My dog used to come to work with me

I felt very lucky. Until recently, I was allowed to bring my 50 lb. Chow mix, Beardog, to work. We’d go out for potty breaks a few times a day, and little walks around the office building. Every day, he got to visit another Chow, Fuzzy, who belongs to the receptionist and had her dog bed in the corner of the cubicle. The Company’s President seemed to find petting Fuzzy and giving her special treats contributed greatly to his own happiness factor, and for five years, he had brought her a breakfast treat. Beardog and Fuzzy got to run around behind our building and play a bit each day. A box of dog treats sat on the receptionist’s desk.

No, I don’t work at an animal shelter. I work for a high tech company whose major clients include: Citibank, Verizon, and other Fortune 50 companies. More and more companies, especially in the high tech and creative industries, recognize that one way to keep employees happy is to allow them to bring their dogs to work. Of course, a happy employee translates to a more productive employee and greater retention. Considering the long commutes and the long hours required in the workplace, it can be difficult and highly stressful to make provisions for the “dog at home.” However, that being said, sometimes it doesn’t work out. In my case one of the dogs in the workplace tended to growl when people walked by, and that was enough for management to say, “It’s too much of a liability, a law suit waiting to happen.” Dogs can be unpredictable and some more so than others—this dog made too many people uncomfortable, so it was decided in all fairness, to enforce a “no dogs in the workplace” policy. But if you are able to bring your dog to your office, here are some tips on making it work.

Workplace etiquette for canines

Keep in mind, bringing your dog to work is definitely a perk, not a right, offered by an employer. And, your employer may change his mind if it becomes a problem. Employers are not required to shelter your animals, so, here are some suggestions to help avoid problems and becoming a nuisance to your colleagues:

• Keep your dog clean and well-groomed—you wouldn’t show up to work without addressing your own personal hygiene. Make sure your dog smells good, that he’s bathed and brushed regularly, and that he doesn’t have bad breath. This will go a long way toward making your colleagues, who may not be as crazy about dogs as you are, more comfortable.
• Don’t bring your dog if he is untrained and has bad manners. If your dog needs training, you should address that before bringing him to your workplace where his bad behavior will upset others.
• Make sure you take him out for bathroom breaks and bring plastic bags to clean up the mess.
• Have fresh water available at all times.
• Take your dog out on little walks during your breaks.
• Keep your dog leashed when he is not in your office—don’t allow him to jump up, run around, or get underfoot of colleagues. They may try to be nice about it, but they most likely find it annoying.
• Not everyone finds your dog adorable!

Keep in mind, if your dog creates problems, your company could nix the policy of allowing dogs in the workplace altogether.

As I mentioned, I know this from personal experience. However, last year, my dog was once the preverbal bad apple that almost spoiled the whole bunch—his behavior toward the mailman almost terminated our company’s policy of allowing dogs in the workplace!

My dog loves most people, but hates anyone in uniform or wearing hats that look like part of a uniform, and he growls when he sees anyone in that category. One day, when a colleague took my dog into the hallway unleashed, the mailman happened to be in the building, Beardog growled, and the mailman quickly left, threatening to never return as long as we had dogs. I sympathized with the mailman—mail carriers are often threatened by dogs and even bitten.

The issue of whether our company would continue allowing us to bring dogs was now on the table, and HR was trying to find a way to let us keep our animals at work. Our company was extremely understanding. Here was the solution—all mailboxes were put outside the building and Beardog and I were put on notice—he must be leased at all times and not allowed to ever wander anywhere unattended. However, I don’t think most companies would be that forgiving or willing to make so many adjustments.

Yet, things were still not well with dogs in the workplace, and as I’ve described, the decision to allow us to bring them was eventually reversed.

A Growing Trend

Still, there are companies where dogs are welcome. And, as companies have moved in the direction of creating employee friendly environments that may include: daycares, cafes, restaurants, and even gyms, more and more workers are allowed to bring pets to the work. After all, the enemies of productivity are stress, illness, and overall unhappiness with one’s work environment, and it has been shown that dogs can be excellent relievers of stress.

At the Winning Workplaces conference in Chicago, a slideshow illustrated a consistent theme—several winning companies allow employees to bring dogs to work.

A New York Times Article makes the excellent point that while our precarious economy dictates that companies are reducing salaries and health benefits, sometimes they may be trying to make up for such cutbacks with “soft benefits,” such as, allowing us to bring our dogs to work.

Some companies are starting to recognize what dog lovers already know—dogs give back, and what they offer may be difficult to quantify but the joy they bring is indisputable!