Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Bring Your Dog to Work 101


One of the perks of our "other" job is that our office is super pet friendly! So, when we're not on the road, we often bring Paddy in for the day. While bringing your dog to work can be a lot of fun, there's also an art to it, especially if you're doing it on a regular basis and thus need to be productive. Recently, a new dog has joined our office "pack"- and while he is ever-so cute and cuddly, his owners are still figuring out all the kinks on the days he comes to work. Here are some tips and tricks that we've picked up over the years.


Bed/Blanket: We work in an fairly open office space, and thus the only area that is really "ours" is a desk and the area underneath which we've converted into a little den area for Paddy (and our legs). All of her stuff goes under there when she's in the office so it's not infringing on anyone else's area. It also gives her a fair amount of privacy (don't forget, lots of new people and sounds can be overwhelming), and somewhere to go when she wants to nap.

Toys: Bring 'em. Or if you regularly bring your dog in, keep a stash in your desk. Pro Tip: Squeaker free is the way to go. We also try to stay stuffing-free. The key here is to find something that will quietly amuse your dog without disturbing your coworkers.

Leash: If your dog is well-behaved and "office trained," you may be okay with letting them roam free. That said, depending on how busy your workplace is, how easily distracted your dog is, etc. you may want to leash your desk to prevent unauthorized wanderings and lower the risk of accidents. (No joke, the new office dog may have left a surprise for the finance team yesterday…)

Food/Treats/Water: We leave a set of clean takeout containers at work that we use for food, water, and treats. All of them are air-tight which is nice and lets us keep extra snacks at our desk vs. bringing them with us for each visit. While we keep Paddy hydrated, we give her water every hour so we have a regular bathroom break schedule.

Hopefully the above tips are helpful. It's also important to note that while some offices may be dog friendly, not all dogs are office friendly. Dogs who don't do well with new experiences, suffer from anxiety (we once had a boss whose dog would FREAK OUT any time she wasn't visible…), and are not friendly should probably phone it in from home. Sad but true, and in the long run probably the best for both you, your coworkers, and your dog.

Is your office dog friendly?

1 comment:

  1. I bring my dog to work everyday! I agree with your tips! :)

    ReplyDelete

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