Taking the dog to work

[jgarnett]

Hi,
At this stage whilst I wait for arrival of the pup I intend on taking my GSD to work with me daily. I will admit my primary motivation for doing this is twofold;

1.I have always wanted to be in a situation where I have a dog by my side constantly and I now am ( more on that in a minute ) ...

and

2.I want this dog to be as well trained as I can manage and I fear if i leave the dog at home it will a) develop bad habits with a wife who I know for sure will not "stick to the book" and b) the pup will be in the presence of a 2 year old which might raise other concerns.

A little about the work situation ;

I live in Cambodia and work in M&E maintenance - more to the point I manage a large company . Every day I drive my truck to our depot and then I am either in the office or out and about seeing customers. Our depot is very large and the only way in is a double vehicle gate at the front which is generally left open and the road at the front is MADNESS on a grand scale. The yard offers plenty of space though and plenty of areas to get out of the blistering sun though it is still hot hot outside.

So my questions are ;

a) How old is an OK age to tether a dog in the back of a truck ? I would put a swivel ring in the center of the back window and ensure the length is shortish. Although it is always hot outside, we use the crew cab regularly as a family so the dog needs to ride outside.
b) Once at the compound, even though I can close the gates, would you recommend tethering the dog on a long line where it has shade and water or would you free range it ? Cars will be coming and going so the gate will be constantly open and whilst we have a security guard , it is not his job too look after my dog..
c) What are the implications of many staff coming and going ?I would lay down some laws re; no feeding etc but it is feasible the dog might want to follow someone out of the yard if she gets too familiar right ?
d) What about letting the dog into my ACd office ? It is only small but she would be welcome to lie on the floor......The only thing is the doors are all shut to allow the AC to function effectively.
e) The dog is going to be a family dog too so should I allow it to stay at home some days ? Our daughter will go to childcare at some stage over th next year which means the wife will then be out more then, leaving the dog at home for a few hours at a time. which is fine by me. It is more th early days when they are both home all day I am interested in with regards my comment about "not following the book" . Or is a bit of freedom OK a long as IO come home from work and then start the regime and some training etc ?

thanks

[MaggieRoseLee]

Originally Posted by jgarnett

Hi,

So my questions are ;

a) How old is an OK age to tether a dog in the back of a truck ? I would put a swivel ring in the center of the back window and ensure the length is shortish. Although it is always hot outside, we use the crew cab regularly as a family so the dog needs to ride outside.
b) Once at the compound, even though I can close the gates, would you recommend tethering the dog on a long line where it has shade and water or would you free range it ? Cars will be coming and going so the gate will be constantly open and whilst we have a security guard , it is not his job too look after my dog..
c) What are the implications of many staff coming and going ?I would lay down some laws re; no feeding etc but it is feasible the dog might want to follow someone out of the yard if she gets too familiar right ?
d) What about letting the dog into my ACd office ? It is only small but she would be welcome to lie on the floor......The only thing is the doors are all shut to allow the AC to function effectively.
e) The dog is going to be a family dog too so should I allow it to stay at home some days ? Our daughter will go to childcare at some stage over th next year which means the wife will then be out more then, leaving the dog at home for a few hours at a time. which is fine by me. It is more th early days when they are both home all day I am interested in with regards my comment about "not following the book" . Or is a bit of freedom OK a long as IO come home from work and then start the regime and some training etc ?

thanks

Bump for the questions.. though I would attach a crate to the bed of my truck if the dog had to ride there.... not safe to leash/collar by the neck.

Crating in general would work for some of your questions.

[janisinsc]

I agree with crating, you can also use it in your office when he is small. Thats what I did, now Gustav comes to work almost everyday. And I also think its great for bonding with you and for socializing. I don't know how much I would trust other people if he is tethered outside unsupervised.

[Asche-zu-Staub]

my parents just bought a crate made specifically for going in the back of a truck. It is shorter so the dog lays down in it and it should come level with the bed of your truck. leashes and collars on an unattended dog are not safe! nothing wrong with having him in your office either. Make sure to trust your wife with him sometimes too, he has to bond to both of you! He will be a wonderful member of your family and everyone should include him!

What do you mean by she wont go by the book? She can learn from him just as well...i just hope you dont mean she'd hit him or anything?

[jgarnett]

I live in Cambodia and my wife is Khmer . The Khmer version of training / owning a dog is buying it, sticking it in the yard and feeding it rice whilst allowing it to bark incessantly at all hours without correction, crap all over the streets and generally do whatever it wants,whenever it wants !. Hence my comment about "the book".

HOWEVER

Last night we went to a friend's garden bar here in Phnom Penh and I got to introduce my daughter Grace to a two year old male GSD called Banjo. It was love at first sight for both of them ! My daughter was absolutely fearless around this big majestic youngster and the dog was so gentle with her it was great watching them together. Then, after dinner there were some lamb scraps left so I explained / showed my wife how to make the dog sit first and then give him the treat. Then we moved on to LIE DOWN with a treat etc. My wife thought the dog was "amazing" with just those basics ! By the end of the night my wife was very confidently commanding the dog and then rewarding so I think in actual fact she might be very good with the new dog dog and she agreed a well trained dog was the best thing for everyone

When you guys say CRATE i think of those plastic travel crates but I think you are talking about...welll.....a CAGE ? That's what google is showing me !

[BlackPuppy]

The plastic travel crates are great for the back of a truck. Just make sure it's fastened securely. If you decide to use something that looks like a cage, make sure it's designed for use in a vehicle. The regular wire crates are not strong enough to keep your dog safe if there is an accident.

http://thewetnose.blogspot.com/2010/...ng-in-car.html

[SylvieUS]

Crate = those giant plastic travel cages

You don't want to tether by the neck in your truck. Road dust, rocks, etc can get into your guys eyes. Sudden stops choke him. A 'giant plastic travel thing' is far safer. If you're in a hot climate, make sure you get a well ventilated one. Don't leave him in the truck bed in the sun when parked, they heat up quickly.

The big wire 'cage' ones are used at home, if you are training using the crate training method.

I was planning on getting a new puppy and bringing her to work with me, my clients LOVE when I bring my critters. However, it now looks like I'm getting a project dog with aggression issues...only me!

For the other poster, I suspect the "My wife won't go by the book" means she won't be firm and consistent with the puppy and its training. (Very necessary with GSD training) That would be my 'hubby' too, and I would have brought my puppy to work for the exact same reason. He spoils the critters bloody rotten! lol

Best of luck with your new friend!
-Yvonne

[Lilie]

I don't understand the need to take your pup to work with you if all you intend on doing is leaving it outside. If you can keep it with you, in your office, then oh, how I envy you!

[jgarnett]

Originally Posted by Lilie

I don't understand the need to take your pup to work with you if all you intend on doing is leaving it outside. If you can keep it with you, in your office, then oh, how I envy you!

I can totally have the dog in the office with me . I just thought it might go a little "mental". My office is not huge ( about 3m x 4m) but at least it is tiled and air conditioned.

[arycrest]

Why can't he ride up front in the cab with you instead of the back of the truck.

I've discovered over the years that GSDs prefer being with their owners regardless of the space available. I'm not saying you shouldn't allow him outside every so often - take him for a walk, play ball with him, but IMHO he'd be much happier with you than tied outside by himself.