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Ok, so just for the record, there are working dogs, like mine, who are not chained up and do not roam. I have a trained goose dog. When she works a golf course she is left there for 2-4 hours, in a particular area, and does not leave it. Her handler comes back and gets her when her "shift" is over.
Now many contractors, as has been explained in this thread a few times already, have "work" dogs who keep an eye on tools, equipment, etc. from the truck. I suspect this is regional as it is not uncommon in my area but clearly others have never heard of it. I have no idea if this dog is a working dog or not, maybe the OP should ask.
I stated in my original post that the first time I checked the contractor was working on the back bedroom bathroom and the dog was in the living room with his water bowl and dog food bowl.
Hard to be " guarding the tools in the truck" when penned up in the living room !
So when shopping for a contractor one should pick the one that will bring his dog because he will be the better contractor?
Does it also follow suit that a contractor improves his skill set if he goes and gets a dog?
Nonsense. That is not what I was saying. The OP is happy with the contractor, and I totally don't get why anyone would care about the dog, assuming it was well behaved. Obviously, if the people in the home have allergies or if the dog transgresses against the doorjam, it's different. I do support OPs right to NOT have the dog there if that's what he wants.
I stated in my original post that the first time I checked the contractor was working on the back bedroom bathroom and the dog was in the living room with his water bowl and dog food bowl.
Hard to be " guarding the tools in the truck" when penned up in the living room !
First, if you go back and read your OP you never mentioned where in the house the contractor was working just that the dog was in the home with him. Would you like me to repost it for you? And you keep mentioning the water and food bowls as if that is a worse transgression than the dog.
Second, as I have stated many times in this thread it was rude to bring the dog into your unoccupied home without your permission.
Third, did you ever ask him why he had the dog with him? It could be anywhere on the spectrum from "he goes everywhere I do" to "my vet said I had to keep an eye on him today due to X".
Finally, you are of course within your rights to do whatever you want and to be honest you sound like a very uptight sort so I suspect you should find a different contractor. But that does not change the fact that handyman types and independent contractors frequently have dogs with them. If you have moved to an area where this is common you may want to make it part of the contract upfront that dogs are not permitted on your job.
I prefer that tot he guys who were chewing tobacco and spitting the juice on my bedroom floor.
Yes it is rude not to ask, but if the workmanship is good- you should feel blessed to have found this contractor. Good workmanship is rare at the small job level, especially if you are not a developer or CM.
I prefer that tot he guys who were chewing tobacco and spitting the juice on my bedroom floor.
Yes it is rude not to ask, but if the workmanship is good- you should feel blessed to have found this contractor. Good workmanship is rare at the small job level, especially if you are not a developer or CM.
(1ST SENTENCE ).........I just can't get over how defenders of dog owners always have to bring up a worst scenario ( spitting tobacco on floor ) to show how thankful I should be towards the dog owner contractor.
(1ST SENTENCE ).........I just can't get over how defenders of dog owners always have to bring up a worst scenario ( spitting tobacco on floor ) to show how thankful I should be towards the dog owner contractor.
Nope. Not what I said. I said you should be thankful for the quality work, which is hard to find. If the worst thing a small time contractor with high quality workmanship does is bring a dog, I would be happy to have found them. A dog in your house might be kind of rude, but poor quality workmanship comes back yo haunt you for decades.
I simply mentioned in passing, it could be worse - if the worst thing our contractor did was bring a dog, I would have been happy in comparison. We got poor workmanship and spitting on the floor (among other things). By comparison to many stories I have heard or experienced, a dog on site is a pretty small issue.
With small time contractors, as with all things, it is better to save your angst for the big things that really matter. (aka "Don't sweat the small stuff").
(1ST SENTENCE ).........I just can't get over how defenders of dog owners always have to bring up a worst scenario ( spitting tobacco on floor ) to show how thankful I should be towards the dog owner contractor.
The contractor should also be grateful he has work that you are paying for.
Bringing the dog shouldn't be an unspoken free perk. If it really, truly is "guarding the tools" then it belongs in the truck bed where the tools are.
It is supposed to be a business operation, not pet babysitting.
(1ST SENTENCE ).........I just can't get over how defenders of dog owners always have to bring up a worst scenario ( spitting tobacco on floor ) to show how thankful I should be towards the dog owner contractor.
Sir, if you have been lucky enough that the worst things a contractor does is bring his dog (and the food and water bowls!) than I think that is fortunate indeed. Good contractors are hard to find, and even when you do they tend to be in demand so they are not always quick to come for small jobs.
But no one is saying you should be thankful, per se. I have kidney problems, I finally got referred to the head of nephrology at the largest teaching hospital in the area. My doctor is great, and has finally gotten me some long term relief. That being said he is a million years old and a little sexist. But I tolerate his minor rudeness because in the big picture, he is still a great doctor.
Regardless, I wish you continued good luck when finding a non-dog bringing handman/contractor in the future.
The contractor should also be grateful he has work that you are paying for.
Bringing the dog shouldn't be an unspoken free perk. If it really, truly is "guarding the tools" then it belongs in the truck bed where the tools are.
It is supposed to be a business operation, not pet babysitting.
I never understood this mentality. Do you think your doctor should be grateful you are sick? Do you think your lawyer should be grateful you are getting divorced? Should your mechanic be grateful your car broke down?
People provide a service, I am not sure where gratitude comes into play. I also wonder how much this is regional. In my area the good contractors/handymen are in demand,to such a degree that I am grateful to have found and built a relationship with mine that I can count on them to take car of big jobs and small in a timely manner with an eye to quality.
It might not be professional but I'd pick my battles. If he's an independent worker and not affiliated with a company then bringing the dog may be having a better effect on the price and time to complete the job. If he had to leave every 4-6 hours to let the dog out, you're losing work time and he's liable to up his prices to make up the lost time and gas or the cost of hiring a dog walker/sitter. I'm assuming that he's an adult and assesses the situation before bringing the dog i.e. He's not going to bring it to a house with other dogs, new carpet, etc.
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