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.

Putting the walkies into work

This Friday is take your dog to work day in the US and I can’t help thinking as I write this blog what the world would be like if we all took our dogs to work. Would we all be distracted and waste precious working time chasing tails around the office whilst trying to impress the boss? Or, looking on the brighter side, would work, that daily prison cell, finally become a happier place in the presence of a furry friend, not to mention those bonus breaks we would get in the form of ‘walkies’.

The whole idea reminds me of the day before a school holiday when we would be allowed to take our toys into the classroom for the day. Something we always associated with ‘home time’ finally became part of ‘school time’. In a similar way I felt that leap of joy when I took my dachshund puppy into work a year or so ago. I always remember that his shear presence made everyone, even the most depressed of colleagues, smile. I am a firm believer that pets are therapeutic creatures and have the power to soothe and calm us. How nice would it be to be able to get a quick furry cuddle when we are having a ruff day.

Our pets play a huge part in our lives outside work and to be able to take that part of us into a place we spend a third of it is a real treat. What could be more exciting than showing your prized pooch off to your envious and petless desk buddies. Who knows, your dog may even allow you to break the ice with certain people you may never have spoken to otherwise and if the boss is a fan of those four paws then your onto a winner!

Whilst most of us rely on pet sitters or friends to take care of our dogs when we are absent the idea of fido running around the office for the day is as exciting as it is unnerving for any dog owner. It also depends on how well trained your dog is and how it copes with unfamiliar environments and meeting new people. If you, like me, have a particularly active canine try taking him on a long walk in the morning to get his energy levels down for the rest of the day. If your dog is shy and enjoys regular naps during the day make sure you create a small space for him and fill it with favourite pet toys to give him a quiet and cosy retreat. If you want to take your dog to work make sure that you well in advance and if you are particularly worried about how it will effect your dog think about feeding him a daily probiotic. This will help balance his digestive system and prepare him for the travelling and changes to his daily routine, which can often upset a dog.

For those of you itching to give it a go The Blue Cross have an annual fundraising day in the UK on 17th September where you can take your pooch to work and raise money for the charity.

Not sure how Milo would fair in an interview when his CV interests would include activities such as chasing squirrels, barking at neighbours and digging holes. Not a hugely sociable pooch but hey its just for the day and there are no squirrels or neighbours in the office!

(Lisa Ronchetti reporting from Hound Headquarters at Pooch & Mutt)