What Is a Bench Dog?

If you spend much time in a woodworking shop, you already know: a well-designed workbench is the heart of any shop. It's the place where things actually come together. The boards, the tools, your half-finished ideas-they all end up scraped, clamped, and battered on that same rugged surface. One feature most folks overlook at first? Bench dogs. Odd name, simple concept, surprisingly useful once you start leaning on them for real projects.

So, What Is a Bench Dog?

A bench dog is a chunk of wood or metal that drops into a hole in the bench. Push one up above the surface, and you've got an instant stop, something to plant a board against so it doesn't slide around while you plane or chisel. You can pull them out or hide them flush when you're not using them-no need to get fancy.

These things have been around forever. Long before power tools and fancy vises, people needed clever ways to keep workpieces still. Those rows of dog holes-usually lined up near the front edge and sometimes running straight down the middle-let you trap boards or even awkward shapes without a second set of hands. Sure, old-school wooden bench dogs do the job, but these days you'll find metal ones in almost any new design, sometimes upgraded with springs or clever tweaks. All for the same stubborn, practical reason people invented them in the first place: sometimes you just need a helping hand that never complains or gets tired.

How to Use Bench Dogs

Bench dogs aren't just hardware - they're the silent backbone of real woodworking. Two jobs, mostly: locking your workpiece down, and keeping long boards from drooping off the edge.

Clamping Workpieces Securely

First, the classic move: clamp a board, a panel, whatever, right to the benchtop. Drop a dog or two into their holes, nudge the work against them with a bench vice or a stop, and suddenly the piece is stuck - really stuck. Even awkward, fragile bits that never want to sit still. After that, your focus can go where it should: sawing straight, planing smooth, chiseling without chasing the wood around the shop floor.

Supporting Long Workpieces

Then there's the longboard problem. You start planing or scraping an eight-footer, and gravity is just itching to tip the far end off your bench. Pop a few dogs up in a row, maybe pull out a bench hook or a stick for extra support, and the whole thing stays flat, tight, and lined up from one awkward end to the other. Doesn't matter if the lumber's two feet longer than your bench-dogs have it handled.

Those are just the basics. Bench dogs get weirdly useful anywhere you need a firm stop - a pivot point for bending, a target for a specialty clamp, even an ad-hoc mounting post for a shooting board or a little routing job. Once you start using them, you stop thinking of your bench as a static surface. They turn it into a kind of adaptable tool in its own right - and you start noticing all the awkward tasks that just got simpler.

Common Bench Dog Types and Accessories

The classic workbench didn't need much - just some sturdy wooden bench dogs, usually made from the same hardwood as the bench. They've stuck around for good reason: nearly indestructible, with that old-school appeal you can't fake. Things got a little shinier with steel and aluminum versions-same idea, just tougher and maybe a bit flashier depending on your taste.

Spring-loaded bench dogs are a whole other thing. They vanish into the bench when you're not using them-save your fingers, save your tabletop. Simple, but once you use them, you won't want to go back.

Then there's the rabbit hole of add-ons and accessories. Dog hole plates and squares-those cover up the ragged edges and keep everything steady. Clamping pads and risers snap onto regular dogs, giving you more grip or height when the job calls for it. If you're after a perfectly square edge, corner attachments lock things in at 90 degrees-no wobbles or guesswork.

Of course, finding the right setup isn't just about impulse buys. Check your dog hole diameter, double-check your benchtop thickness, and-maybe most important-think about what you actually need to hold steady on your bench. Everyone's workflow is a little different.

Bench Dog Installation and Use Tips

If you actually want your bench dogs to pull their weight in the shop, you'll need to do more than just plop them into the holes: where you place them matters. Line them up so your workpiece sits square and your clamps have something solid to grab onto-they're no good if everything's out of whack.

Get those dogs snug in their holes. If they're loose and bounce out during planing, it's just annoying - or dangerous. How high do they stick up? That depends on what you're working on. Don't just leave them at full height by default-set them so your tools and your material both get the support they actually need.

Don't treat bench dogs like lone wolves. Stack the deck-use them with clamps, stops, even some busted-up blocks as a support. The whole point is to lock down your wood so it can't shift an inch. The more you layer your setup, the steadier your work.

And-yeah, this should be obvious - follow basic safety precautions. Tight dogs, healthy accessories, hands well clear of pinch points. Basic, but easy to skip.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Make Bench Dogs?

For bench dogs, you want short, tough little pegs out of real hardwood - nothing flimsy or soft. Hard maple or white oak works well. Cut your stock to somewhere between 3 and 4 inches, depending on what fits your bench best. Rough out square blanks that are a little bigger than your holes. If you own a lathe, spin them round. If not, grab a rasp, some files, and a chunk of patience-shape them by hand. It's not glamorous, but it works.

How to Drill Bench Dog Holes?

When it's time to drill the holes: plan out your spacing first, don't just eyeball it. Mark spots, usually 4 to 6 inches apart, along the front edge of your bench. If you'll be handling long boards, throw a line down the middle too. Use an awl or punch on each mark so your bit doesn't wander. Grab a drill bit that matches the diameter of your dogs - tight, but not impossible to push in. With a steady hand (or a drill guide if you have shaky nerves), drill straight down at 90 degrees. Clean holes make for tight, rattle-free dogs.

How Deep Should Bench Dog Holes Be?

How deep should you actually drill bench dog holes? It really depends on how thick your workbench top is and the type of bench dogs you're planning to use. Most people shoot for holes that are about two-thirds, maybe three-quarters, of the way through the benchtop. That's usually deep enough for bench dogs to get a good grip - but you don't want to go all the way through if you don't have to. Leaving some wood at the bottom just makes the whole thing feel sturdier and less likely to chip out.

Conclusion

People overlook bench dogs all the time-they look basic, but they're weirdly essential once you start using them. Suddenly, you're clamping workpieces you'd never mess with before and supporting awkward stuff that just... stays put. Doesn't matter if you're into old-school wooden ones or those fancy spring-loaded guys; bench dogs basically turn a chunk of wood into a workstation that actually works. Once you've tried them, it's hard to go back to just wrestling with clamps or trying to hold stuff in place with your knee. Own a workbench? Drill the holes and use the dogs. It's worth it.