saws and dogs

[husky455rancher]

ok guys heres the deal. the wifes been pushin me real hard to get a dog. apparently my sweet fish tank dosent do it for her lol. anyway shes been in contact with a animal shelter down south the spays or neuters the animal and gives them all their shots and ships em up here for just under $300.

now most if not all of these are mutts of some sort. which i dont have a problem with, we had a purebread a few years back and it had to be the stupidest thing alive. i kept her for over 2 years and she just showed absolutly no improvement. she cost about a grand too thats why i was so patient with her. no matter what i tired she would always piss or poop whereever she felt like it in the house. so i had enough after all the time.


anyway the dog shes looking seems to be a pug beagle mix of some kind. supposed to be this great dog yada yada yada. i talked to the women she seemed very honest and answered all my questions. now heres where it gets interesting her crate mate she calls him is a red heeler mix. she says they get along great but hes more of a guard dog and loved to be around men. she said if we wanted them both we could get them both for the price of one. the pug beagle (female) mix thing is 1 1/2 years old and the red heeler (male)is 9 months.


so i guess my real question to you guys is it a hassle having dogs outside when your trying to work and get stuff done like cutting and splitting? also for any of you with 2 dogs how mucvh more trouble is it to have 2 instead of one? i wouldnt think 2 would be a huge deal as they would entertain themselves maybe to an extent lol but im just guessing here. i was a fish and reptile guy before i got married. my childhood dog mysteriously dissappeared when i was a kid. friggin dad lol i still bust him on that one.

ok guys sorry for the long post i know theres alot of dog lovers here so gimme the honsest answers no sugar coating please. thanks, Mike

 

[tree md]

My dogs rock. I've been doing storm damage work at my dad's and they stay well clear of my drop zone while I am in the tree and watch me intently when the saw starts up. Once I get back on the ground they have to run up and kiss me in the face before I can even get my gear off. They also stand well clear when I am practicing with my bow and arrow (only had to get on them one time when I first started and they learned) then come and try to kiss me in the face when I go to pull my arrows out of the target. The male is leery of me anytime I am working with tools and is cautious of any tool, rope or whatever I pull out. He happened to be in the shop the first time I blew my saws out when I got my compressor. Scared him so bad he wouldn't come in the shop for a month (he was pretty leery of me for a month as well). He makes sure he gets somewhere when I pull anything out of the truck or shop.

 

[Steve NW WI]

My dog (Lab/Springer mix) is no problem while I'm working, just does her own thing. She'll be right there as soon as I take a break though. I do have to watch where she is on the occasions when I drop a tree, but that's about it.

BTW, I have a theory that each household only contains X number of dog IQ points, and the more dogs sharing them, the dumber they are! I've got friends with a dog that would make lassie look like the class clown, and others with 2 demon hounds that do little more than trash the house and jump up on every person they see...

 

[porta mill]

any thing with a beagle in it's blood is going to be hard to keep from wondering. beagles are designed to hunt not stay and sit while you are working . there is a great probability you would be chasing it more than you would be working. there is probally a local shelter that charges less than $300 to adopt a dog try petfinder.com that is how i got my pup a few months back . I personally like a lab they are loyal and usually easy to train, my only problem so far is keeping her from careying off all the small pieces of wood fron the wood pile

 

[Moss Man]

I have had dogs since the day I landed on this earth and have a couple things to share. Keep in mind that dogs can easily live for 10-15 years and they are your responsibility for that whole time, your lifestyle can change alot in that time frame. Dogs look up to their owners for guidance, if you can't guide them at all times......don't get one.

On a positive note, they are great for the soul and provide years of love and devotion. Our dog sleeps on the bed every night, even though it gets crowded at times.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Beagles are great with kids, great 'door bells', etc. but I agree they do like to wander because they are hunters. Our male would catch a scent in the wind and off he went.

I don't know if this is normal or not but our beagle was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 2 yrs. Meds weren't expensive but made him lethargic so with vets okay we reduced dosage to 1/2 and he was fine. He lived a long, happy life even though he had seizures every now and then. He knew when he was going to have a seizure as he'd come to me and sit behind me like "Keep the kids away, Mom, I'm not feeling well." He was a good dog.

The only thing that concerns me with your post is the mention of the male tending to be a guard dog. In some cases that's fine, in other cases thats not so good. With any dog, you (and/or your wife) have to be "Top Dog" in the household from day one. Don't let the dog rule and you all will get along just fine.

I'm also in favor of adopting from some place local. Meet and greet the dog before purchasing. You have to 'fit' and adopting long distance isn't always a good choice.

An older dog is also okay as long as the meet and greet goes well. We adopted a Sheltie when she was about 2 yrs. old. Apparently the previous owner stepped on her and broke her ankle and never took her to the vet. By the time we got her the leg was bowed and the ankle frozen. We worked with it and got some movement back but the vet said surgery would not help. Now there was a great dog! Best dog we ever had!

Now we have a dust mop of a dog. Not quite sure how that happened but we are softies when it comes to homless or unwanten dogs.

Shari

 

[clearance]

Had a blue heeler when I was a kid, she followed me around like white on rice. Loyal dog. Now we have two dogs. One from a shelter, a beast, was told he was a rottie cross, actually he is a Tibetan Mastiff, or close to it. Like a shepard, but not as tall, more hair and about 135-40. The other is a stray we found as a pup, somekind of dobie, pitbull, hound combo I think. The big dog ain't to swift, but he stays home, the little one wanders.

They are great, lots of fun, they let us know when anyone is close, but they don't bite, just intimidate those with disonorable intent.
Go for it, show them love and they will be your friends.

 

[streeter]

ok guys sorry for the long post i know theres alot of dog lovers here so gimme the honsest answers no sugar coating please. thanks, Mike

Semi long winded on this reply I grew up on hunting dogs (pointers) to a point whre mom/dad developed there own breed! 20 dogs plus. You can not take short vacations without them being taken care of. Fast forward....My current wife/G/f hated animals. She fell in love with my old cat then proceeded to get a kitten. I left out of state for work and got a phone call.......This freaking dog will not leave! We now have been adopted by an awesome Black Lab all 120 lbs of her!

Basically they are like kids.

 

[volks-man]

my 2 dogs tend to leave me alone while i work in the yard, be it cutting or splitting, or anything work-like.

2 will entertain themselves to some extent but not always.

caring for two over one seems simple enought on the surface (just double food right?) but gets expensive/troublesome when they both need flea/tick treatments and both need shots and both need the vet or both need someone to care for them while you are away, and so on.

i like my dogs. two poorly bred basset hounds. lazy, stubborn, factory equiped with 4 wheel drive and a lowrider look, but..............

i think you are better off with the fish!

 

[windthrown]

Beagles are great dogs. They are known for being roamers though (we lost one that just wandered off when I was a kid). We had a rot-retreiver cross that was great in the woods. She would hunt squirrels and torture them to death. Fine with saws and falling timber. Was obedient. But... she would get into the poison oak all the time. If there was a way under a tree or shrub, she would get down low and crawl under through the brush and get all covered in PO. She also had a problem with skunks. Wanted to chase them. They said OK, take THIS!

Oh yah, and ticks. You have to use Advantage or Frontine on them if you are going to take them out in the woods cutting with you. Even then they get ticks on them. Ticks tend to live at dog level, just waiting for one to cruise by. Come here and feed me you big bags of blood!

 

[reaperman]

The "new" pug, beagle mix is officially called a puggle. My wife owns a boarding kennel, and we have had our share of puggle's over the past years. They BARK like a beagle, or a hound if you dont know what a beagle barks like. To be honest, in my opinion, the beagle bark is the most annoying bark of any dog. They also tend to have lots of energy, there is reason it is in a shelter for starters. Obviously, someone gave the dog up for a reason you may never know.

As far as getting two dogs, I always say two dogs are three times the trouble as one. You could overwhelm yourselves getting two dogs right away, since you dont currently have one. Its much easier bringing in a second dog to a home that currently has a dog. The second dog seems to learn the ropes from the first one. But with two new dogs at once, neither one is familiar with the surroundings or routines. Which can cause chaos, especially if they are being kept in the house, opposed to outside.

The expense of a second dog can add up, especially if you keep current with all of the recommended shots, heartworm, monthly frontline for wood/deer ticks, etc.

But there are rewards with two dogs, I really dont need to go into detail on that subject. There are many breeds of dogs to choose from, I'm glad to see you are doing your homework. Many dont, and thats why the dog pounds are always full. Try and get a dog that matches your environment, if you live in town, please get a "town dog". If your in the country, well, the sky is the limit. Personally, I favor large dogs over small ones, they are easier to train, and seem more eager to please their owners.

 

[dingeryote]

Have always had a Pooch or two in the house.
To me they are a normal part of life and Family.

My two current Hooligans are no problem while working around the place.
Sam trots along with the Tractor if I'm not spraying and thumps the Rabbits and woodchucks that run.

Hannah is another story. She's all over you untill ya tell her to back off, and then she waits untill you sit down.
Fire up the saw and she's back at the house opening the door though.

Once they go out with you a couple times, and get used to how things are done, they are no bother.
Sam is a retrieving maniac but knows that when I pick up a splitting Maul it's time to take a break untill I do.

I'll repeat the advice on beagles and beagle mix dogs.
If they get tone lock on a scent, they do NOT honor property lines, county lines,state lines, or international borders. You either have to shoot something, or go after them. They really are a Fur covered cruise missle.

They also are a high energy dog that needs to run daily or they will dump the energy in mischief, though all dogs are that way to some degree.

Beagles also can have a sense of humor that is easily misunderstood...
Be carefull in play teasing, one upmanship is NOT beyond a Beagle.
Our old neighbors Beagle Mix scooter was always marking our porch in attempt to say hello to my dogs. I popped him in the butt with a BB gun when I caught him one day. Two days later I left my hat on the steps overnight, and in the morning it was discovered that Scooter "Got me".
Big old steamy turd curled up in the hat.

I don't understand the "Imported Pound dog" thing.
You have a shelter locally with homeless pooches looking for a reprieve from the needle. They all charge for Vet services rendered before adoption, so why go out of town?

If ya do it, go at it like adopting a child, and work with the dog as you would a kid untill it understands what it is you and the family are about, and fits in.
It will be rewarding as hell if ya do.


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Baldman]

These are my G/F parents dogs that we watch from time to time. As you can see they hate being around saws

Good luck with your decision!

 

[myzamboni]

Hopefully you will get the ideal situation: Heelers like to herd and beagles like to wander. If you are lucky the Heeler will herd the other dog back home.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Here's one of my pugs in the avatar...(female)...the male, all 31 lb. of him, likes to hang around the splitter, but both get away when the saws come out. Pugs are good, cheep entertainment, but very emotional and high maintenance.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Old saying

There are no bad dogs, just bad owners.

It's the truth. If you and your family, and it really sounds like you're not, (no slam, just the tone of your original post), do not have the necessary time or are not willing to make the commitment, to work with the dog then I would say no, don't do it. A dog will do what you teach it, if you teach it to be a disobidient knuckle head then that's exactly what you'll get.

Knowing the area where you are, there's not a lot of area for a dog to do it's thing. Neighbor issues may be a problem. Chaining the dog up to bark its head off in the back yard, like a lot of animals I see in that neighborhood, is not much of a life.

I'm on my third Golden Retreiver. They, like beagles, are smart, high energy dogs and need a lot of exercise and stimulation. I spend a minimum of 1 to 3 hours a day going for walks, taking him swimming, and working to reinforce the commands with Mikey. Dogs need to be dogs, and if you don't have the time to dedicate, be fair to the animal and let it pass. Wait 6 months and if the desire is still there revisit adoption.

Well you asked for advice and I would say with all the irons in the fire you have now between family, work, wood, etc., aquiring a dog probably should be a low priority as if you do get one it will suffer the consequences of being a low priority.

Sorry to be a jerk but I hate to see neglected animals, even if the best of intentions were originally sincere.

Take Care

 

[Northland]

Good post Swamp Yankee-100% correct IMO.

I now have two mixed breeds from the pound who go every where I do-including the time on my tractor and cutting.

Last year both my great danes died;one of heart disease and one of a heart attack. As much as I loved my big dogs and the security they brought (no bears on my land) I am going to stick with older pound dogs needing a second chance at a good life.

 

[Zodiac45]

Old saying

There are no bad dogs, just bad owners.

It's the truth. If you and your family, and it really sounds like you're not, (no slam, just the tone of your original post), do not have the necessary time or are not willing to make the commitment, to work with the dog then I would say no, don't do it. A dog will do what you teach it, if you teach it to be a disobidient knuckle head then that's exactly what you'll get.

Knowing the area where you are, there's not a lot of area for a dog to do it's thing. Neighbor issues may be a problem. Chaining the dog up to bark its head off in the back yard, like a lot of animals I see in that neighborhood, is not much of a life.

I'm on my third Golden Retreiver. They, like beagles, are smart, high energy dogs and need a lot of exercise and stimulation. I spend a minimum of 1 to 3 hours a day going for walks, taking him swimming, and working to reinforce the commands with Mikey. Dogs need to be dogs, and if you don't have the time to dedicate, be fair to the animal and let it pass. Wait 6 months and if the desire is still there revisit adoption.

Well you asked for advice and I would say with all the irons in the fire you have now between family, work, wood, etc., aquiring a dog probably should be a low priority as if you do get one it will suffer the consequences of being a low priority.

Sorry to be a jerk but I hate to see neglected animals, even if the best of intentions were originally sincere.

Take Care

Nope that's a good post and I agree SY. It's a commitment. My sister and Bro in Law just lost their Timber wolf/Huskie mix. You'd of thought they'd lost a child! I actually went too a little memorial they had in the woods for her. Yes, a little over the top but that was a well loved dog and outstanding in the woods. RIP Meka.

 

[husky455rancher]

dont be sorry John im looking for honest answers here thats why i said dont sugar coat it. believe me id rather set up another fish tank. this is 100% the wifes plan. i just like to hear from real people who arent gonna bs me on things. to be honest i have no idea why she's going with a shelter from the south. when my wife sets her mind on something its very hard to change it lol.

but on the case of being a "bad owner" i will say its not that i dont like animals in fact ive kept many many animals that many of you her would find repulsive. believe me i try and see the good in every animal but that purebread biscion (spelling) i had was just plain dumb. i guess you would just to have known the dog. she was a nice dog and i liked her but over 2 years and she still could not understand bathroom = outside. that and she loved to roll around in her own fecies. on a pure white dog thats just plain nasty.

also i think for some people dogs become a substitute for children. this would not happen in my case as i have 2 young girls and im not going to give more time to the dog than the kids thats for sure. not to say id neglect the dog at all but i dont see me spending 3 hours a day with only the day and nothing else. granted im sure the wife and kids will have a ball with her while im at work so her getting enough excersize im not worried about.

 

[Bootsie]

I can't say anything about two dogs being a hassle. But from my experience with friends who have 2 dogs they love it because the dogs entertain each other. My lab mix is an awesome work partner. She never lets me get out of her sight. A comfort thing for her. If I am unsure of where she is when I am felling I stop call her and tell her where I want her to go to be safe. Being able to do that does not happen overnight and requires work and sometimes lots of it. Beagle are hounds and by nature like to follow their noses and can be very stubborn. My brother has a healer mix that he is having pretty good luck with. It is a rescue dog as well. Good luck, I am sure whatever you decide will make for some great stories.