Question - dog on the furniture, or not?

Ranger Rick

Ranger Rick

Member
I'm 57 and have only had a couple short periods of my life without a setter around. The dogs were kenneled outside when I was a kid. After one house dog starting out on my own, I kenneled one outside when we had little ones in diapers and crawling around. Since then they've been house dogs.

We all have dogs to hunt. As such, they come home all muddy, burrs in their fur and carrying passengers [ticks, etc..]. My dogs aren't allowed on the furniture. Period. And I have a really hard time with accepting that some people don't mind living with their dogs in their beds and on the furniture. It's bad enough during tick season without waking up in the middle of the night with them crawling all over you.

We have friends who visit once in a while, that own a Chow Chow. Most useless piece of animal flesh if I ever did see one [not trained at all]. They take it outside to get towed around on the leash so it can do it's job [it would run away if not tethered]. It takes it's dump, has the squirts because of all the treats it is fed, which gets on it's fur. So they're whiping it's a$$. And then the mutt runs into the bedroom they're staying in and up on the bed. Argh!!!

Those of you who have the dogs on the furniture - I'm not trying to start a fight here, but how do you put up with the mess that comes with it?
 
Rick: I totally agree with your position regards animals on the furniture et al!!

They are ANIMALS!

And there are people that allow their cats to walk everywhere - including the counter tops. Go figure...
 
well the simple answer is - yes, they are on the couch-all the time. My question for you is: why is your dog covered in bugs and crap etc etc? Mine have none of that and having 2 Golden Retrievers you do not have dogs that are more of a magnet than mine. Dont care what kind they are.

Ive never had a tick in bed from one of my dogs. Mine must be unique.

Not trying to pick a fight...just sayin. and Rick, we're from the same area. I have a place just N of Eagle River
 
I don't know Up, after a day in the woods and swamps of the north country, a dog comes out pretty dirty. Some burrs, fuzzy bits of twigs from raspberry brush, stick tights, mud.

I've had a couple ocassions in SD and here in NC WI where the dog ran into cockle burrs so bad that once done with the electric clippers I had a ball of burrs and fur almost as big as a soccer ball. The clippers travel with me in the truck.

And Goldens aren't immune. In SD one year I had one of those bad cases with the cockle burrs. The next year we're hunting the same farm, plotting how we're going to hunt the same area and I told the guys I wasn't going back in that same spot. One of my cousins went in with his Golden and within minutes it was covered and he was pulling out. He was grateful I carry the clippers.

Two ocassions recently set me off for this topic. The poop smeared rear of the hairy mutt and sitting down when visiting at another place, only to get up and my clothes are covered with hair because their Golden is allowed on the furniture.

Looks like we're practically neighbors! My place north is in Sayner, on Plum Lake.
 
I have had five Golden's - none were allowed on the furniture, let alone "in bed."

And they are continually shedding...who wants dog hair in bed?? And one never knows what bit of spice they are rolling in...
 
When my pup gets dirty, I bathe him. I brush him daily. Hank is allowed on the furniture & lies on his dog blanket on my bed or on one of his dog beds when I'm not at home. Hank knows he can't lie on any section of furniture if it doesn't have a dog blanket on it. He is a member of my family, which in this household consists of Hank & I. He is a light shedder (which really doesn't matter) & is extremely well-behaved. Whenever feasible except for a few exceptions, he also goes everywhere with me & we share a strong, unbreakable bond. To each her/his own, but this is my preference.
 
My answer is a vacuum! Haha I'm being a bit facetious, but really it's not a big deal. I'm allergic to dogs so cleaning is a regular thing regardless of where they're allowed in the house. My dogs are also groomed completely (by me) after every hunt. It's easy with my pointer, and a bit more tedious with my spaniel.

But all the bonding makes them better hunts, in my humble opinion. They are always working hard to please me. And if there's an occasion that I don't want them on the couch, "down" is the word.

But to each their own Rick, that's why we live in this country.
 
For burrs. I carry a razor blade comb for the setters. Saves you from having to shave them out. Also, if im in an area that I know there is alot of sticker type material I powder the long haired dogs down. They do make talcom powder that does not irritate dogs skin. It makes it alot easier to remove burrs and sticktights. As for the house. My vizslas sleep in the hotel beds with me when we are out of town. I dont like leaving them in the box like some hunters. I like to let them stretch out. They shed very little and they dont stink. I think it depends on the type of dog really whether I want them in the house or not. But if I have people coming over, the dog usually gets put away if he/ she is in the way of the entertainment that's going on.
 
After each hunt I remove anything the dog hasn't removed themselves, mainly the Britt as I don't worry about the lab as much. I do shave down my Britt in hunting season to help with burrs and such. My dogs do have furniture privileges but only when I say it is ok. The OP in my opinion has two issues your dogs vs visiting dogs. I think it is very rude for friends to just show up with their dogs and expect their dog to act like they do at home. I do not tolerate that in my home or yard. When I travel back home my crates go with me and if my dogs are allowed in the house they use their kennels or lay on floor. my dogs are 80/20 house to outdoor kennel. I don't blame Ranger for being upset with the Chow incident, but that would only happen once with dog in my home.

Regarding creepy crawlers, I work in the woods on a daily basis and I bring more things into the bed then my dogs. You think you don't have anything on your body then you feel a tick crawling on you. Can't blame the dog when they are not sleeping in the bed. Fortunately so far the crawlies have stayed on my side of the bed, otherwise I think the wife would send me to the kennel.
 
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I had a customer come hunting on our preserve some time ago. He had two gsp's that were good hunting dogs. He also brought a border collie. Not to hunt but just his riding partner I guess. Well he threw him in the middle of the front seat between me and the owner to go to the field. I didnt mind because he was fairly clean. In the field the owner said "dont worry he will just follow behind us." I said ok and went on. All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my heel. Turned around to find the border collie lunging away from me. It was biting me in the heels!! It did it about 3 times. Every time I turned around. Finally, I kicked the crap out of it because I saw him coming. The owner was furious with me. He said, "dont kick my dog! why did you kick my dog?" I answered, "because he keeps biting me int he heel and you're not doing anything about it. The owner replied, " that's what they are supposed to do, he's just trying to keep us herded up close." I said well that's what humans are supposed to do too. Kick the sxxt out of a dog that is biting. I kicked it two more times because it wouldnt stop. If I had a gun in my hand I would have shot it on the third time. On the third kick, the guy got mad and left the field and the hunt. I was in no way sorry and it didnt bother me that he never came back. I didnt give his money back either as I did release the birds already. He only got to shoot one. Out of 15 that I put out. I have no respect for someone who does not control their dog. And last I checked border collies are smart and not trained to bite humans.
 
That's an understatement. Surprising too. His shorthairs were trained well. Or maybe he just got lucky.
 
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