And have had for many years. Safety is top of the list however. As much as I like to have Oso with me, and believe me, he lives for riding in/on equipment, whenever safety for either he or I might be an issue, he gets to stay home and diabolically plan my demise.

 Trick I found is to make staying at home and waiting for my return, a positive experience. His yard is where a lot of playing and fun time gets spent in the evenings or time of leisure. Whenever possible, as I come to get Oso out of the yard, I take the 4 wheeler for a spin with him on it, (at moderate speeds) and scout a few fields. If his yard was only used for the purpose of holding him by himself, he would likely associate being put there with punishment.

  My neighbor, a retired school teacher, has a few acres that he enjoys keeping up on maintainence. He will run his Kubota and mower as many hours as he can, just because he enjoys it. He has a small terrier of sorts that he and the terrier are inseperable. Wherever he goes, the dog goes. So, his wife told him to make a box for the tractor that will keep the dog safe. He did, and now he and the dog have the time of their lives maintaining the property. Point being, if you really enjoy the company and the comradery, of having the dog with you, you will find a way to make it work. But again, safety is no.1 Never let the dog inside a cab alone, when the engine is running, or there is even the slightest possibility that a switch will get flipped or a lever will get pushed. I keep a leash folded up in my left coat pocket all the time. I have leashes laying all over the place, in the shop, in the service pickup, etc. Its just something I do to at least help insure no problems come about.

 ps: "Jolly" balls are not only for horses. http://www.jollypets.com/html/HP/JollyBallandToys.html

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