# Dogs in the Shop



## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

Hey all,
My wife and I just got an older black lab from a dog rescue association. She's a beautiful friendly dog (as most labs are!) and of course wants to be where we are. I've been quite hesitant to take her into my shop with me; I'm concerned about damaging her hearing with all the power tools. I have the benefit of wearing hearing protection, she doesn't. My is a detached building that she would not be able to come and go freely if she wanted to, ie. she's either stuck in the shop with me or back in the house. 
Is this a silly concern? How do the rest of you with dogs do it?


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## AlanBienlein (Jan 29, 2011)

I have 6 dogs that can be in the shop at any one time. Normally all 6 will only be in there if loml is in there with me as in the picture.









The one dog that is consistently in the shop with me is Koda the husky wolf mix. The noise doesn't bother her and she will lay there and sleep thru anything up to and including sawdust falling on her.


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## WOODCEPTUAL (Mar 15, 2013)

My dog, Maddox, is my project buddy! The only tool of mine that bothers him is the nail gun… he won't step within 10 feet of it, so it is now collecting sawdust in the corner! ;D


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Congratulations on the rescue and being adopted by a faithful friend!

I don't have any dogs, haven't for about 30 years, but they are always close to my heart.

I do, however, have 5 cats, mostly working kitties that catch mice, snakes, 'dillo's, and the occasional baby hog or large ********************. (One cat is 21 pounds of terror in a muscly bundle).
The cats have more sensitive hearing than the dogs who come to visit do, (one is almost blind but can hear a palmetto bug at 50' with no problem).
All of the animals like to be in the shop even when running the machines. My little almost blind girl, LG stands on the table saw while I'm using it. In 5 years I don't think it's affected her hearing.
I also have a couple of blue ticks, some bassetts and some bored cattle dogs visit every so often. My rule is that it's the Cat's home, the dogs have to get along or get beat up by a bevy of cats, and the only other rule is no peeing in the shop….. it took one of the basset's and a couple of husky's awhile to learn that one.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

I bring my dog innis into the shop but he is olnly happy there for five minutes and want's to go back to my wife Bron as he gets fed up and bored.Bronwen can't step foot in my shop now with here breathing problems she has only aBout 50% lung capacity working and can't be anywhere near dust or paint etc etc.I used to love having her come into my shop and talk to me re all manner of things. Still she is with me and I must be greatful for small mercies as it's pittyful to hear her gasp for breath some days.Alistair


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## mbs (May 8, 2010)

I've had dogs in and out of the shop for years. My current dog doesn't enjoy in it the shop but like to lay outside. My last dog lost a lot of hearing but she was around 11 and they may be common anyway. You may want to send a note to GFADVM who's a vet.


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

My dog (blue heeler/border collie mix) isn't thrilled around power tools, but hangs out with me while I'm doing almost everything else. Of course, she's usually on the couch (aka the world's most expensive dog bed) in my office, which opens to the hallway where I work.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

I bring my dog into the shop all of the time. He loves it and sleeps through everything. Ironically he is losing his hearing. My wife, an audiologist, does not believe that the noise from my tools has caused this. Hes 12 years old. She said the noise level decreases by 6 dB each time you double the distance from the source. So lets say your ts is 100 where you stand at about 2 feet away. At four feet its 94. At 8 feet its 88 and so on. As long as your dog is not atyour feet he is not going hqve near the noise that you have at the tool. Bring him out there if he likes it.


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## coachmancuso (Feb 10, 2013)

My shop buddy is Dario he is a Boston Terrier, that is him in the picture. We have 4 other Boston Terriers but the other ones do not care to be out there. Dario loves to be out there with me and the wood. I try not to keep him out there long while I am sanding but when I put him in the house he waits by the door for me to let him out. Congrats on you Lab , you probably saved his life.


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## Sanding2day (May 6, 2013)

My dog Lobo a lab and retriever mix curls up on the couch or behind the bar depending and certainly makes no attempt to avoid any shop noise. I have had the same thought with regards to his hearing being damaged but do know that he doesn't wish to "escape" the sounds as the door to the fenced in yard is often left open… As I'm not always the best at throwing on the ear muffs, I guess worst case, we will both go deaf together…


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Rob, Not a dog veterinarian but I do know that the cowboy mounted shooters have all started using hearing protection on their horses after some suffered hearing loss. But remember this is with a .45 going off right next to their ear hundreds or thousands of times.


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## tenderfoot (Jul 24, 2013)

I do not let dogs in the shop as I do not have a way of providing respiratory protection to them. I figure if it is bad for me to breathe it is just as bad for them, and they are close to the ground where stuff collects. However if I am working outside or have just cleaned up and am only sawing, chiseling or scraping they can hang out. But if I am using a file, sandpaper or any chemicals/finishes they can't go in.


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## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

Makes perfect sense. Here's a shot of me and the dog getting ready to work at the table saw. Of course I have the hearing protection jammed in tight…....................


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## Pono (Mar 10, 2012)

My bulls used to sit by the equipment Sometimes they would sit at the dust exhaust and couple hours later there would be a nose sticking out of sawdust very lazy dogs.Lumber mill planer nothing would bother them.Both were raised in the shop lived in the shop and went 14 and 12 years no problem.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

thanks for the replies; sounds like my worries are unfounded! Tried taking the dog into the shop with me this afternoon, but she was pretty unhappy to be in there after she finished sniffing everything. Will have to work on getting her used to being in there with all the machines running.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

My concern with dogs in the shop is more about them tracking dust and shavings into the house.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Hand tools for a dog friendly shop.


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

Amen, Wayne! When I had my shop set up in Germany, my lab always hung out with me in there. No noise is a good thing. She won't go into my basement shop now, and I miss her company. If I were a power tool guy, I would not allow a dog in my shop. The risk of hearing damage is too much to consider. I do have a couple of cats that hang out in my shop, but they run as soon as I pick up a power tool. So no worries there.


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## FaTToaD (Oct 19, 2009)

I have two labs and a lab mutt that I call my "shop dogs". The spend a lot of time with me in the shop. If I'm going to be doing anything that is really loud for an externded pierod of time, I kick them out until I'm done. As someone else mentioned, they do like to lay in the sawdust and track it back in the house. If I see one of them is covered in sawdust I'll brush them off, but I have missed it and ended up with sawdust in the bed…

The other thing to be cautious about is the dogs getting in your way when you work. My dogs usually stay out of the way but I have turned around a couple times to find one sitting or laying right behind me. Though it usually hard to miss a 80lb+ lab walking around you. In the summer I have the garage doors carcked open about 8 inches and they usually stay there looking out at the world. In the winter I'll throw down a couple moving blankets in the corners of the shop and they'll lay on that.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

Darby will lay in the shop while I run equipment. Daisy doesn't like the noise… she's kinda high maintenance anyways… hehehe…

If it gets too loud, Darby will go lay by the door. If he does that I let him out. In summer and most of spring and fall… the doors are open and he can come and go as he pleases. In winter, I just consider what I'm doing and kick hi out if I think it's bad for him or I'm doing something he doesn't stay for in the summer.

Beagle/Australian Shepard mix, both of them. Brother and sister from the same litter. Rescued Daisy as a pup and Darby about 9 months later when the guy that adopted him originally lost his job and had to give him up. They are very different. Daisy lays on the concrete patio in the sun on 90 degree days. Darby heads for air conditioned space.


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## ChrisK (Dec 18, 2009)

My last dog, Rusty, loved to be in the shop with me. I gave a blanket to lay on out of my way and he would sleep until I turned on the shop vac. Rusty passed last year after 12 years. Could not tell if his hearing was damaged, he never listened to me in the 12 he had me.

The new dog, Scout, likes to raid my scrap bin for 2×4 cut offs and take them upstairs to chew on. She is only 10 months and does not stay in spot long. She is also more of wife's pet than mine.


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## ChrisK (Dec 18, 2009)

My last dog, Rusty, loved to be in the shop with me. I gave a blanket to lay on out of my way and he would sleep until I turned on the shop vac. Rusty passed last year after 12 years. Could not tell if his hearing was damaged, he never listened to me in the 12 he had me.

The new dog, Scout, likes to raid my scrap bin for 2×4 cut offs and take them upstairs to chew on. She is only 10 months and does not stay in spot long. She is also more of wife's pet than mine.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I love labs. That's a tough question but I've always let my dogs come and go as they please. However, I've generally found that they usually prefer to be outside on the patio or back yard instead of being cooped up in a shop.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## muleskinner (Sep 24, 2011)

My buddy Kyu (mostly blk lab) was mostly ambivalent to the shop. That is until he heard the planer and then he knew there would be a new pile of chips to lay in (his favorite pastime). He was the only member of the household that seemed disappointed when I swept the shop.


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## TravisH (Feb 6, 2013)

Rarely do I let my dogs in the shop. My shop is too small to begin with, add two dogs flopped out on the floor it is a slight safety hazard. I find dog hair to be annoying as it has a way of finding where you don't want it at the worst times possible. I am also allergic to the dogs so try to limit my time in a confined spaces with them.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

Interesting replies; I've enjoyed reading about all your different shop dogs! I've taken Abby, my black lab, into the shop the last few days after reading some of your replies, but she actually really hates in in there, so she'll stay a house dog for now…as well, wood glue and black fur don't make for a good mix…


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## RobynHoodridge (Jan 9, 2012)

If your dog's "unhappy to be there" then don't force it. (I bet none of the other commentors who have dogs in the shop are doing it for their sake.)
Yes, loud noises can damage hearing. And yes they'll do so of the dog's more sensitive hearing before our own. 
No, animals don't necessarily register this or react to the noise even if it's at a damaging level. Because there aren't pain receptors and neurons to send the brain a message that it's happening. Tis analogy when we say something "hurts" our ears. And dogs don't use logic like we do to assess what's okay for themselves. In fact they'll do plenty of things that are self damaging if it serves the pack mentality they're imbued with.
It's true that the sound is really damaging when it's close, and direct. So shop dog in the corner won't have ot worry as much as me with my head next to the router.
As mentioned, sound's not the only danger though. However the reason that tops off why i don't generally let my dogs have run of the mill isn't about them breathing sawdust or kicking it up to ruin finishes. It's also the risk to myself, and my tools. That lack of logic means the possibility of pulling a powered tool by the cord un-announced; or knocking over an acid product; etc. etc.. And i can't relax and concentrate on the work when i'm concerning myself with things i don't have to be, like how close my dog is to the noise. This won't be true for every workshop of course. But i'm not going to change everything about my shop and compromise functionality to make it into a dog house.
There's even something to be said for dogs' well being when keeping them out. Dogs need to learn to be alone sometimes. To be okay with this. 
It sounds like it's not even going to be a hassle for you to keep her out. So you're not even losing something by keeping things safer for you, for her, and letting a workshop be used as a workshop.


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## widdle (Mar 10, 2010)

My animals come and go, and had a dog on jobsites most of 25 years.. i feel there instincts are better than ours..When i turn on machines they leave..Them not being effected by noise..I dont know about that one…They figure it out…


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

"Roo" goes to my shop for me to trim her (easy to clean up with the dust collection) Even though my shop is air conditioned she doesn't like to stay. I don't think it's the noise as she still wants to leave even if I'm just doing lay out. She prefers to stay in the house.


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