I was pleased to see a few familiar names entered into our decks contest last month. Thanks! If you didn’t see the announcement of the winners, you can read it here.
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Now, I’m hoping you’ll post a photo of your job-site dog. The prize isn’t a tool this time, it’s FHB’s back cover (we really love dogs over here). I’ll also cycle a few beauties through on the home page top spot while the contest is running. If you’ve got a trusty canine assistant. . .share a photo.
Good luck, everybody,
Robyn
Replies
These projects are really inspiring. Thank you for posting a link to them!
Great, fun idea! Looking forward to it.
I'd post a pic of mine, but they want too much $$ for royalties. ;-)
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Everything fits, until you put glue on it.
ya know...
I love dogs. have always had one. sometimes a resued.
But the best dog for a jobsite is an invisible one - the kind that are not there.
That way they don't chew cords, steal sandwiches, misplace tools, track mud on the carpet, trip people by standing too close behind them, lift legs on new paint to adjust the tint, or start fights with other dogs.....
A well trained canine can alert you to visitors and thieves, but for the most part, there is no good reason to bring a dog to a construction site, new or remodel.
I hate to see media encourage bad behaviour like this. I hope if you go ahead with it, you can add a sideline note asking owners to be respectful and aware that many GCs and HOs do NOT approve of dogs on the job.
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
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I hear you about dogs causing problems sometimes. I live in a town that has a lot of dogs and a lot of the owners don't know how to train a dog.
Their dogs are out of control and the owners think their dog is fine.
At the heart of it is people can be so self centered they don't even see the problems they (or their dogs) are causing.
They come off like you are the problem because you are so critical and just mean.
I worked on one job sight and the dog just stayed with his owners truck. Never left the truck unless he had to pee.
Smart dog and a smart dog owner. "There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
Some dogs (and some people) are a hazard on site. It is up to whoever is in charge to determine whether a canine or employee is beneficial and it is a personal/job specific decision. I'm happier when my dog is supervising my tools or vehicle in my absence but I also recognize when it is time for him to stay in the truck or at home. It is important to err on the side of caution for the safety and comfort of all.
The dog improves the image I want to project now. In some previous times that would not have been the case. Besides if I leave him at home he will be eating sandwichs, chewing cords and painting trim. ; )
Edited 6/3/2009 10:36 pm ET by sisyphus
Hey, throw up a Scooter pic.
I'd take my dog to keep the HO's dog from wetting on my chargers and tires.
Day before yesterday it was a HO's cat in my van, I had the cooler open to have acess to my cold tea, and the lil sucker was trying to drag out my ham and cheese sammy.
Dog woulda cured that.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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We had an HO provide lunch all around once because their BIG golden lab enjoyed himself with the lunches we all brought. He'd found and eaten them before 9AM
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"and the lil sucker was trying to drag out my ham and cheese sammy. Dog woulda cured that."
So woulda makin' a cat sammy. But that's only if you don't mind the fur gettin' stuck between your teeth. ;-)Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PAEverything fits, until you put glue on it.
Ever try to stuff a cat into a dark hole?That samie would be self cleaning - no neeed to brush!
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We used to call it a fur burger.
That wording brings a different version of young feline to mind somehow.
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Get with the times, fur is so 80's.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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I agree. I long ago quit bringing my dog to sites and banned the subs from allowing theirs to be loose on any jobsite I am the am in charge of. Your dog can stay in your truck all day if that is what you want, but let it off leash you and it are gone.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
we had dogs on the job, till one guy had to have a pit bull. one that would eat you up in a hearthbeat, and thought it was funny when the dog would rip your whole jean leg off for no reason. He really could not understand why. we had to have the sheriff remove him and his dog from the site.
Exactly! My dog is almost always on site but is usually tied up. Setting aside the problems he may cause for others. I don't want him stepping in wet concrete, brushing against fresh paint, exposed to large amounts of dust, noise or fumes etc... . He does, however, enjoy his supervisory capacity and I like having him around. He is popular with others as well.
Edited 6/4/2009 7:30 pm ET by sisyphus
Sorry, but I agree with Piffin on this one--dogs should not be on job sites.
I was on a job where a dog was running around and thestair opening to the basement was just covered with sheets of Stytrofoam until the stairs were built and the dog fell through the foam, fortunately was not hurt. Another time the drywaller had a pitbull that liked to steal lunches, pop, whatever and the owner thought it was cute and almost dared anyone to mess with his dog. I was sweeping up at the time and he said, "Looks like my dog wants your broom." I kept the nailgun close by while I finished sweeping and I think he and the dog were aware that they'd best leave me alone, as I had no trouble. I love dogs, but not on the job site, unless the owner has the dog by his side and under control at all times, and that is rare.
Not my jobsite, but that of my 8-yr-old son. he totally exhausted the dog.
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Forrest
Edited 6/5/2009 5:56 pm ET by McDesign
Here's mine. I hope these guys keep up this dog hate. I might have a chance of winning.
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Gangstas don't dance. We boogie.
Well it is clear who is Top Dog..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
There was never a doubt. LOL I'm owned.
New tagline coming soon..
I'm on my 2nd job site dog.............have had one on site for most of my jobs in the last 15 years and can't imagine going to work without him.Of course.........I know when he should stay home. I am rarely on a job when it gets into the finishing state....paint, trim, etc. But there still wouldn't be a problem.If there was a problem, if someone complained.........the dog stays home......no question.Two dogs , 15 years, (2nd dog is 2 years old), not one complaint. In fact, many times I get.......Hey! Where's Jack today?Sometimes I just leave him home with the wife.You dog haters don't sound like much fun. Maybe something happened to you that makes you this way. Probably wasn't the dogs fault. Rod
"You dog haters don't sound like much fun."You obviously misread something.We all like wives and kids too, but don't think there is a place for them on the job
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Reread the posts......nope, didn't misread anything.Still don't sound like that much fun.Don't know what that has to do with wife and kids......I thought we were talking dogs.
Rod
Since I was one who said I don't like dogs on the job site, I'll say you are wrong that we are dog-haters. I like dogs (some of my best friends are dogs--in fact, probably my ONLY friends are dogs), I own a dog, but I think it is cruel to subject dogs to the dangers of a job site. Dogs don't understand whya walking under a ladder while someone is working on it could be bad, and it's hard to explain it to them--just like the other day I was trying to explain to my dog that although she is a bird dog, that doesn't mean she can fly. She just didn't get it--I could tell by the look in her eyes.
And, not to always be on Piffin's side, but I worked with a friend who let his kids run around where we were building an addition onto his house. I'd hurry around a corner to do something and almost run over his daughter who was a toddler and not paying much attention. Go to get on a ladder, the other daughter was on it just sightseeing. Try to grab the ladder that was kicking out from under my buddy and his daughter is under my feet. Dogs, kids, and other sentient or non-sentient but non-essential personnel and petsonnel do not belong on a job site, IMO. Speaking of--I worked on a job knocking down a 15' high, 12" thick by about 70 yard long concrete block wall and the warehouse owner's retarded son was wandering around under the scaffolds. Just not a good situation, even though he at least had a hard hat on (though I don't know how much that would help if a 12" block fell on his head from 15 feet up).
Edited 6/7/2009 12:06 pm ET by Danno
I'm like you I love my dog but wouldn't take her
To job site all day. I don't care if anyone else does I feel sorry for the dog most of the time. Have you seen the entry with the guy running the piece of equipment and the dog at his feet. Yeah that ain't gonna spark some letters if that one is featured.
Gangstas don't dance. We boogie.
I'll put a point in here.........I love animals, some more than others, just like people.
I was in a home last year with two Portugese Water Dogs. Really ni$e home, lots of land. We were inside finishing up some framing and stuff on an addittion we did.
Gardner guy shows up. The h/o's dogs start barking in their protect the property mode then settle down after they don't hear the truck anymore.
Then he let's his dog ou tof the truck. Well the h/o's dogs don't even need to see this guys job site dog they just started going wild barking. This went on for some time. The guy actually asked me if I had a pail or something to put water in for his dog.
Well, to make a long story short he didn't like what I had to say and took his furry friend home and returned with a chip on his shoulder.
Later when things calmed down I tried to converse with him. I asked him why he would expose himself to the liability of bring ing his best friend with him. I asked him to suppose for just one minute that a friend of the ho shows up with a small child and for some crazy reason the dogs snaps at the child. Or his dog bumps into a ladder some one is on and causes an accident.
He wouldn't hear any of it.
The exposure to liability is tremendous and that is besides all the other good reasons to find better ways to spend time with your best friend.
Try calling your insurance agent to tell him your dog bit someone or caused and accident on a jobsite and see what the reaction is.
Eric
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Out in CO during boom times, there was a joke/saying that all you needed to become a contractor was a truck with gun racks for your 4' level, a magnetic sign on the door, and a dog. no skills mentioned.I knew HOs who would not consider hiring a 'contractor' who brought his dog along with him.
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"I knew HOs who would not consider hiring a 'contractor' who brought his dog along with him."I'm not sure what you meant by this statement. Doesn't add anything to the post.I know plenty who enjoy it. My present customer takes my dog on a walk with his step daughter around his pond for an hour or more. He says he may even get one once the job is over. (16 months and still going)I consider myself just as much a "contractor" as you.Not looking for a pizzing contest.You say potato................................ Rod
I'd have thought the statement was self explanatory.HOs I refer to do not want a contractor who serves them and works on the property to bring along a dog to dig in the flower garden, piss on their shrubbery, track mud in on their carpets, bark at all the neighbors....etc.They have the opinion that somebody who wants to bring his dog along hasn't grown up enough yet to focus on the job at hand.The statement was to wake up the half blind contractors to how many potential customers perceive them when they have dogs accompany them.
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Just another example of the misery of living in an age
litigation and profit margins. It's a case of think and be responsible for yourself.
Don't bring an untrained animal into a situation
where it could be a danger to it's self or anyone else. Also, don't make broad sweeping condemnations on how others
live and work.
I can't disagree with you, to a point.........it might work for some guys. Kinda an image thing. Probably works better out in much more rural areas where having a dog by your side is a way of life for more folks.
Many of the homes I work in around here, I put the fabric booties on or offer to take of my shoes when visiting. I couldn't see levving Fido running around the yard after that........
You're still playing with fire on the liability thing. If you dogs really hurts someone, who is NOT going to sue?
Yeah, I know, your dog would NEVER do that!
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Gee, I am sorry.
I hadn't realized that after owning 3 dogs for a combined 35 years that I hated them. Now about reality checks. I witnessed a sub contractor's dog attack and maim a homeowners prize Irish Water Spaniel show dog.
As the GC it was my burden to make things good. As a result the rule is:
On my sites you leave your dog at home or confine it to your truck, preferably the former.
You don't like the rule, fine, there are other sub's out there.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
how did you go about un-maiming that water Spaniel?
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I didn't. I did "unmaim " the owners wallet however. I ended up paying a sizable sum to the owner.
Dog was never able to compete as a show dog again. Owner rightfully argued that as GC it was my responsibility to control the subs ( and their canines) on the site, but allowed that since the offending dog wasn't mine and the dog could still stand at stud I wouldn't have to pay for lost income of stud fees. More than a few thousand out in vet bills to keep the dog alive and able to stand at stud.
That doesn't even bring into account the bad feelings caused by one persons self centered thinking that because they love their dog everybody should.
I am always amazed at how pet owners will bring animals to meetings, jobsites, stores etc. with out an apparant thought that others may be allergic, extremely terrified of the animals (rational or not) and act as if it some god given right to inflict their pet on others. When I spent the year or so hitching around with my dog I was one of those people who did that .
No longer, I grew up and realized that there are people who have medical issues with animals (severe allergies), physiological issues, or who own their own pets and expect them to be safe on their land.
I have no right to inflict my desire to have my animal with me on those people.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
good explanation which it was my intent to draw out.It is nothing short of selfish for most guys that bring their dogs on site. They don't take the time to train them to behave at home, so they bring them on site to misbehave at somebody else's home.IMERC had his dog at my job and that is one of a very small percentage that I ever saw behaved to whole time there. Rare case.I learned way back in first first couple years in construction that dogs on job is not healthy for the dog either. If the dog owner is paying attention to his work in the way he should, he cannot pay proper attention to the dog top keep it safe.So I consider it unsafe for the dog and irresponsible of his owner as well as disrespectful of the property owner to encourage this behaviour. It is as irresponsible for Taunton to sponsor and encourage this type activity on the job as it would be for them to do a centerfold of topless carpentinas every month.
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a lot of people around here have pit bulls, as pure and mean as possible. yes they are a loyal dog but only to the owner, there is alway news about kids being kill, eledery being attack. My next door has a chow. Nice and quiet, doesnt bark. but you stick your hand over the fence. Its gone.there been a dog hanging around the house. Its a sweet poodle like retriver, what that a labadoogle. it nice and sweet but it belong to a couple road over. Its been around for like a week. I guess they dont know its gone.
Wow........who let the dogs out!In my case I would never show up at a job site with my dog unless I asked permission first.OK, I'll concede that "dog haters" was unwarranted....apologies to all that offended.I enjoy having my dog around, and it seems, so do my customers. And again, permissions first.I certainly don't think it's unprofessional.You guys gotta lighten up.Wise words here.
"Also, don't make broad sweeping condemnations on how others
live and work."Rod
"I certainly don't think it's unprofessional.You guys gotta lighten up."Nothing bad or unprofessional if you ask first and the dog behaves.Lighten up?
You started the war by choosing over the top language about dog haters - but now that you've retracted that as you wise up in your later years...we're all just pussycats purring and rubbing your ankles.
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It is as irresponsible for Taunton to sponsor and encourage this type activity on the job as it would be for them to do a centerfold of topless carpentinas every month.
I pretty much agreed with you until that last comment.
So, what's with the heartfelt tirade? Condemnation for a magazine doing a fluff piece on a time honored tradition? There are irresponsible people in all walks of life and unfortunately pet owners are not exempt.
That is the cause for concern in every one of the valid issues raised, with bringing your dog anywhere. Absolutely, you must have a well trained animal.
Yes, you must respect all the aspects of being on someone else's property.
And yes you will be less efficient due to the attention that must be paid to the dog. Now, let's be equally honest in that every situation is unique and there are many responsible pet owners also. Since time out of mind there have been "Job sight Dogs". They are
by and large a source of pleasure and good will. There very presence bespeaks a commitment and devotion to the
"way of life" of building. All those years that dog grew and learned on the job, so did you. To widen the perspective a bit-
I've had several encounters where someone thought I was irresponsible,
simply because my dogs walked in a ski path.
Not while some delicate human was using it but while we were alone
in the woods. So, dogs don't have a right to walk on the Earth?
A person can't be expected to tolerate the slightest inconvenience,
so that the rest can simply live?
Let's, can the self righteous indignation at having to share the
the frickin globe with other people and things.
Good counterpoint.
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Here is a pic of the dogs I hate.... Won't let 'em on a job site though. It's all biz at my jobsites and I don't want my best friends getting hurt or wandering off while I'm busy with1,000 things. Sometimes, I have as many as 30 workers on site and I'd bet 25 of 'em could care less what happens to my buds....
A neighbor/painter I knew ran over his own dog on site. Really sweat dog named Brandy. DW and I had told the owners that if they ever couldn't keep her any more we would take her. She was asleep behind the truck when he went to back out to go to the paint store. His 4 YO little girl explained to me how Brandy was in heaven now. :-(
"ran over his own dog on site"Back before I wised up, I had my dog on site. He usually sat right at the bottom of the ladder.
One time I glanced over while shingling and he had climbed to the top, but couldn't figure out how to get off ladder and onto the roof. Had to carry his 75# down in my arms.He got his neck broke when we were heading out to the truck at lunchtime. He stepped out from between two cars parked at curb into the roadway and a car running 50MPH in a 15MPH school zone whacked him right in front of me.What bothered me worst was that car never stopped, and it could as easily have been a school kid who had stepped out there.
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I'm OK with the fact that my dogs spend a lot of Monday-Friday laying under the porch. They seem to like it there.. :-)
Mine lays ON the porch, soaking up sun like a cat. Not hot here yet.
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Looking to me like this contest will go down in history with the vinyl siding issue and the photo of the guy flipping off the roof to land on the ground as controversies with no final answer and lots of passionate but civil feelings expressed.
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!