Although bringing your dog to work is not an entirely new phenomenon, it’s popularity is increasing in leaps and hounds particularly in the hi-tech world; most likely because the Bay Area is so incredibly dog friendly and because hi-tech business have historically used creative perks to keep employees “engaged” (in other words, at the office).
To me, the best perks of the “new workplace,” tied with the all-you-can-eat gourmet food of course, is the ability to bring your dog to work. If you have a dog that is well trained (meaning calm and well socialized), it is an ideal situation. As most of us know, dogs are pack animals; they are “designed” to be with others. When we adopt them as pets, they are often left alone for more time than is ideal, because we have to go to work, run errands, have social lives with our friends, etc. If you can bring your dog with you to as many of these activities as possible, you will have a much happier dog overall. And a happy dog means a much happier dog parent. Trust me.
The acceptance of dogs in places where they have traditionally not been allowed has even overflowed into the non-tech world. Dogs are now allowed in many more shops and public places and California’s Governor Brown recently passed into law a bill (AB1965) that states that dogs are legally allowed on patio areas of restaurants (with the restaurant’s permission). However, the law does state that dogs must be well-behaved and “under the control of the pet dog owner.” In dog-friendly offices, there are usually similar guidelines for bringing your dog to work.
But what criteria are used to determine “good” behavior and what exactly is “under control of the owner”? If there is a problem in a restaurant or other public setting, such as a store that allows dogs, the store or restaurant staff can ask the owner to remove any dog that is not behaving appropriately or disturbing business in any way (including Service Dogs).
In the workplace, it’s a bit of a different story. People have on-going relationships, and it is more difficult to approach your co-worker about their dog’s behavioral faux paws than a customer in a store. Also, what if “acceptable” means different behaviors to different people? Are there different standards for small dogs vs. large dogs? And what if you are an employee who has the opportunity to bring your dog to work, but your dog’s “work etiquette” isn’t quite up to sniff? Do you automatically lose out on this great perk? How many chances does Fido get?
For the same reasons there are rules for people-behavior in the workplace, it is necessary that rules are established for dogs’ behavior in the workplace too; everybody needs to get along.
What can managers do to make sure dogs don’t cause feuds between co-workers?
The first step, whether you are a company of 2 or 200,000, is planning. Define terms like “well-behaved” and “not aggressive”. Discuss the presence of dogs with the entire team. Knowing each other’s preferences and comfort zones around animals can go a long way toward co-worker harmony.
Second, communication is key. While you may think that your pup’s habit of staring at people and drooling while they eat is “just adorable” or not mind it when your dog whines whenever you leave the room because, “he just misses me so much when we are not together!,” others who work near you may not feel the same way. Establishing natural opportunities for conversation about how the dog impacts the workplace is essential.
Preparation Matters: Make sure your dog is prepared for the office environment. I would suggest that dogs pass a behavior test before being allowed to come to the office. The Canine Good Citizen is a good basic obedience test that every dog should be able to pass. If your dog needs some training to be a good “co-worker”, this is easy to achieve with time, commitment and some patience. You will see amazing results both at work and everywhere else.
Follow-up: It is very important to follow-up with dog-parents who are not following-up. Not only is it not fair to employees to have unfriendly, unsafe or annoying dogs in the workplace, it is unhealthy for the dogs. Dogs get anxious around stressed out dogs, and dogs who are whining, growling, snapping and barking are stressed. Offer some “canine counseling” from a dog behaviorist for dogs who are having difficulties in the work environment.
Dogs are, in my opinion, the best thing to happen to the office, well, ever. They make the day go faster, give employees an excuse to get up and walk outside, provide companionship in a completely non-judgmental way, will always give you kisses when you are frustrated and make you laugh at just the right time.
It’s a complete win-win. If you have the opportunity in your workplace, make sure you optimize the possibilities for you and your dog. And if your dog needs a bit of training for his or her new job, make sure that you provide it so your pooch doesn’t get fired for bad behavior.
Lisa Caper, dog trainer and behaviorist, is the Owner of DogOvation Dog Training. She has worked with dogs and their people to help significantly improve dog manners in the workplace and out in both hi-tech and low-tech settings. In addition, has also helped Psychotherapists to train their dogs for use in clinical settings and developed and consulted with both workplace and volunteer programs throughout the Bay Area. Dogovation.com, (415)299-1158, lisa@dogovation.com
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