Friday June 24th has been designated “Take Your Dog to Work Day.” Begun in 1999 by Pet Sitters International, they suggest that we all take our dogs to work to emphasize the human/animal bond, and indirectly encourage people to adopt homeless dogs. I wrote a blog about this issue in 2011, and because our “official office dog,” Millie, is sitting beside me, I was inspired to write about this issue again.
In general, although I’m a big fan of the importance of the “human/animal bond,” I’m cautious about suggesting that people who don’t usually take their dog to work do so on a special, designated day. There are a variety of reasons for that, both from a human and a canine perspective. Here are three ways to look at whether you should take your dog to work:
From the dog’s perspective:
One Side: Wow, I get to spend all day with my human! I love new places, new smells and meeting new people. I’m happy to lie quietly under the desk while my human paws at that clacky thing, even if it is for hours at a time. No worries about the other dogs here who look nervous, I’ll just send them signals to chill out.
Flip Side: Hey, it’s weird in here! Lots of unfamiliar scents, noises and people I’ve never met. And what’s wrong with my owner? She sitting like she does on the couch in the evening, but she won’t scratch my ears or rub my belly. Who the ^&%$ are all these other dogs in here, and why is that Chihuahua growling at me? When are we going to go home so I can relax?
From your co-worker’s perspective:
One Side: I love dogs! I can’t have one at home, but what a great opportunity to get an oxytocin infusion! Besides, it’s not very busy today and distractions are welcome break from same old, same old. What a fun day! And look how well-behaved all the dogs are—no barking, growling or whining, no jumping up—what a testament to good training!
Flip Side: Oh no! I’m allergic to dogs, what a nightmare trying to explain to everyone that I love dogs, but can’t be anywhere near them. And my co-worker in the adjacent office is terrified of dogs, as in, not-able-to-breathe phobic about them. Maybe she should take the day off? What about that important meeting we have today, how are we ever going to focus on that when everyone is cooing over other people’s furbabies? And why is that dog growling at me from under the desk? Maybe I’ll just call out to his owner from the hallway…
From your own:
One Side: What a joy to have Chip with me today! He’s comfy lying under my desk, never startles when strangers enter the office, and will love going on a walk during my lunch hour. Chip comes to the office often, with the blessing of my boss, so it’s not out of the ordinary to have him here with me on Take Your Dog to Work Day.
Flip Side: Oh, please stop whining! Do you have to pee? I just took you outside thirty minutes ago, and have to finish this report before the meeting this afternoon. I’ll have to leave you in here for an hour or so. Will you be okay? You won’t chew on anything, will you? And why did you growl at my boss? She’s a lovely woman, and she is, uh, after all, my boss. Could you be nicer please next time someone comes into the office? Only a few more hours, and we can go home, honest.
Overall, I’d argue that the dogs who do well in an office setting are dogs who go on a regular basis, not dogs who are brought in one day a year. I’m lucky in that my office is, well, my office. Staff members Lisa and Nick love dogs, and the other occupants of the building do too. However, I still pay attention to details to make it work. I put a child’s gate up in my office so that Tootsie doesn’t wander into the hallway when I’m working. I trained the BCs to go through the gate’s opening, and never to jump over the gate itself. I trust Willie 100% to never urinate in the office, but still don’t trust Maggie outside of my office and don’t take my eyes off her if she accompanies me to the kitchen area.
The article I wrote in 2011 on this issue got a lot of comments, and I went back today and counted up how many people took their dogs to the office and how many did not. Four people said they worked at home, so yes, their dogs were “in the office.” Nineteen said, yes, they often took their dogs to their office outside of their home–note that most of these worked as trainers or shelter workers. Thirteen said “sometimes,” or “on occasion,” while twenty said they’d never take their dogs to the office, either because it wasn’t allowed, or because their dog would be miserable. One service dog owner noted that she hated “Take Your Dog to the Office Day,” because she and her dog had to deal with poorly trained, rude dogs all day long. There was also an interesting discussion about cultural differences in being comfortable with dogs. All food for thought.
What about you? Do you take your dog to work? Every done it just for Take Your Dog to Work Day? Don’t hesitate to ask your dog to write in too; I’d love to hear about it from his or her perspective.
MEANWHILE, down on the farm: Well, it’s just gorgeous here. We finally got a lot of rain, so it’s as green as an Irish calendar for the month of May. There are flowers everywhere. Our French Lilac bush is blooming and the sweet scent of it wafts through the window when the breeze in right. The peonies are popping, the Spiderwort is in full bloom and Siberian Iris couldn’t be prettier. The sheep finally have enough lush, green grass to eat, and the lambs are growing like the weeds that are attempting to take over the entire garden.
Maggie and I are working toward our next sheepdog trial; she did well for a first time last week at Nippersink, but my goal is to improve on our next try. Maggie needs to learn to flank the sheep “off the pressure,” (which feels to a young dog like she’s going to lose the sheep completely, so the dog ignores you and brings you the sheep whether you want them or not). I need to work on my timing and blowing the whistles clearly and cleanly. Some of you know that part of my dissertation research was on the whistle signals of handlers to sheep dogs, so I know a lot about how to analyze the whistles produced by others. But blowing them myself is an entirely different proposition. But still, oh the irony!
Here the Siberian Iris in front of the porch:
Since this is Wisconsin after all, I thought it was high time for me to post a picture of some cows instead of just sheep and dogs. This is a herd I drive by on my way to practice herding with Maggie and Willie at a farm outside of Portage. Such a beautiful view!
Super Starling! says
Every once in a while, when my dog is sick/recovering, or if I have to take him to the vet later in the day, I’ll keep him with me so I can keep an eye on him. He’s very high-energy, so he gets confused when people come in, play with him for a few minutes, and leave. He wants the playing to continue, and gets frustrated. The minute he gets settled, someone else comes in to play with him and rile him up, only to leave again. Ugh. It’s a nightmare. I don’t do it unless there’s some kind of super-valid reason to do so.
Andy says
The idea of bringing Cecil to work is very funny to me, almost as funny as the guy who plaintively asked “Do you think he’d be a good therapy dog?” after I’d rattled off his many issues when he was my foster. Cecil would be completely overstimulated and, unable to make any choices of his own, would quickly default to shouting mindlessly in the great halls of our esteemed campus. We’d be on a new adventure together in short order, unable to pay the mortgage and hopping trains for a living.
I’m not a fan of “take your dog to work day” as I fear a general backlash against our at-times overly permissive dog culture. I *do* like the idea of organizing work-based group dog walks. I also like the idea of bringing in trained therapy dogs, something we already have on the campus where I work, and something the students seem to truly enjoy. The key in both cases is that people who love dogs can participate, and everyone else can stay out of it.
Ranger says
Mom, you know her as Kat, says you’d like to hear about take your dog to work from a canine perspective. I know all about that because I take Mom to work two or three times a week at least and sometimes five or six. My job is to be a therapy dog. When I take Mom to work with me she can be very helpful. She holds the leash so it doesn’t drag on the ground where I might step on it and she’s very good at making the other two legs understand what I’m saying. She listens well and does what I tell her almost all the time so it’s no trouble to take her to work with me.
I wouldn’t want to go to work with Dad in his office though. That would be boring. I’d have to just stay in his cubicle cage for hours and hours because it would be his work not mine. Sometimes when Dad’s work is having a diversity day I go and work at Dad’s work. That’s fun. I like that, lots of people to see, lots of attention, and really excellent treats (hamburgers off the grill are Soooo Gooood.) Maybe for Take Your Dog to Work Day I’ll go at lunch time and take Dad for a walk. I think we’d both like that but I don’t want to go for the whole day, that would be really boring. I’m pleased to say my people listen to me and don’t take me places where I have to be bored.
Kat’s Note: When we adopted Ranger we thought about what name he’d know us as. Since there were two children at home at the time we figured he’d hear Mom and Dad most so he might as well use those names too.
Rachael says
I’m exceptionally fortunate to be a Kindergarten teacher at a small, rural private school where my KelpieX is allowed to visit. I had to get her CGC first (which I think is a really good idea for any dog being taken into a public-social situation like a human workplace), and of course prove vaccinations–with those things I’ve probably brought her into work 5 or so times this year. The children take her into the schoolyard and play fetch, and I bring a cloth collapsible dog pen for when we are inside doing lessons. During inside “free time” she can wander around greeting the children and asking for pets, or she can retreat into her pen or under my desk. She’s a social butterfly though, so she doesn’t choose the latter too often!
Of course it almost goes without saying if I had children with serious fear issues or allergies I wouldn’t bring her in.
Debbie S says
I am very lucky to work in an office where every day is “take your dog to work” day; last week I had all four of them with me. Sometimes, the 4-leggeds outnumber the 2-leggeds! But, it is a small office in terms of personnel and we all understood when we accepted employment, that dogs are a big part of the culture here. (However, we are not a animal-related business.) Those of us who bring our dogs are very careful to insist on their best behavior so we don’t spoil the atmosphere for those who don’t. Thanks for pointing out, in your usual well-thought-out way, that there are multiple facets to every issue.
Nic1 says
Hi! It’s Lily – Nic1 is the woman who got me a few years ago now. I get to go to work with dad at his office on the days that she can’t work from home.
It’s really quiet at dad’s company as I have my bed and toys in his office upstairs out of the main area, but I sometimes get to meet new people if they happen to like dogs. I mostly just chill out with dad and his work mates. Nic1 and dad say it has helped me get along with meeting ‘strange men’ and I like them much more now than when Nic1 took me from that shelter.
If I had to go to the office with Nic1, she said that I would have to go on the train (yikes) to a big city (double yikes) and then walk through the city (triple yikes) to her office right in the middle of a very busy university campus (*faints* ). She said she thinks that I would spend the day ‘over stimulated’, anxious and upset because I would hate having to be confined in an office with other dogs all day. (Grrrrrrrr).
Nic1 said she would find it hard to concentrate on work because she would be concerned about me feeling stressed and that it would be unfair on her colleagues as she would ‘be unable to micro manage the environment’ in case I started behaving like an idiot. Whatever the heck that means..
Nic1 says – Gorgeous pics.
Jann Becker says
My husband’s a physician and a couple of years ago he took Kira (CGC) to work. Problem was, patients were talking with our gregarious Goldendoodle and not paying attention to what he was telling them. This was a problem; she’s stayed home since so the humans will listen to their medical instructions in the absence of distractions.
Diane says
Our work had a take your dog to work day in connection with a week of fund raising for the humane society. I love my dog and others more than humans, but truthfully, my 11 year old dog who is normally amazing and friendly, was so freaked out, shedding uncontrollably, and drooling! Also, she was panting and breathing so hard I thought she was going to have a heart attack!
I am a foster, so other dogs come and go from our house with no trouble, but the office was a different story. I was so sad. No more work trips for her.
Bruce says
Trisha, gorgeous pictures as usual. Our Siberian iris looks similar to your Japanese Iris and just finished blooming.
I recently visited a lawyer’s office and was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by the “office manager”, a Something-Poo , very friendly without being pushy. Apparently being head of a law firm has its privileges; every day is “Take Your Dog to Work Day.”
We had lots of dog people at my old job, so it was expected that any new dog would be brought by for a visit. I would bring my dog(s) over at lunchtime on a day off, so the pooch did not have to be bored out of its skull for the whole day.
Mrs. B used to bring the Pug to work occasionally. The Pug is very people-oriented, small enough to crate under a desk, and did fine. I think she also brought our former Schipperke to work with similar results. Red Dog, on the other hand, has way too much energy to spend 8+ hours in a cubicle farm, and the Sammy would probably find the experience quite worrisome.
So I suppose it depends. Where did I hear that before? 🙂
Apropos of nothing, Red Dog is taking her Canine Good Citizen class. So far nothing has fazed her except the supervised separation, but she is improving with practice. Other possible glitches might be sitting politely for petting (she has a wonky eye and sometimes pulls away when petted from that side), and, of course, showing “no more than casual interest” in another dog. We are working on alternatives to MUST! PLAY! NOW!
LisaW says
Wise Olive says: After I was transported magically to Lisa’s house, she decided it might be good to take me to work (this was back in the days of her philosophy that it will take a village to raise me [silly idea that I had to let her work through on her own]). You had to climb two very steep sets of stairs to get to her office (ever heard of ADA?). Her office mates thought I was the cutest thing they ever saw and would talk in a high-pitched voice and try to pick me up. Since it was early in our relationship, I didn’t show how much I disliked the idea of being picked up, but by the end of the day I was exhausted from all the comings and goings and the stress of holding it together. I would have what she called a “puppy fit” in the car on the way home. With the help of you all, and her spending nights reading some book with a dog jumping straight up in the air on the cover, and more help from people she called “professionals,” we have been working out how to live full and thoughtful lives. It’s been a long road (don’t get me started on the physical issues I’ve had), but I finally understand we’re in it for the long haul, and we will do this together.
Oh, I almost forgot, she quit that job up the stairs so she could be home with Phoebe and me. What a gal.
P.S. Lisa here, I actually started my own business and am able to be home more with the dogs. We all like it better than going to an office. But, I love the idea that dogs going to the workplace should have their CGC. Oh, Olive dear, I have a new idea for us . . .
Marsha says
Since I am semi-retired and only substitute occasionally there’s no work space for Lulu to visit. Lulu, a Yorkie, who is almost six came to live with me 15 weeks ago. As a former puppy mill breeder here in MN she’s just discovered how much fun it is to roll around in the grass. Lulu is friendly to everyone and very well behaved despite her background. She is a long way from being ready to be in anyone’s office. Lulu seems to be a little claustrophobic: does well visiting the large pet stores but does not enjoy the small ones. You’ve probably noticed how compact the check out area is at the smaller shops. People stand at the register with all thought on which credit card to pay with while their dog/s sniff and investigate everything within reach. Needless to say Lulu’s not ready yet for right quarters.
Trisha says
Dear Ranger, Lily & Olive, good to hear from you: Willie here, just up from a nap at Tall Two Leg Female’s little, car-ride den place. I like it here, although not much interesting happens here. But I like being with Tall Two Leg Female, and it’s fun to greet other Two Legs when they come into the hallway. I never know when I’m going to get petted. Best is when Two Leg Nick and Lisa come in to work too. Two Leg Nick likes to get down to Four Leg space and when he does, I’ve trained him to rub my belly. It was easy, all I had to do was roll sideways and lift one fore paw. Try it, it works great. Maggie is lying close to Tall Two Leg Female, close to the big, wooden hard thing where the clacky thing lives. TTLF spends a lot of time making noises on it. Maggie doesn’t like it here as much as I do, but TTLF says it’s good for her to get out and about, whatever that means. I tried to teach her to bark every time someone comes in the back door, but TTLF kept giving us treats whenever that happens so now we just go to the gate, wag our tails and make the “I love treats and pets” face that humans are so responsive to. Anyways, time to go back to sleep. Sounds like you have some great Two Legs yourself. Give them a muzzle lick for me.
Sandy V says
I am working half days the end of this month and it perfectly lines up with the arrival of my new pup Zoey. Zoey will come to work for half days for a week and then I have the summer off for my “pawternity leave” I have a small office of 5 extreme dog lovers who are anxious to meet the new girl. If she ends up as too big of a distraction I have a back up plan for doggie daycare with my parents. Working on building an office puppy corral to contain her! We have a very dog friendly office and everyone has brought their dog in at one time or another. My boss is on vacation this week but plans to make a special trip into the office to meet Zoey.
Chris from Boise says
Habi here: Not for me! I hate change and surprises! I love hanging out at home where life is (more or less) predictable. I’m with Cecil and Wise Olive.
Obi here: Bring it on! But don’t expect to get any work done, because I’ll be mugging everyone for attention. I might even forget myself and nose-bonk The Boss in my excitement, but I’m so adorable I’m sure she’d understand – maybe?
Chris from Boise here: LOL, we know our limits. Neither dog would work, at work. We’ll focus on activities that make them happy and keep us sane.
Lori Merriam says
As long as I am expected to get work done at the work place, I believe it best to leave my playful and fun-loving dog at home.
Margaret McLaughlin says
Hi from Nina. Mom says that back in the Dark Ages before I was born she was owned by a Keeshond (CGC & TDI) who went to work with her. He had a job–he alerted to alarms & wandering residents–Mom is a CNA in a long-term care facility–plus he added some jobs, like sitting up with people who couldn’t sleep, & hanging out with families of dying residents. She says it was really cool, but I couldn’t do it. I have already earned more obedience titles than Cobie ever did, but Mom says I just don’t have what that kind of job would take. I like to kiss people–I had to work really hard not to kiss the judge on the Stand for Exam. I don’t like it when Mom leaves me somewhere on a stay. Mom says a 60 lb. dog is not a lapdog. I disagree. I don’t know what I’d do if I saw someone try to hurt Mom, but it wouldn’t be pretty, & some of the people she takes care of have Issues.
I’m going to stay home in my crate. My job is to wake the neighborhood when Mom’s bike brakes squeal at 715am. I can do that.
Trisha says
To Bruce: They ARE Siberian Iris, it turns out. Thanks for the education. I had been told (I think, do I remember correctly? Sigh…) that they were “Japanese Iris,” but they don’t fit the description at all. I changed the blog to reflect that they are clearly Siberian Iris. I do love them, I think they are my favorite Iris. But boy are they hard to dig up once their clumps get big; TNT seems to be required!
To NIina, from Willie: You are very good to wake up your mom when the bike brakes make the screamy dying mousy sound. That sounds very serious; I would yell very much too. Are you good at yelling? I am. I say HEY HEY HEY HEY when people pull up in the driveway. Tall Two Leg Female says “Enough,” and sometimes I get quiet because when I do I might get treats. But sometimes I just can’t stop saying hey….. hey….. hey…. every few seconds. I try though, I really do.
Margaret McLaughlin says
@ Trisha–actually I’m waking the rest of the neighbors. Mom works nights, & she rides her bike to work unless it’s too cold for her asthma. I think the asthma is cute–she barks just like me. She says the weirdest stuff in dog–word salad, but don’t tell her!
Laura says
Seamus here,
Mom just woke me up from a nap to type this thing. I go everywhere with Mom, and even when Mom is on vacation, I still work. We went to Dallas to see Mom’s sister, Auntie, last week and I worked so hard! It was very hot there and Mom kept a good watch on me to make sure I wasn’t getting overheated. She let me have all the water I wanted. Anyway, I love coming to work with Mom, mostly because there are these two coworkers of Mom’s who love me and they give me carrots and bananas as treats. Sometimes, when we’re riding into work, I start to whimper because I’m so excited and have to talk about it. Mom says I’m weird. I like other dogs just fine, and there are a few other dogs here. They’re service dogs like me, and sometimes, they want to say hi. I want to say hi too, but when I have my harness on, I can’t play. At Willie, I’d love to play with you, if I were off harness that is cause I love playing with other dogs. I love my job, if it’s working, or snoozing on my blanket, like I’ve been for most of the day. I’ll get a little walk soon from one of Mom’s coworkers and then Mom and I have to leave early. She says it’s for a vet appointment… gulp! Why do we need shots every year? Other dogs… am I right? Anyway, working with Mom is the best, but I think she’d prefer that not all the dogs come into the office. She’s told me it might be too distracting for me and she might wonder if the other dogs would be mean to me. Well, I’m going to go back to sleep for now, but once it gets to be near 2:00, I’ll start bugging Mom’s coworker for my walk. A dog’s gotta do what a dog’s gotta do. Tail wags and paw lifts to everyone!
Andy says
HI CECIL HERE. I’M SHOUTING BECAUSE THAT’S JUST WHAT I DO. MY DAD SAYS I MUST HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT SHOUTING CAMP BECAUSE I’M REALLY, REALLY GOOD AT IT, SO GOOD I DON’T EVEN NOTICE THAT I’M DOING IT. PRETTY TALENTED, HUH? I SHOUT WHEN I PLAY, WHEN I’M MAD AT THUNDER, WHEN I’M LONELY, WHEN I WANT SOMETHING, AND WHEN I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT I WANT. I THINK IT’S NEAT THAT SO MANY OF YOU DOGS HERE GO TO WORK AND SOMETIMES I THINK I’D LIKE TO MEET YOU AND THEN I THINK NO AND START TO SHOUT. MY DAD SAYS HE LOVES ME ANYWAY AND I’M STILL GOING TO GET MY CHICKEN LIVERS AND YOGURT TONIGHT. I HOPE THEY’RE WARM AND EXTRA STINKY. OK BYE, HAVE LOTS OF FUN AT WORK EVERYONE.
Maria demjan says
I live in the Western Cape South Africa. I am the manager of a hospice and so assert my boss status by taking my two Pomeranians to work. I did take the Great Dane once but his size freaked out the staff. Teddy and Rosebud are loved by all. If I have to leave the office they go and lie with a colleague or sleep in their bed under my desk. We have a courtyard garden and they often good outside for a sniff and scurry. We have discovered that Rosebud does not like the resident tortoise and tells us all about it very loudly.
I think visitors to my office find this practice of mine a little bizarre or eccentric but I am more worried about my dogs opinion of me than theirs.
Teddy and Rosebud are therapy for me and keep me calm. I know they get anxious if I raise my voice so they also help me with being calm. And when I have had a rough day a hug from them helps me put life back in perspective.
If I was told I couldn’t bring them to work any more I would resign.
Mireille says
I work in a hospital laboratory so, no dogs in the office ;-). Actually, no dogs are allowed inside the hospital except for therapy dogs and I think that is a good rule. Not because of the potential risk of spreading infections (much overrated, I think) but more because their are so many different people there with health issues such as allergies, but also fear of dogs etc.
If I worked in a regular office, I think the Spot would be fine with it. Spot is very able to relax in all kinds of indoor spaces, he would just go to sleep. Strangers are usually greeted with a gentle sniff. Ok, the one problem could be his tendency to sniff crotches. Preferably from behind. Uhm… did I ever mention the time this happened with a woman in a short skirt? Shadow is very observant and would be very tired after a day at the office if much happened there. We call him our Radar Dog: he just has to record everything that happens.
A friend of mine occasionally takes her dog to work when she is alone in the office. The company consists of an office and a construction hall, there are people in the hall just nobody else in the office block. It makes her feel safer and her dog is very comfy there.
Diesel says
Hi, Diesel the Boxer here. My Mom-Human sometimes looks at me before she leaves and asks me if I want to go to work with her and then laughs. She tells my Dad-Human that I would be good, so I don’t know why she doesn’t take me. I think I would like it because there are a lot of humans there and I could lean on the them and I’m sure they would pet me and scratch my neck and my butt whenever I want. Whenever MH is “working from home” I can usually get her to stop and pet me.
I don’t care if it’s boring at work, I would just take a nap. There is carpeting everywhere, so I’m sure I could lay down anywhere and they wouldn’t mind stepping over me. I know you have to walk through the city to get there, but I went to the city a couple of times — I was a little worried, but I could get used to it. Pippa, my dog-sister, went to work once, a long time ago when she was little. She says when you go in the building there is a man in a uniform, and the humans have to have a special card to get in. Then you go into a really small room and the doors close, and when they open you are in a different room, but really high up. It sounds cool.
Sometimes MH asks Pippa if she wants to go to work, but that makes MH laugh, too. Pippa goes a lot of places with MH, I think because Pippa is so small. But Pippa gets really worried about noises and dogs going by our house and people coming to the door and … everything, and tries to protect MH by barking a lot. That makes MH stop “working from home,” too, but not in a good way. Sometimes MH even goes in the bathroom with her phone and closes the door to work-talk so Pippa can bark in the rest of the house. The other work-humans might feel safer if Pippa warned them every time a client came in, but I don’t know if they have enough bathrooms at work for everyone to do their work-talk.
MH hasn’t asked Jax if he wants to go to work yet. He is black and white and has a pointy nose, and hasn’t been here that long. In my experience Jax-dogs aren’t good at taking naps. I have to spend a lot of time during the day playing with him, going to the back yard with him so he can chase squirrels, finding toys for him to chew on, and taking him and dad-human for a long walk. Come to think of it, I probably shouldn’t go to work. I have a lot of stuff to do here. Oh oh, Pippa’s showing Jax how to bark by the front door. I guess I should go get him and show him how to take a proper nap again.
Kim says
Out of the 5 basset hounds I have had over the last 10 years, I have 2 that are ok to take to work and are happy there. The one I take most often is Halfred my 15 year old. He loves to come with me and is content to snooze away while I am working. My other 3 would have been stir crazy sitting at the office with me all day. We all bring our dogs in (there are 4 of us here), and I am very lucky to have that privilege.
Katy says
All of my dogs, individually, have gone to work with me frequently. My older two now have more difficulties at work so I do not bring them unless they have a vet appointment and I cannot arrange time to go home right before and after the appointment. A few of my colleagues also have dogs that come to the office sometimes and they are very well-behaved. We have had to be careful with introductions, because my boy and another dog are a little fearful, and my one colleague’s (male) dog got too excited initially by the girl dogs, but we all know our dogs’ foibles and how to handle them. At this point, the dogs are all pretty comfortable with one another.
Claire thinks work is pretty boring, but loves that it means not having to be left. Yuki and Allie revel in the attention from my students and colleagues, the chance to see the snakes and turtles and fish, and getting sniff around campus. Being quiet in my office is a small price to pay, in their minds. Both cry with excitement when they realize they are going to work.
I do always ask about fears and allergies and I don’t bring the dogs in if one of my students has either. This year I did have a student with a service dog in training, which complicated things because her dog was exhibiting (what looked to me like) fear-related aggression towards other dogs. Because of this, I did not bring my dogs in any day that I thought she would be there, but I don’t think having a fully-trained and well-behaved service dog would be an issue, since all the dogs at work have owners savvy enough to make them leave a service dog alone.
Julia Getsy says
Waiting for this day!… I love my doggie and was waiting for an opportunity to show her to my friends. But I am little scared if she wouldn’t be comfortable. I am going through article like this to provide an healthy environment for her. https://goo.gl/Ge7oay gives an idea on what to be done and what not be done on this day. I have made a note of it. Hope it would be helpful for others as well