Dogs of Capitol Hill--do you bring your dog to work?

[Ginny Nightingale]

Here is a link to a cute story about how many senators, etc, bring their dogs to work and the effects of having the dogs there--although there are no doodles in this story, I thought it might be interesting to all and especially those who bring their dogs to work. Anyone want to comment on what they have experienced bringing their dogs to their job? My dogs ARE my job! Since retiring, I raise pups and groom labradoodles, so the two (job and dogs) are now inseparable--and i wouldn't have it any other way!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/congress-going-d...

[Ginny Nightingale]

PS--I think Tabasco, the dog in the scenes with the host, has a prong collar on--ew! Guess it is necessary, but I hate them!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have used prong collars on my dogs since they were in training. They give me reassurance that should they bolt, which they do not really do, I could control a total of 106 pounds of dogs easily. The dogs are always happy to put there collars on to go for a walk. We have had many discussions on this topic and I think these collars are a terrific tool. I love them.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I fought the prong collar for 4 years.   My mind saw wicked evil thing.   Just switched a couple months ago and the girls will now for the first time not run when they see their leash (with gentle leader) come out.  They don't mind them at all and I love them.  I'm getting training issues corrected by using them that I have tried to correct for 4 years.  It isn't going to be a forever for me, but it is a good interim from the Gentle Leader to the flat collar.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Actually without a prong collar Murph would never be able to leave the house.  I could not control him when he gets dog reactive without the prong....believe me I've tried and it's not pretty.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Ours too!!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

In fact, I am so sorry I didn't know about them when my son's dog , a standard poodle lived with me . He was a wonderful dog who came when called and was generally well behaved. But he never was well trained on a leash and pulled me mercilessly and choked himself. I got to the point where I walked him on our block and the adjoining cul de sac off leash for both our sakes.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Not that anyone was talking about this, but the EZ walker was a wonderful solution for me for Jack. It goes around his chest and beneath his legs so if he pulls it tightens his legs. He only let it tighten him once and ever since then he walks perfect next to me.

I could not use a prong collar on Jack because his neck is so, so tiny. In fact I don't ever walk him with just a collar because one jerk on my part to hard can hurt him. cause damage to his airway etc. So as another option I wanted to throw that out there not that this topic was about walking tools but hey..when do I ever stay on topic>

[Ginny Nightingale]

OH, THANKS!! That is great to hear--sorry I missed all those discussions and I stand corrected!!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Yeah, we did get off topic--my bad!!

Let's get back to the bringing dogs to work, OK? There must be lots of discussions on the collars--I think the video is great too- because it sounds like many federal and international meetings went smoother with the dogs there!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I think it is so cool to go places and see a 'resident' dog.  It just gives one warm fuzzies.  I wish I could take my dogs everywhere.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Me too and I do try. Yesterday I brought them into Staples without a peep from them or about them. It's already getting too warm to leave them in the car to run an errand.

[Jennifer Tramell]

I have always been able to have my dogs with me, mostly because I've been self employed or worked with family since I was a teenager.  Here's a couple of my doggy stories:

 

6 years ago I owned a payphone business - it started as a family business but I ended up with all of it.  I owned over 100 payphones throughout the Nashville/Middle Tennessee area.  Among other responsibilities, this meant that I, a 30 something yr old, average sized woman, would drive around downtown Nashville fixing and collecting payphones (and I somedays I would be standing on top of the payphone enclosure testing the wire - those were the days, lol!).  I would take my dog, Dixie, and sometimes my other dog, Cody.  Dixie was a large German Shepherd mix (looked like a Belgian Tervuran).  She sat in the back seat of my little Dodge Neon and kept watch.  If I were in a rougher part of town, Dixie would sit outside with her leash looped around the payphone post.  Large men would cross the street to avoid coming near little old me :-)  So, yes, I regularly took my dog to work with me!

 

A couple years ago, my husband and I were building our house and Webster was with us constantly.  My favorite jobsite story was when Webster was under a year old, but he was a big guy even then.  We had a drywall crew come out to give us a price, and we were upstairs looking through the bedrooms.  Webster was in a room at the end of the hall and he heard us at the far end.  Without warning, this giant curly haired doodle came RUNNING down the hall directly at us.  There were about 5 Hispanic workers and you should have seen them scatter!  Spanish exclamations were flying, men were jumping (literally), one guy was hiding behind me.  Once the dust settled, the yelling turned to laughing and pointing.  I believe there were comments about needing clean pants.  The guys recovered, got the job, and regularly slipped Webster some leftover lunch just to make sure they stayed on his good side :-)