If you have a large dog and a repair technician is coming to your home, do you:

[Orrex]

1. Confine the animal to a portion of the house away from where the repair technician will be working, as a gesture of basic respect and courtesy?

2. Stubbornly insist that the animal is “fine” and get indignant when the repair technician objects to the animal repeatedly jumping on him or barking aggressively at him?

These are, more or less, the two categories of behavior that encounter in the performance of my job. In which category to you place yourself?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. We confine our dog to be respectful of the technician

[SheltieLover]

3. Same here.

[hlthe2b]

21. Yes.

[Budi]

2. Always #1

Always.

[Rorey]

4. When I had a large dog

I used to have a 125 pound Rottweiler who was just about the sweetest dog that there ever was. I kept him safely locked away from workers. They didn't come over to my house for a play date.

[frazzled]

9. Ditto ... we used to have a Great Dane

He was the gentlest giant one could imagine. A complete sweetie pie.

Why does this have to be about large dogs? Little ones yap and bite; larger breeds may seem scarier, but often are far more gentle.

Still, no matter what the size of the dog (or cat: they can hiss and scratch and bite too!), you should confine them to a safe space when a workperson comes.

[Tadpole Raisin]

15. I loved my rottie - still really miss her.

You’d never get in the house on your own but once you were in she’d slime you with her tennis ball. Sigh…

[Rorey]

31. Mine didn't guard my house very well

Once my sister-in-law came to my house when I was working in the back yard. She had never met my dogs. My front door wasn't locked, so when nobody answered her knock she just went right on in my house. She came through the back door with one dog on either side (Rottie and Aussie mix), both with big smiles. She said, "You've got some really great guard dogs."

However, I do know that my Rottie would never allow anyone to hurt me. The now-ex-husband was just playing around once and playfully grabbed me. My Rottie had been sound asleep on my bed. I heard a thud and there he was with his mouth around the now-ex-husband's arm, and he wasn't letting go.

Looking back, I think my dog knew something I didn't yet know.

[CentralMass]

5. I had a huge paper delivery route when I was a kid. Its amazing how many type 2's are out there.

[LizBeth]

6. If someone is uncomfortable with dog, confine. That simple.

[Orrex]

14. Thank you

They invariably ask “Are you ok with dogs?”but what they’re really saying is “I don’t want to manage my animal responsibly while a stranger is in the home.”

I’m fine with dogs, and I get the whole “They live here/you’re just visiting” thing, but when I’m doing a job at the homeowner’s request, then that temporarily supersedes the dog’s residency status.

[LizBeth]

17. People have legitimate fear or concern with dogs. Who am I to scorn that? Makes me a not nice

person. And if a dog is irritating someone I bring into my home to do a job, damn straight that person gets a say. I am so tired of people working counter to kindness.

[Rorey]

32. A lot of people have been bitten by the famous "They Don't Bite" breed of dog

As much as we dog-lovers tend to humanize our furry friends, dogs are still dogs.

[Rorey]

7. I also put my medium sized dogs either outside or in a room with the door shut

My chow/Shepherd mix did not do well with strangers in my house, and I saw no reason to cause anyone to be nervous.

[GumboYaYa]

8. Option 3, spend the time to train your dog to respond to commands so it does not

jump on people or bark aggressively at anyone.

Good owners make good pets.

[Orrex]

10. I have yet to see that option occur in real life

Except with very old dogs, which no longer have any fucks to give and don’t seem to care if I’m there or not.

[GumboYaYa]

16. That is a shame.

A bit of effort in the first year of a pup's life can make a giant difference in the long run. Our dog never bothers repair technicians and does not need to go in a crate. But he knows the basic commands and will sit, stay, heel and come when called.

[Orrex]

24. Now that I think of it, there was one dog...

Not sure of the terminology, but it was trained and certified as an actual service animal ( as opposed to a “comfort peacock” or whatever). I didn’t even know the dog was there until about two hours into the job.

Literally just that one. All others either harass me the whole time or else they mostly calm down but remain easily set off (unless they’re confined, of course.)

[Rorey]

33. You're absolutely right, but there's a "but"

There are people who have a legitimate fear of dogs. My brother was attacked by a dog as a child, and it caused him to have a fear of dogs for many years. I think we have to be sensitive to that type of thing.

[GumboYaYa]

51. Certainly, if that were the case it would be different.

But if you have control of your dog via voice commands or signals you do not need physical barriers to confine them sufficiently for most people to be comfortable. It makes for a happier dog too. Generally dogs like structure and predictability. Reward based training builds confidence and makes them better behaved even without the commands.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. Regardless of size, you confine your dog to another room so the technician can do his/her job.

[Rorey]

37. And if you're paying by the hour, you might save some money NT

[Midnight Writer]

46. Right. My little dog goes to the garage, and my cat goes in the bathroom.

It protects the animals as well. I once had a guy kick my 17 year old cat across the living room when she came up trying to sniff his leg.

[Ocelot II]

47. And then I'd kick that asshole across the room, just before throwing his ass

out of my house.

[Midnight Writer]

50. I didn't kick him, but he was out the door in a hurry.

[RainCaster]

12. 3. Nobody has ever objected to my GSD watching over them

I live in a very rural dog friendly part of the country. My shepherds have always been perfect in dealing with strangers, it's part of their training since day one.

[Orrex]

23. But I guess the question is this:

If the repair technician asked you to keep the dog away so that they can perform the work that you requested, how would you respond?

[RainCaster]

27. Please wait outside for me to get my pistol loaded

She / he has no business in my house if they are that nervous.

[Rorey]

34. Really?

As I said above, there are people who have a legitimate fear of dogs because of a prior experience.

[RainCaster]

39. Of course I'm not serious

However, anyone who is afraid of dogs in my part of the world has no business in such a position. Every family on our street has at least one dog. Great Dane, pitties, aussies, labs, dachshunds, lots of mutts. Our neighborhood is typical, not unique. Such a person would constantly be stressed out and in need of therapy.

My shepherds have always been very respectful of strangers. My experience has been with 5 different dogs and 45 years with the breed. We once had a friend when our kids were in preschool who was terminally afraid of GSDs after being mauled by one as a kid. It took her 2+ years, but our shepherd got her over it with her caring and motherly demeanor. Right now, the biggest issue will be my wife's beagle puppy, who will sneak up and steal your leather gloves or other tools.

[Orrex]

54. Shame on me for missing your tone

Though, in my defense, the sentiment resembles what I encounter routinely in Ohio and western PA.

In a similar vein, I don’t like working where toddlers are playing on the floor at my feet. They’re a distraction and an obstacle, and the same goes for animals; if I’m working in the animal’s “favorite spot,” then too bad for the animal. Unless the customer is ok paying triple for labor because the job took 3x as long.

Also, the whole “dogs in my part of the world” thing carries little weight, because dogs are frankly ubiquitous, except at corporate or industrial sites.

If the technician is on site for a scheduled appointment, then the customer by default should secure the animal prior to the tech’s arrival, rather than making the tech plead their case when they get there.

[RainCaster]

58. You are a guest, in your customer's home

You are subject to all manner of things that you did not expect. That is the nature of your business. Dogs, kids, a parrot that mimics your cell phone ringer... It's all part of the adventure.

You come of as more entitled than a Rolls Royce technician. That may not be the case, after all, we both found our way to DU.

I learned long ago that in my line of work, you have to expect *anything*. So when I meet with a new group of architects, I keep an open mind. Not every culture starts meetings with coffee, as much as I would like that to happen. I don't often get to fly in business class, even on 10+ hour flights to these meetings. I always get everyone with a smile and an open mind.

[Orrex]

59. That's ridiculous from start to finish.

I am not a "guest" in the home of my customer; I am a hired professional and deserve to be treated as such. If you have an animal, regardless of your dreamy assurances, I have every right to assume that it presents a possible threat, and you have no right to expose me to a threat against my will, even if you believe oh-so-deeply that your precious animal is a asshole-sniffing angel incarnate. That is, if you won't put your dog in the other room for an hour, then you have no right to expect a service professional to enter your home. They may enter your home, but that's up to them, and you have no basis to complain if they refuse.

I know that in the magical dog haven where you live, everyone loves all dogs and all dogs love everyone, but in the real world that simply isn't the case, and it would be foolish to assume that it is.

Your analogy about architects also could not be less relevant, unless the architect brings one dog that endlessly humps your leg and another that tries to bite your face off. And spare me the nonsense about "an open mind," which also has nothing to do with the situation at hand. Or, alternatively, perhaps you could open your mind and consider that not everyone knows your dog well enough to trust it, nor knows you well enough to trust your assessment of the dog.

Overall this thread has been encouraging, with sensible responses from nearly everyone. But you take it upon yourself to represent the customer who seems incapable of respecting a professional who has entered the home to provide a needed service at your request.

Good luck with the next asshole-sniffing architect you meet.

[RainCaster]

61. Such an interesting idea

I'm sure that the "asshole sniffing architects" that I work with would get a laugh at your ideas. So while you hunt for a better wifi spot or a porn induced virus in your customer's pc, I will be working on large data center designs for BAT, FB & MSFT.

Just today I had an HVAC guy come out to look at doing some work on our house. My GSD greeted him in the driveway, followed discreetly nearby as he looked at all our interior vents / ducts and then took the lead when he went into the crawl space. She had killed a number of 25+ lb rats in there, and so she had to be first in. He appreciated that.

[Orrex]

65. You don't know what you're talking about

And although you may enjoy violating people's privacy in your hunt for porn (how interesting that your mind went straight to that, which has absolutely nothing to do with my job or any aspect of any job I've ever held), I take pride in conducting myself like a professional, even when dealing with weirdos who think that their animals can do no wrong.

Your anecdote about the HVAC guy who tolerated your animal is as irrelevant as your asshole-sniffing architects. The question is not "tell us about the great time you had when your great tech met your great dog," but rather "would you act like an adult and secure your animal if a visiting service professional requested it?"

You have answered this question clearly, and I regret to say that I've had to suffer hundreds of people just like you.

You are proof that the problem is seldom the dog and is almost always the owner.

[smirkymonkey]

64. +1000

I love dogs more than anything in the world, but even I can understand that some people are not comfortable with them and would prefer not to be working in a home where they are free to roam and be a potential threat.

My sister has a very large Swiss Mountain Dog who is an absolute sweetheart, however when they have their Russian construction workers in the home to do work who are terrified of the dog simply because of her size and intimidating presence, she and her husband will put the dog in thier bedroom while the workers are there. They know she is harmless, but they respect the fact that the people working for them are afraid of her, so they keep her away from them.

[Orrex]

66. A great many people fetishize their dogs

And they take great offense when someone suggests that maybe, just maybe, they should remember that not everyone loves their dog or has reason to trust the dog.

I can't say I'm surprised to see that attitude, because I encounter it literally daily.

The usual conversation is this:

Customer: You're ok with dogs, right?

Me: Yes, but if it jumps on me, then I need you to secure it somewhere else.

Customer, utterly dumbstruck: Oh.

I mean, no kidding, right? How is that even a remotely unreasonable request?

[Orrex]

38. LOL. In my line of work, people like that are well known

And their service requests, even for emergency issues, are given very, very low priority. Like, below “organize my sock drawer” priority. If you show up brandishing a gun at the door like a psycho, then your name will be made very famous , and you’ll have a hell of a time getting repairs done at all.

It’s not a damn trigger-happy pissing contest; if you request an appointment with a repair technician, the very least you can do is act like a sane adult when they arrive.

If you can’t bear the thought of controlling your animal while the technician is on site, then maybe you should teach the animal how to fish electrical wire.

[Rorey]

41. One of my sons is an electrician

Even when he was working on his own house, he'd put his dog away so he didn't slow him down.

[Orrex]

43. And that's the whole point, really

Last edited Thu Jul 22, 2021, 04:37 PM - Edit history (1)

The technicians job is not to make friends with or entertain or reassure or pacify the dog; that’s the owner’s responsibility.

The responses in this thread have overall surprised me, because they’re reasonable and thoughtful. Very different from what encounter on the job.

[Tadpole Raisin]

13. I would put my dog

In another room behind a gate where he/she would stay unless called, but people don’t get it.

Whether it is ignorance, lack of consideration, or out and out rudeness on the owner’s part

Or whether you have a friendly dog, guarding aggressive dog , fear biter, or just a barker this is no excuse.

Even if you tell people it is company policy that customers have to put their dogs away you end up being the one dealing with the awkward situation and the often indignant owner. I know personally people who were bitten and out of work for awhile when making visits to people’s homes.

Hate to say it but it may be just easier to say you are allergic and need the dog in another room. I’d like to think it would save a lot of back and forth but some people never get it.

[Polly Hennessey]

18. My two go outside when tech is in the house.

They are in the house when the yard crew arrives. The only thing that makes them go ballistic is the leaf blower. They must protect the house from that demon machine.

Scout is a Pit Bull/German Shepherd mix and Alexander is a Great Pyrenees. I might add that they also protect us from the mail truck, the UPS truck, the Fed Ex truck, any other big brown/white truck, and any truck that rumbles. We are well-protected.

[bottomofthehill]

26. Our dogs must be related

I must add the helicopter that regularly flys over on the way to the hospital. They go full Air-Con alert. They start barking and running in circles in the yard long before I hear the helicopter

[Rorey]

36. In all the years I had my Rottie

That evil trash truck never got to us. I always thanked Titan every week for protecting us.

I'll just add, if he had somehow been outside when the trash truck came, he would have trotted over to see if they wanted to pet him.

The dog we had after him was a chow/Shepherd mix. He looked like a cuddly teddy bear. There was nothing cuddly about him. My stupid then-husband let the dog out once when the trash truck came and it came very close to getting very ugly. Thank goodness the trash guy was quick to grab the trash receptacle and block the dog. Words were said afterward. By me. I was livid that the now-ex-husband could be so careless.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

19. I give my pit bull FREE REIGN since it's so loving...

... towards me, the guy who regularly feeds and pampers it.

If the repairman gets attacked, it means the dog could sense he was a bad person.



I don't actually have any pets right now, but I'd definitely confine the animal!

[CentralMass]

20. :-)

[mopinko]

22. i ask.

are you okay w dogs?
i have 1 big couch potato, and 1 goofball housebear.
goofball is mostly under my control, and dog lovers usually enjoy meeting him.
sometimes i have to make a bit of noise cuz he does love company. but he obeys.

the bully is the director of security, and you have to get past him to be alone w me, thank you very much. he has perfect manners, tho.
i do keep them out of the way when there is work happening.

i used to have a guy who worked for me that i had to yell at about playing w a dog.
120 goofball bully dog. a bundle of drive, but well trained. 1 word commands would have done it. but no. never even got it through his head that if he jumped, the word was off, and that down was something else.
wouldnt even use the simple hand signals.
but worse he let the dog get away w stuff i insisted he not encourage.
that dog got crated for HIS own good.

[bottomofthehill]

25. We have 2big dogs (about 100 pounds each)

They are very good dogs but do not greet people nicely at the front door.

If a tradesman is coming to work, they are in our bedroom behind a closed door, they stay until the work is done. They sleep in bed with us( that may upset some but our bed our choice) so it’s the 4 of us in a king size bed. Putting them in our room is not a punishment, it is done to make the person there feel comfortable.

They play rough with each outer and even me if I get on the floor with them. It would be easy to see where a stranger would be nervous.

When we have company it is a different story, the dogs are made to sit at the front door while the company comes in. If the company is nervous they go to our room, if not, the visitors give them a cookie on the way in and dogs continue to roam the house. In some instances the baby gates go up in others, no change

If a professional is coming to work, it is totally different. In a couple of instances, our electrician is a friend, if he his wife and son come to dinner dogs are out, but if he is working, dogs are in. Hi likes the dogs, but no one wants to be up on a ladder when the two 100 pound dogs start playing.

[Runningdawg]

28. Confine the animals

IF - IF the tech or repairman seem interested ask if they would like to meet them before they leave.

[In_The_Wind]

29. He is a small dog but I lock him in his carrier while any service person is in my home.

[csziggy]

30. When I had dogs, they were outside only

But if they had been indoors, I would have confined them.

For one thing the golden retriever would destroy anything not made of solid metal by chewing on it. The other smaller mutt dog would "help" and try to cuddle with anyone around. Either way, it would have been disruptive to the repair process.

Now with only cats, we have to warn repair people to make sure to close the outside door. Although the strictly indoor cats now all retreat to the bedroom when the doorbell rings, the big tabby and the little gray cat have gotten confident enough to come out to check out quiet people - none like loud talkers. The tabby has gotten out several times, once was gone for over a month, so we don't want another disappearance.

So with the cats we don't have to worry very much.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

35. Yeah, I never had problems with cats.

I went to a Super Bowl party years ago, and the host's cat would suddenly attack people's legs! That was a case when the guy then put the cat in his garage.

He was a coworker of mine at the time, and he always had scratch marks on his own legs too! He told me it used to be a feral cat and it acted even meaner in the past, but it was a lot calmer and trusting now. Lol!

Kudos to him for even tolerating that behavior for so long, I guess. I don't think I could deal with a cat that kept periodically pouncing upon and scratching my legs, especially after quietly minding my own business.

[csziggy]

48. I had a cat who would tackle me around that ankles when he was hungry

He'd been a feral rescue so I guess he was used to fighting for his food. we ended up just giving him and the other cat free choice crunchies all day.

The current set of rescues are not as aggressive and since one is on a diet we put out restricted amounts of food which pisses them off. But all they do is sulk and stalk us.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

52. Lol, I was so amazed at that coworker for...

... tolerating so many scratches on his legs. It was worse for him in the Summer, when he'd often wear shorts.

I don't like to declaw cats at all, but I actually suggested that possibility to him. He just shrugged off the scratches as no big deal.

I think he always kept food in the cat bowl, but I don't really know since I never lived there. Only visited his home the one time.

[Orrex]

40. The only dog that ever bit me on a job was a poodle

Got knocked down and bruised by a stout golden retriever. The owners had assured me that both dogs were “fine,” by the way.

Cats either want to help/supervise or else want nothing to do with me.

[Rorey]

42. Yeah, I never have to worry about my cats bothering a visitor

They're nowhere to be seen when someone comes to my house.

[Ocelot II]

56. Same here, except for the late Milo, who would be all up in everybody's business

if they'd let him. So I'd usually have to put him somewhere so he wouldn't be a nuisance for the visitor or get into something (like the time he tried to crawl behind a bathtub that was being installed). The other cats disappeared so fast that most people thought they didn't exist. Only one of them is left now, and she vanishes as soon as anybody comes to the door.

[csziggy]

49. The only dog bite I ever had was from my sister's Chihuahua

He was also the reason the mailman stopped delivering to our porch and Dad had to put a mailbox on the street. Vicious little monster, but we all loved him. He lived into his twenties, with two teeth and cataracts. One day he went outside and disappeared. I think an alligator ate him. Mom offered the neighborhood kids a reward if they found him so if his body had been out there, we would have known.

[Ocelot II]

57. I knew someone whose chihuahua would bite people for no apparent reason.

He'd just walk up to you and bite your ankle (not hard, but still) without any provocation.

[csziggy]

62. Well, my bite happened when he attacked the female of a pair of Dobermans

With the male right there. Of course, all three dogs were going at it hard but the Chihuahua was so small and fast the two Dobermans couldn't get a hold.

My sister and the Dobermans' owner grabbed the big dogs, I grabbed the Chihuahua. The big dogs had collars to grab them by, but the little one didn't and when I grabbed him around his middle he turned and bit me on the thumb. One of his canines punched a hole right through my nail. Eventually it healed but that thumbnail still doesn't grow quite right, fifty years later!

[Elessar Zappa]

44. I put our dog in her kennel

when repair people are over. I don’t think she’d bite but ya never know.

[Phentex]

45. 3. I let the dogs help me answer the door. They jump up and loudly place paws on the sidelights...

Rotties make a lot of noise when they pounce this way. Then I say to the tech, hold on let me put the dogs up and I do. I feel this gives the impression that I care about the person's safety but don't try anything or I'll release the hounds.

[Skittles]

53. I don't have a dog but for a repair guy who was scared of cats, I did put the cat away

you are correct, that is a gesture of basic respect and courtesy and it is shocking how many people don't seem to know how to behave

[beaglelover]

55. Our 3 beagles are not large but they are in their kennels if we have a worker at the house.

Other than the housecleaner. They've all known her since they were 6 weeks old and she is Mary Poppins to them. They absolutely love her and follow her everywhere she goes. It's very cute!

[A_Woman_from_MI]

60. Definitely keep the dog in another room

A lesson reinforced the time the landlord stopped by unexpectedly. let himself in and proceeded to feel my (small) dog's teeth pierce the flesh of his leg. Oops! I maintain it was landlord's fault, but I do understand that a loyal canine companion will protect their people, so it seems common courtesy to both puppy and repairman to keep them comfortably separated.

My cats run away and hide themselves when there are strangers in the house, but I have a new one who is more friendly and curious, and I did warn a recent repair technician that said fluffball might come around to say 'hi' and see what was going on. After reading this thread, in future, I will either put the cat behind a closed door, or ask the visitor if they are okay with cats.

Sorry you have to deal with assholes, Orrex. I appreciate the people who come to my house to fix the things I can't. Not only am I happy to shield them from my pets, I tip generously!

[Rhiannon12866]

63. I have a small friendly dog, but keep him out of the way

On his way out, if he wants to say "hi" to the dog, that's fine. There was one older gentleman who came to work on the furnace and he really liked dogs. Otherwise, don't bother the repairman. It's just common courtesy.

[GoneOffShore]

67. Large dogs? Fear the Chi, the Sausage, and the Yorkie.

[Orrex]

68. If needed, I can punt those dogs over the house

As mentioned above, the only dog that’s bitten me was a poodle, but the only dog that’s knocked me down was a golden retriever.

The respective owners, of course, had assured me that the dogs were “fine with people.”

[GoneOffShore]

69. I know a guy who works in a rescue - Big guy who has no problem dealing with big dogs

He can calm down street dogs who have been abused, and almost all breeds.

He won't go near Chi's. Says that they are the piranhas of the dog world.

[Runningdawg]

70. Don't you know it! Our chiwennie will be the first to attack.