Get busy, dog
10 things to keep in mind if you’re bringing your dog to work
Since June 23 is the official Take Your Dog to Work Day, it’s a good time to go over some rules. While many companies have an openended dog policy, employees should know that it’s not exactly an open invitation to bring Fido to work, unless they’ve covered their bases first. While most companies are explicit about other policies, they usually assume their co-workers know what should be covered.
“Dog policies are pretty intuitive,” says Hannah Walsh, a Chicago-based dog owner who brings her border collie with her to work at one of the city’s shared workspace locations. “You either do the right thing or you don’t. And when you don’t, companies don’t adjust the rules or send out information, they just cancel the perk.” Unless you want to be responsible for rescinding your company’s dogs-atwork policy, follow this list of tips before you decide to bring your best buddy to work: 1. Make sure your dog has all of his or her shots. This is a no-brainer. Anytime you bring your dog to a dog park or a friend’s house, other people assume your dog is properly vaccinated. 2. Be sure your dog has the correct disposition for a day in the office. If you have an angry animal at home, there’s really no reason to think that mood will change once he or she is surrounded by the comforting buzz of copy machines and keyboard strokes. Be smart. If a dog doesn’t like other people, don’t bring him or her to work. 3. Know your dog’s limitations. If your dog doesn’t like men, or has a problem with older women, they shouldn’t accompany you on the job. The same goes for people in uniform. I once worked in an office that allowed dogs and watched a nearby friendly golden retriever go into an all-out sprint when he saw the FedEx guy coming to pick up the afternoon deliveries. 4. Quiet dogs make for the best co-workers. If your dog likes to bark at shadows or unseen figures, it might be cute at home, but it’s not so adorable in the office. Think of those neighbors who let their dogs out at 5 a.m. every Saturday just so the dog can bark at every passing car and local jogger. Barking dogs should be left at home. 5. Beware of the overly friendly dog. And by overly friendly, we don’t mean the kind of dog who licks the outstretched hand. We’re talking about that dog that makes a beeline for your co-workers leg and goes to town until you need a fire hose to pry him loose. And remember, there’s nothing cute about a dog in heat at the office. It’s kind of gross, actually. You should know if your dog is in a particularly amorous mood — or if that particular mood is just part of his or her day-to-day disposition. If either is the case, just leave him or her back at the base.
6. Bring some extra treats for other dogs in the office, but don’t offer them anything without checking with their owners. Some people have their dogs on diets that would make even the most hardcore vegans roll their eyes, so check first. 7. Unless you work on a ranch, make sure your dog has a collar and a leash. Don’t assume all of your co-workers want to spend time with your dog. Not all of them will appreciate your four-legged friend, but they’ll tolerate it as long as it’s not jumping on their lap.
8. Be aware of the calendar. If something bad is going to happen on a certain day, it’s probably a good idea to leave the dog at home. Same goes for the good days when the company springs for lunch. No one wants to see a dog pawing things off the conference-room table or going through each cubicle trash bin looking for a little midday snack.
9. Place your puppy’s water bowl under your desk or behind a file cabinet. Your co-workers shouldn’t kick it over every time they come by your desk. 10. Know your dog’s schedule. Unless you’re putting a diaper on that dog, you’ll need to be aware of his or her digestive schedule.