EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I was wondering how many of you do not have a dogbox? We don't have one yet, we just have a couple of chains running across the bed of our truck that we secure the dogs to. I've started thinking that maybe we need to get one though because one day we had stopped at the store to get ice and drinks, so we parked along the edge of the property, well away from the pumps and general foot traffic. While we were inside the store, I saw a woman with a boy about 8 or 9 years old getting gas, while she was pumping fuel, the little boy ran to our truck and jumped up on the side of our truck to pet all of the dogs before anyone had time to react. Now, all of the dogs in the bed of our truck were young and friendly (on that day). But I still about had a heart attack! The dogs all just licked the boy, but in my mind I could just see it going terribly bad. I never leave our dogs unattended now. I couldn't live with myself if someone was bitten by one of my dogs. What really suprised me was that the woman wasn't upset at all about her son running off to pet some strange dogs in the back of a strangers truck. ??? What do yall think?

i do the same thing and have my dogs chained in the bed of my pickup. my dog are scared up real bad and people really dont want to pet them around here

In my case I never put a dog in my truck without it being in a dog box. For the reasons you stated, plus I don't have to worry about them getting tangled in a  chain, or getting in a fight. My dog box is in two compartments so I can seperate any dogs that may fight. I also can load a tied hog in the truck in front of the dogbox and the dogs can't get to it. I also worry about the dogs breaking a snap or chain while I am away from the truck.

Plus, my dogs are more protective than others. They don't want anyone touching my truck or my horse, when I was working cows. That is typical of the Fla curs and I don't need some kid getting bit at the 7-11..............so I put mine in a box, but its whatever works best for you.

We have protective dogs, they just were not with us on that day. Most people have enough sense not to approach our truck, but not kids. :-\

I think you need a dog box ASAP.  Mine never leaves the back of my truck unless I need the room for something else that day.

I have gone to just chains. It runs from the corner behind the drivers side,,, to the back drivers side,,, across in fromt of the tailgate,,, and back up behind the passenger side. It can hold four cur dogs across the back and and two bulldogs in the front corners.

I really like it because I can see the dogs when we are driving and I don't have to take a box in and out of my truck to go to work the next day.

i like to use a dog box.  Less to worry about.  But i do have a question for those who use chain's  what do you do during the winter time when its cold???

I use both.  I prefer a dog box, but I also have chains in each of my trucks.   I keep a combo lock on my dog box too, in case I spend the night somewhere, or have to leave the truck unattended, I can lock the dogs up...not that anyone would want to steal my potlickers...it just makes me feel better.      I use the chains for the occasions that I cannot move the dog box, or if I happen to be hauling more dogs than will fit in the box.

i only use a box now.  i had one experience where a black dog jumped out at night (chained to the tiedown) and nobody saw her :(.  after that always in a dog box.

I don't go far to hunt... maybe 30min and it doesn't get terribly cold down here. That has alot to do with me using chains.

When I go to Houston or some where for Trailblazers, I will put the dogs in a box.

I prefer a dog box, for reasons stated above, and to be double sure that a dog never makes it over the side while I'm driving.  that never ends well.  I realize that it can be prevented but I like the peace of mind.  I usually have my curs in the two compartment dog box, with my catch dog chained to the center of the box on a chain just long enough to let him lay down if he wants to.  keeps him plenty far from the edge of the pickup.

Go with a dogbox, all around easier and less worries. My dogbox is really light, its made out of conduit so you can take it in and out real easy

Sfboarbuster, did you make it yourself? Got any pics?

We use a trailer that we made for the dogs. It has six compartments and a storage compartment for vests and stuff.
It can hold up to two dogs in one compartment depending on size. We have signs on each side of the trailer that say DO NOT TOUCH DOGS! Most of our dogs are well mannered but we have a couple
that are protective of their space, even with the sign and the dog barking people still try to stick there hands in and pet him! Sometimes its inevitable that's why someone always stays by the
Trailer when we've stopped somewhere

dog box is the only way
 i work construction and always have tools in the back along with the ice chest and water jug and
 both of our boxes have lock hasp on them  havent had a ice chest,water jug or things like chain saws,shovels and concrete tools stole while i was at lowes or walmart,,,,,, or in the case of a long hard
hot day after work a watering hole :P
  and tripps will lay on the big ice chest aand if he dont know ya your not getting a thing out of it ;D
 my big box is 30 someodd inches tall ,5 foot long 47 wide and split in the middle  with the right side made a double decker with a plywood top and end and light sheet metal 3/4 the way down the side a piece of plywood laid under it  for the dogs and  keepm out of the water.. then we have a plywood double box that fits in a toyota thats 40 something wide 4 foot long and 28 inches tall and 2 1/8 inch holes all around it,,, a door bore saw  just what i had
 plus the little  three hole dog trailer
    Dexter

I use a large one hole box for one reason..... One 5gal bucket of water takes care of every dog I can fit in it. Sometimes its 3, sometimes it is a dozen, I never have to be concerned with extra incidentals or enough clasps on the chain.


Amazing isn't it? I always make a huge fuss every time that some imbecile sticks their hands near my dogs. Most of them act like it would be my fault for keeping mean dogs if they had been bitten. Only one time have I seen a parent scold their kids for sticking their hands in a box and that was an old rodeo man, big time rancher and retired coon houndsman in Stephenville. He jumped his daughters rear pretty good. These days, we rarely leave the dogs unattended, especially in a city, and when someone does approach, I normally just ask if they would like to leave with all of their appendages still attached. I simply have no more patients for stupidity.

Steve

Dog boxes work well, but I only like ones made of expanded metal or similar materials which allow as much airflow as possible.

The enclosed "bird dog" type boxes are just way too hot in the summer time in my opinion.

I have been using a chain for a while, but I finally got off my butt and went and bought some metal and built this box last week. I like the chains, but I think I will end up liking the box better. This one i made is 50wide x50deep x33tall or somethin like that and has a chain for a extra dog on top. It probably weighs about 80-100lbs., but it can still be lifted in and out by one person.

(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z108/wcg8907/jpeg_reencoded_2693181.jpg)

One of my friends made it for me probably 6 or 7 years ago, here is a pic

I have fit 8 dogs in it, and even put 2 200 plus boar hogs in one side at the same time


(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh445/sfboarbuster/dogbox001.jpg)

Nice boxes, thanks for the ideas guys. I like the idea of a light box. And a little peace of mind.

ive never bought a box for my truck..not because i don't have the money, but because i simply don't like my dogs in a box.

chains work perfect if you run them right. i like my dogs out in the wind when im driving, i like to look at them.

and....a box takes up all my truck bed room...i have to haul things a lot. it's a pain moving a box around.



ill probably go to a box later down the road for a couple of reasons.

1. you can keep dogs locked in the box when you go into a store and don't have to worry about them getting taken.

2. if your hunting out of your turck, and the other dogs bay, you don't have to worry about a dog hangin' himself off the side trying to get at the bay.

3. shade...in summer and heat in winter...keeps the dogs more comfy.


those 3 reasons are why i will probably go to a box for my truck.

I like those boxes but they have no bottoms. Ya'll have never had them bounce around and land on your dogs feet? If you get a box make sure it has a bottom, cause it can mess up a dogs foot.

HERE IS A PIC OF MY DOG BOX. IT ALWAYS STAYS IN MY TRUCK.  HAS NO SIDES BOTTOM OR BACK I JUST RACHET STRAPED THAT SUCKER DOWN.  THE NO BOTTOMS IS THE WAY TO GO B/C THEY ARE EASY TO CLEAN.

(http://i483.photobucket.com/albums/rr194/nosightsneeded/DSC01583-1.jpg)

We have a chain on top of our box, and I like to let my buck dog ride in that spot for short trips. Once we were at a red light and buck suddenly had way more freedom than he should have. The chain came unbolted from the box and I narrowly escaped having a long range dog hunting in town. I jumped out and got a hand on him before he unloaded himself. Those two dog couplers are handy little things to have around. When the chain broke, I was able to use a coupler and secure buck to the front of the box.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the fact that a box with adequate ventilation can provide shade in the summer. When you are moving down the road a dog in a bed is happy, but if you have to stop and that valero doesn't have shade it must get hot. Of course, we are always seeking out the shady spot even with a box because every little bit helps.

We had a kid run up to pet lizzie last night while we were cruising the neighborhood on the mule. We pulled in to talk to some down the road neighbors and the kid was in lizzie's face before anyone knew what happened. All our dogs are kid broke, so the kid was never in real danger, but regardless of whether the dog was behaved or not the kid got a good scolding from his mom. I really think that purely city folks are less likely to teach their kids what we consider common sense behavior when it comes to animals. The kid in our neighborhood was taught on the spot when he approached a dog he didn't know because his parents have livestock and dogs. I think city families lack the animal experience and the idea that there are dogs being taken out in public may not be friendly is foreign to them. For all they know, that truckload of dogs may be headed for the dog park. On the other hand, I can't pay a parent in the city to let their kids pet our bulldogs unless they are a bulldog family.

Anyway, I rambled. Point is that average city folks lack country values much of the time.

Cheers
M

NOSIGHTSNEEDED I LIKE THAT DOG BOX U GOT THERE!

Dog box for me.  If my dogs aren't in their kennel or hunting, they are in a box.  When I'm out of town hunting the box is their home.  Deer season they stay in the box for 7 days, only getting out to eat and relieve themselves.

I don't really see the point in having a bottom on one, if you strap it down good it ain't going anywhere and wont bounce around and land on a dogs foot.

Dog box for the safty of the dogs and dumb people!

We have a dog boix with 3 seperators in it, and you can snap 2 dogs on the back/

i use chains in the back of my truck right now, i am gonna go to a box on a trailer for winter time, but i do like the convience of the chains, can already have em suited up, collared up and ready to go when we get to a  place, plus like someone else said it makes it a lot easier to see what the dogs are doing. keep the chains tight and they shouldnt be able to jump out. and ALWAYS stay close to your truck.

Box for me. I dont have a bottom but the box weighs 100 lbs or so. I like for my dogs to be in a box so I dont have to worry about people and for the safty of the dogs. The box gives them shade and I am able to water them on the way to and from a hunt. It is a pain to load/unload  at times but what is 3 min of time?

exactly.  i felt like crap when that dog jumped out and no one knew it.  a horrible feeling.  would've been different if it would have died doing it's job, but not like it did.

Dabutcher, sorry to hear that you lost one that way. We have ours on a chain for now until we get a box, but they are chained to where they can't even get  their feet up on the side of the truck so that they can't hang themselves plus we don't need any more scratches than we've already got down the side of the truck.

Thats how myne are also. The chains are just tall enough for the dog to stand upright, have swivels and every thing. Just as safe as a dog box... have seen pleanty of mishaps with dog boxes also.

I just like the conviences of the chains. Drop the tailgate they all jump in the bed, if I need to snap them I do, if not just put the tailgate up and ride for a bit. No dogs not wanting to get in the box, having to hold some to let others out, or any of that other stuff. 

dog box for me. mine takes up pretty well the whole bed of my truck but we can get many many dogs in it ;D. i like not worrying about a dog hanging itself on a chain. i am relatively new to all this but having the box in my truck sometimes gives me an opportunity to explain hog dogging to people. the ones that are willing to listen usually come out of the conversation with a way better view of hog doggers than they previously had ;)