It's Take Your Dog to Work Day!
- Jun 26, 2015
- 3 min read
By Jamie Damato Migdal, CEO and Pet Industry Entrepreneur
Friday, June 26, is Pet Sitters International's 17th annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. Here at CanineLink every day is TYDTWD, and it works for us because we stick to some basic guidelines and management techniques. If you’re considering making dogs in the workplace a regular thing, here are some tips for keeping the situation under control.
Before you even consider bringing your dogs to work, do some basic due diligence about the environment:
Does your office building allow dogs? Check your lease or with the management company. You might need to pay an additional security deposit.
Is there easy access to a dog run or other area so that your dog can go potty?
Is the surface of your office floor easy to clean? (You know why.)
Do you have a room where you can safely sequester the dog if non-dog lovers come by?
Is a barking dog going to disrupt every other office in the building?
If you get the green light for your building/office, then sit down and honestly answer these questions:
Does anyone in the office object to dogs sharing their space? As hard as it is to imagine, not everyone likes dogs. They may not hate them, but they may be scared of them, or they may have cultural sensitivies surrounding the presence of dogs in their personal space. Or, they might just be allergic. Have that discussion with your colleagues before you bring the dogs in.
Who gets to bring their dogs in? If you’re the boss and you only want to bring your dog in, well – you’re the boss. If other people get to bring their pooches in, figure out a schedule so that you don’t have a half dozen incompatible dogs in the office at the same time. You will also need to be prepared to tell someone when their dog isn’t a good fit for office life, and accept the fallout from that decision.
Do you have the right equipment, and is there room for all of that stuff? You will need dog beds, dog bowls, treats, crates, and baby gates. Don’t assume that a piece of cardboard across a door is going to keep your dog contained.
Will having dogs in the office be more trouble than it’s worth? It’s not cool to have dogs barking during meetings or terrifying the mailroom guy. If you know your schedule won’t allow you to walk your dog during the day, don’t leave it for a co-worker to do. If your entire office is carpeted and your dog is famously incontinent, leave him at home.
Does your dog really have the temperament to be in a space with a lot of activity, noise, and strange people? A mellow dog at home may not translate into a chill dog at work. Believe me when I tell you that your coworkers are going to give you some serious side-eye if your dog starts growling or snapping at people.
And, perhaps most importantly - will your dog actually enjoy being in the office? Not every dog craves novel stimulation, and even the ones who do may go over threshold pretty quickly if they don’t have a quiet space to take a break.
Getting all of your ducks in a row and being honest with yourself about your capacity and your dog’s preferences will be the best way to set yourself up for success with a dog-friendly office. It’s not for everyone, but if it is for you – welcome to the club! We’re glad you could join us.
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