It is my understanding that you are allowed to dig / channel the obsidian cast all you wish -- you just can't put stairs/ramps into that cast.
This is pretty much what I meant, but it covers anything that is INTENDED to be an access point that isn't through Aquifer Dirt levels. If you had a staircase to retrieve Obsidian mined above the aquifer z-levels, in part of the Obsidian Cast, it would be fine, since the stairs aren't used to break past the Aquifer.
And DAMN, beakdogs ain't Trainable...
I wanted Dwarf's showing Gobbos how its done...
In the future, I need to provide a Standard DF File for contestant, methinks. Beak Dog Training was something I added into mine, and in my exhaustion I somehow figured it would carry over. I simply added the [PET_EXOTIC] tag to Beak Dogs. You guys can as well if you would like.
My justification for those concerned is that Beak Dogs can be tamed and even used as mounts by Goblins, so the potential for taming is there. It just takes a Dungeon Master, who is a specialist in taming monsters, to do it, and they cannot be trained as War or Hunting variants.
If you'd like to, you can replace [CREATURE:BEAK_DOG] in "creature_standard.txt" of your Raws folder with this. It will allow you to tame them once you have the Dungeon Master:
[CREATURE:BEAK_DOG]
[NAME:beak dog:beak dogs:beak dog]
[TILE:'B'][COLOR:4:0:0]
[MODVALUE:2]
[LARGE_ROAMING][FREQUENCY:25]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:10:20]
[CLUSTER_NUMBER:3:7]
[LARGE_PREDATOR][EVIL][MOUNT][MEANDERER][PET_EXOTIC]
[PETVALUE:50]
[GRASSTRAMPLE:0]
[BONECARN]
[PREFSTRING:chatters and clicks]
[PREFSTRING:hunched backs]
[PREFSTRING:large beaks]
[BODY:HUMANOID:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:MOUTH]
[BODYGLOSS:PAW:CLAW_HAND]
[SIZE:7]
[MAXAGE:10:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:1][CHILDNAME:beak dog pup:beak dog pups]
[FAT:1]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[BIOME:MARSH_TEMPERATE_FRESHWATER]
[BIOME:MARSH_TEMPERATE_SALTWATER]
[BIOME:MARSH_TROPICAL_FRESHWATER]
[BIOME:MARSH_TROPICAL_SALTWATER]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
P.S. I just noticed: Beak Dogs have a Bipedal, humanoid body. I wonder if they're more like Raptors than Hawk/Dog crossbreeds?