single problem, though I do tend to generally avoid taking him into cities often.?ÿ Just never trusted city folk.
This is my survey dog - Bunny
I take her out to certain out of town jobs that are still on the road system. I really enjoy the company; somehow I don??t feel as foolish talking to a dog instead of to myself.?ÿ
My hound mix (no pics on this tablet) has been on several surveys. She ranges and returns pretty well. Only issue is shes a real people lover. So, too hard to get her back if she commits to someone that i didnt notice first. Also, shes fastrer than any dog ive known. So, shes only invited on rural surveys with no highway frontage. ?ÿ
Banjo the Spanish Water dog used to get out quite often.?ÿ Now that he's older, 13, his joints don't work as well so I don't take him any more.
I try to bring Pearl, my lab, ?ÿif its a bigger property. this was on a 250-300 acre lot I was doing wetland surveys on.?ÿ
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She is good company and will stick around. Just ?ÿa whistle away!
My German Shepard, ZIP. Keeping a close eye on me and guarding the gun.
I've had dogs in the family most of my life, but avoid taking them to job sites. One of my former employers used to and it made things awkward more than once. It gets very ugly when the owner has working dogs and the visitor upsets the routine.
Every situation is different but my clients, their guests and neighbors are my first consideration .
