Dogs in the Workplace, Part 1

By Jamie Damato Migdal, CEO & Pet Industry Entrepreneur

I have picked up more dog poop than you. In fact, probably more than you the person sitting next to you. And next to them. In fact, if I really sat back and thought about the sheer volume of dog crap I've had in my hands over the past 20 years, I'd be tempted to contact Guinness and lobby for a new category.

The formerly mentioned dog poop came from the many dogs in all areas of my life, including, but not limited to dogs I walked during the Out-U-Go days or the dogs in my classroom while I trained with AnimalSense. Not to mention the hundreds of random dogs who have been through my homes, businesses and life in general. The one place, however that I truly despise the poop is in my office. You may be wondering why on earth I'd be picking up dog poop in my office, and to that I answer: What? You don't?

As the CEO of three different dog-related businesses over the past 18 years, dogs in the office have been a mainstay. And although I've loved each one of the hundreds of dogs that have crossed the threshold of the countless office spaces I've occupied, it’s recently dawned on me what all this excrement really costs: loss of productivity.

Clearly, every time a dog has an accident, there is an impact on productivity as the ritual of poop pick up commences. Think plastic bags, paper towels and lots of disinfectant, not to mention the conversations everyone in the office needs to have about the stink.

The question is: do I need to reconsider the whole dog-in-the-office thing?

Of course not! I'm just pointing out what most dog-friendly businesses may be afraid to admit...we love dogs, but they take a quite a bit of time away from the workday, as we have to feed, water, walk and referee them.

I haven't taken the time to do any kind of longitudinal study on my observations but am convinced it's a significant factor to consider as it relates to decreased productivity.

Clearly poop isn’t a good enough reason to leave the dogs at home, but there are many other considerations when you dip your dog in the company ink.

This is the first installment in my Dogs in the Workplace Series- so I'll leave you with visions dogs happily converging at the water cooler (read: bowl) whilst their dutiful human counterparts lovingly admire and thank the dog gods they work at a dog friendly business.

The jury is still out, and while I certainly have some opinion on the negatives, I can't ever certify that they will outweigh the positives.

Until then, please pass me a poop bag.