Petiquette for the office

Yesterday was ‘Take Your Dog To Work Day’ in the US and no doubt offices were filled with excited non-dog owners relishing in the idea of being distracted by some cold wet noses.

Not only is it terribly exciting to be able to show off your best furry friend to your work mates but perhaps by spending the day with your pooch you might be able to encourage some to adopt a dog for themselves. I think everyone should try and convince their bosses to adopt a dog as an office mascot.

Whether your dog spends the day sleeping by your feet or entertaining your colleagues by bouncing across the office, bringing your dog to work will ensure a few laughs for everyone and can help to lower stress levels and create a more productive work force, something your boss might appreciate.

That’s certainly my experience of it. Last year Milo spent the day at work with me for the day to see how he would cope with all those new faces.

The morning started off well as he proudly introduced himself to my boss and co-workers, however after his regular morning nap interrupted by the odd phone ringing, he did manage to sneak into the boardroom half way through a meeting I had with an important client. Thankfully he managed to cheer her up and much to my relief she was a dog lover.

After contributing a few waggy greets here and there Milo left the boardroom and wondered into the office kitchen to check if anyone had accidentally dropped any bread crumbs in the process of making lunch.

That afternoon after having our lunch and getting lots of attention from more colleagues who were intrigued to hear about Milo’s latest misadventures, I took my little mutt out to do his business. The rest of the afternoon, I must admit, was very distracting. Milo was eager to continue exploring every shredder and photocopier in sight as well as making a point to anyone entering the office that he was there and of course seeing any new comers out of the door. I found it very difficult to concentrate however it was worth it.

Despite everything my dog made a great work mate, although he couldn’t take any minutes at the meeting or answer any calls for me, he did accompanied me on my lunch break and he distracted me (in a good way) from my work, shame I can only do this once a year!

This year The Blue Cross is organising its annual ‘take your dog to work day’ on Wednesday 16 September. All you need to do is persuade your boss, set up a just giving page online and get your friends and colleagues to sponsor you to help raise money for the charity.

If you can’t convince your boss to take your dog to work share your thoughts with Drs Pooch and Mutt here.

In the meantime you have plenty of time to teach your dogs some cute tricks, in the meantime here are some petiquette tips from the Blue Cross website to prepare for a pooch day at work.

1. The first and most important thing to remember when you enter work with your dog for the first time is that he/she will need time to settle down

2. Let your dog have a good sniff around and explore its new environment

3. Next, be sure to introduce him/her to your colleagues properly making sure that they introduce themselves in the correct way too

4. If your dog will be spending all day with you may want to set up a pen or dog crate as a sanctuary and rest area especially if he/she tends to be energetic or particularly mischievous

5. Last but not least, don’t forget to come equipped with bedding, water bowl and some of your dogs favourite toys - Treats can also be good to break the ice with some of your more nervous colleagues

Have you ever taken your dog to work? Any other smart tips are welcome.

And if you want to win a bag of Bionic Biotic, enter this month’s Pooch & Mutt prize draw.

Could your Pooch turn into a green-eyed Mutt?

Until recently scientists thought that dogs could only experience simple emotions such as anger, anxiety and surprise.

However recent tests have proved what we, as dog owners, have always known. That our pooches are very self-aware and capable of emotions such as embarrassment, jealousy, empathy and guilt. You can read more about the tests that took place in Vienna here.

As responsible dog owners the key emotion to look out for is jealousy. Jealousy usually manifests itself when a new person enters a household and spends more time with the dog's owner.

Common examples are new partners and the arrival of a new baby. These new 'intruders' can be seen to invade a dog’s territory and take away that precious ‘alone’ time the dog had with its owner. Subsequently they can feel neglected.

So how do you cure a jealous pooch? Here are some tips to make sure that the only thing that’s green this Christmas is the tree!

· If you do have a new ‘intruder’ in your life it is important to spend extra time with your dog. Give the dog extra healthy treats extra petting and maybe some extra exercise to take away that pent up energy. Don’t forget that routine is extremely important for a dog: walking, playing and feeding at the same time each day is important to your dog’s wellbeing.

· If your dog is jealous of a new boyfriend or girlfriend then (under your supervision) begin making your partner interact with the dog by giving a treat or playing fetch. Include the dog in your normal daily couple activities. If you're watching TV together, call the dog over and pet him/her while the new person is present. This should break down barriers between them and the dog.

· If you own a particularly stressed out dog try buying Natural Calming Collars. These dog collars are made with natural herbs for reducing stress and anxiety have a look www.calmingcollars.com.

· If you have more than one dog and you are introducing a supplement, like Mobile Bones for mobility or Bionic Biotic for condition & digestion to one their diet then it can be wise to sprinkle a little on all of your dogs’ food. This will stop the others getting jealous that one of their housemates is getting something that they are not.

· Introducing your dog to a new baby in the family is a very delicate matter. Be sure to do this the right way. Don’t allow the baby to take the dog's toys or sit where the dog sits. Get a crate or kennel for your dog so that he/she has a safe space away from the baby and never leave the two of them alone. You can read more about this on ivillage.co.uk.

· Try consulting a professional Dog Behaviourist so that you can figure out exactly what the root of the problem is. Sometimes we may think that we are treating our dog the right way when we may be actually creating a monster! Try Talking Paws-Dog Listener or canineconnection.co.uk.

To try our lucky draw to win a bag of Bionic Biotic this month click here.