Dogs in the Shop?

oskar

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Kind of a funny question but do you allow your puppy in the shop?

My 1 year old Shih-Tzu loves the noise inside my home shop and although I only work with aluminum I think some swarf / slivers may get under her paws which eventually may end up inside her stomach after she licks her paws.

The shop is located in a room attached to the garage and she is not allowed inside the shop but likes to wonders inside the garage. Often I see swarf / slivers in the garage floor which I guess are carried over by my clothes / shoes and although I sweep / vacuum the floor often, sometimes I can see swarf on the floor which are not picked up by my vacuum and these I’m afraid will end up in her stomach.
 
I've always allowed my dog (over the years various ones) in the shop. As a result I try to keep the floor by the drill press and mill fairly clean. I have not had any problem with them picking something up. Cannot explain why that hasn't happened, but I/they have been lucky. I never would have thought and had not heard of metal resulting in their stomach. Not saying it couldn't be an issue, just have not encountered it. I do make the dog sit by the door (out of sight-line) when I am welding.
 
Down on the floor at dog nose level is also where all the noxious chemicals end up. I have kept my nose to the ground beagles (and beagle wannabe JRT) out of the shop.
 
Our last dog, a rat terrier was allowed in the shop if the work I was doing wasn't too loud or dangerous for her to be around. She didn't nose around and kept to her bed under a workbench. Our current dog, Lab/Pit bull mix, will literally eat anything so no shop for her.
 
My dog comes into the shop now and again either to check that I am around or to come and get me at his feeding time. He does not stay long. I try to keep the floor clean of metal or wood debris often. I want to avoid tracking the debris into the house in the soles of my sneakers, or in the dogs paws.
 
I took out black lab to work every day, she never had any problem and spent most of the day on the office couch.
 
I don't let either of our dogs in the shop when I'm milling or turning. They wait patiently behind a sliding half door. Once those processes are complete I sweep, vacuum, and wipe down anything that they might want to investigate. Once the cleanup is complete they're both allowed to enter. Most of the time Juliette is content to stay out of traffic and just lay under one of the lathes. Willow on the other hand thinks being allowed in the shop means it's play time


.Juliette 3 jpg.JPG
Juliette

Willow.JPG

Willow
 
All the dogs I've had had free range of the shop. Occasionally they get a piece of swarf in a pad, I'll see them limp and pull it out much to they're appreciation.
The border collie I had was wound tighter than a 2 dollar watch. She would snap at the sparks off the grinders and welder trying to herd them. Never seamed to bother her eyes, thought it would.
The golden retriever didn't like the shop for some reason, would lay out in the snow with only her eyes showing if it was storming. In the summer she would come in to lay on the cool floor.
The current german shepherd stays out during the day unless its raining or really cold or when it gets dark then wants in. She won't leave the shop if someone is there she doesn't know. Being the guard kind of dog I guess.

Greg
 
I think my dog, a Schipperke just likes to hang out with me. In the shop she would check out all the places she could get to then lay by the work bench when the door was closed or lay in the doorway when the door was propped open. So far not a problem with chips which may be something she learned as a puppy, she normally avoids them. Her thought process may be different from many dogs, (doting master) again as a puppy she started into a 14"+/ culvert I told her I couldn't get her out so she backed up. Several years later and after several trips into the culvert, while visiting with a neighbor the dog totally disappeared into the culvert and he was really concerned, but in a few minutes she came backing out. While working under a vehicle we have been nose to mustache (she was checking for food scraps) but she has never licked my face even though my legs and hands are fair game. I believe dogs understand and know a lot more than we think they do.
Have a good day
Ray
 
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