Shop Dog Safety

[Bentiron1946]

I had a visit from an old friend of mine who wanted the name of the dog eye doctor. It appears that his shop dog had gone blind at the age of seven. I looked at the poor thing and he has cataracts that should be on seventeen year old dog. This fellow builds mostly fences and gates plus some sculpture these days. His dog is one of them faithful types that don't lay to far away from him when he works. His regular vet told him it was most likely from the arc and there wasn't anything to be done about it but he wants a second opinion. So what do you do for your dog's eye safety? His hearing safety? To keep form setting his fur on fire? I got to thinking about that after he left the house. When I am grinding I always just hope that the mutts have enough sense to look the other way but maybe they aren't that smart. One of mine is always under foot and that is an inconvenience plus a safety hazard for me and her. Let me know what you do with your shop dog/dogs when you are working.

[Glenn]

From the IForgeIron Gallery

[hammerkid]

Well my shop dog , SPARKY, useally hungs out under the metal so there ain`t much danger him getting hurt , and if sparky caught on fire I`d just throw him in the quench tub LOL
Thanks,Chris

[HWooldridge]

I make 'em go someplace where they are not underfoot and yes, I'd wager his dog is blind from the arc.

[ThomasPowers]

The Vet clinic at Ohio State University Vetrinarian school does dog cataract removal and lens implants. When my daugher was in the Explorers for that vet school they discussed it. Cost more than my truck did to have it done though.

[Doug C]

My Golden loves to hang out near by. I had to tie her up so she was outside the triangle and give her her own slack tub for drinking.

[chyancarrek]

My pups have passed away but when they were around they'd only come out to the shop to tune me up about when it was time to quit.

You could set a clock by them - 5pm - out to the shop, stand in the door, the female would bark three times then stand and stare at me until I turned off the forge . . . now that's one well trained human!

[Dan OHare]

I don't have a dog these days, I have a cat who wants no part of things that go clank so he scoots, no problem. Dogs though, well we all know they like to stick close and we like it that way so we let them. Too bad for this pooch, the only option is to keep the dog away from the shop when there may be an arc. Tieing him to a tree 20 ft. from the door where he can still see straight in ain't gonna cut it. Let him in for breaks, lunch, clean up but its for his own good to be away during work.
I know my eyesight isn't what it was before being a welder. When you're working in a boxcar with eight other guys well, you get arced. Nothing you can do about it and over time it has a cumulative effect.Dan.

[bigjohn]

We have Irish Setters running around but when the hammering starts they all run and hide. our guard cats hang around but it is very hard to get arc burn when they are asleep. About two years ago, one of the cats jumped off the tool cabinet and on top of the wood burning stove, it was lit at the time. Cat will not go near stove anymore.

[divermike]

I trained my Rott to stay in the corner, and kicked him out when welding was done, he always looked hurt, but better that than what I'm hearing about, dog cataracts? what's next? pony piles?