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THE OFFICIAL DOG POLICY

Excerpt from the Humane Society of the United States' dog policy:

• Your dog should be on a leash whenever he/she is with you beyond your office/cubicle.

• Lobbies, mailrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and conference rooms are considered "dog-free zones."

• Please avoid walking your dog or loitering with him or her near the main entrance.





Dog-friendly policies that allow employees to bring well-behaved pets to work are popping up in many offices and, by all accounts, the downsides are minimal.
"We always say around here that dogs have never broken anything. People have, but dogs, never," says Jeanine Falcon of Replacements Ltd., the Greensboro, N.C., company that warehouses more than 13 million pieces of china, crystal and silver and ships out thousands of items every day.




"It's part of our culture here to have pets," says Falcon, adding that most days there are 20 to 30 leashed or crated or behind-baby-gates dogs in the building, and even the occasional cat or rabbit.




A recent survey by the American Pet Products Association Manufacturers found that 20% of companies now have pet-friendly policies (though experts believe most are smallish operations), and the Humane Society of the United States just released Dogs at Work: A Practical Guide to Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces by California dog trainer Liz Palika and HSUS' Jennifer Fearing, who ushered in HSUS' dog-welcoming policy two years ago.


"We're not proselytizing that the whole world should have dog-friendly policies," says Fearing, but HSUS is easing the way for interested firms. Many companies inclined toward the idea have abandoned it when they realized how long it would take to establish whether there's sufficient interest and how to develop policies and sanctions. "We've done all that work," Fearing says, "removed the obstacles, created all the discussion points and presented possible forms so now they can have the discussions about whether it's an idea that is right for their organization."

Supporters say pets in the workplace reduce stress among owners who worry about home-alone dogs, are a calming presence for even the non-owners and help employees form relationships. And in these times of disappearing benefits, pet-friendly policies are a free perk. Companies with such policies range from edgy Newport Beach, Calif., cosmetics company Urban Decay to Healthwise, the Boise-based non-profit health information provider. Most allow only dogs, but some, like Replacements, allow all kinds of pets.

Not every dog has its workday

Many imagine that once the gates come down, offices will be overrun with creatures, but that hasn't happened at the dozens of companies Fearing and Palika spoke with. "Some owners realize their dogs aren't right for this sort of thing or they themselves aren't right," Palika says.

At HSUS, about 50 owners bring their dogs to their worksites every day. The number of times there has been a significant issue?

"Zero," says Fearing, though there have been a couple of times that owners have been called in and reminded of some of the rules. The success, she believes, lies in the fact that the policy is "a privilege, not a guarantee. No one wants to risk losing it," and "de-facto self-policing" operates at a high level.

Still, not all dogs are great candidates as workmates, including those that have shown aggression to people or other animals; dogs that are territorial, hyperactive or vocal, and dogs that are very shy or fearful. They must have decent manners, be house-trained and well-groomed, and they must not be "food thieves … have constant flatulence, snore loudly or be excessive droolers," says Palika. "The owner may not be bothered by any of this, but co-workers probably would be."

Most dogs need more training

Owners must be honest in appraising their pets, but many can't or won't acknowledge the realities of personality characteristics or behaviors that would make the animals an annoyance or distraction at work.

Palika estimates that only about one out of 50 or 75 dogs is already a perfect candidate for work detail. "The vast majority … need good, basic obedience training and better social skills," she says. About half of those, with training, can become office-appropriate.

And if the owners don't exactly get it?

"That's where the rules come in," Fearing says. Many companies form pet committees that can order inappropriate dogs off the premises; most have two- or three-strikes rules for minor infractions and a one-strike rule for major things such as aggression. Most have a probationary period for newcomers.

"No organization should go into this without being willing to enforce rules," Fearing says. But for those that have take talked through the details and taken the pet-friendly leap, "the payoffs are huge."
[Edited 2/25/09 4:53am]
[Edited 2/25/09 4:54am]

When I had a hamster I used to take her to work with me sometimes..

she would run round the office banging into desks and walls in her little ball..

Tsk tsk! I think it's ridiculous and going far overboard. It's a distraction and not to mention the diseases that animals carry. I wonder what's next, pet pythons.

PanthaGirl said:

how about a pantha...

Fury said:

I'm an artist. My dogs hang out in my studio.
If I worked in an office setting, ABSOLUTELY not.

johnart said:

Oh and they only hang out with me while I work because it's an in-home studio. When I kept a storefront they stayed home.
[Edited 2/25/09 5:09am]

PanthaGirl said:

What diseases are dogs carrying? Rabies?

I'd love to take my dog, he'd just chill out in his bed by my desk and we could go for walks on lunch.

JustErin said:

Dogs carry a number of diseases that are proven to be harmful to humans. i.e bacterial, fungal and viral infections, lyme disease, ringworms etc.

johnart said:

But think of all the new places Lola could find to poop!

PanthaGirl said:

Humans are known to carry those as well. Maybe you should be afraid of your co-workers.

Pets in the office would make the workplace SO much nicer!
I have often said I'd like to have an office kitty.

What about co-workers who are allergic?

PanthaGirl said:

or a chimp

JustErin said:

Flippancy on my darling Panther? How dare thee? No but seriously, someone must have orgnoted Fury or reprimanded him/her; one or the other. The title was fine the way it was before. Besides, depending on the profession, your bitch MIGHT just bring herself without your authoritative concession and consent. Shit, furthermore, your bitch might be a priority in the carrying out of a select few mandatory duties. She can be a great asset to the preparatory preliminaries.

"WHERE'S MAH BITCHEZ?!!?"

"I swear, America! I did NOT have sexual relation with Monica Lewinsky!"
[Edited 2/25/09 6:45am]

i dont see the problem.
it will work some places and others it wont.
but hurrah for the places that can make this work.

Genesia said:

Agreed. This would be a reason not to take them. Or what about people who just do not like dogs or are afraid of them?

But if everyone is cool with it, it's a good idea.

Fury said:[quote]

it's not fair to the dog to take it to work. that's what "doggy daycare is for"

treat animals more like people and let them socialize with their buddies if you have to go to work.

cheers!
~svn seven

Genesia said:

i agree with you!

cheers!
~svn seven

My dog is too hyper, he would jump on every person who walked into my office. He likes to lick peoples faces.

I don't have a dog, but if I did, he would only come to the office if I felt like showing him off.

My old boss used to bring his dog to work occassionally...and I can attest to the fact that besides the discomfort (smell, hair, etc.), he was a major distraction as well.

I bring my dog to work on the weekends.
He has a doggie bed, food and water bowl in my office.

He is a good dog, and my co workers enjoy his company....even if he is laid outin the middle of the office snoring.....

I used to bring both Ollie and Uzie with me to the stables every week, they lay beside me when I instructed.
I used to bring Ollie with me to school as well, when we were going to the woods.


I think animals in the workplace is a good thing, providing that they're owners are good people who have exercised and trained their dog properly.

7e7e7 said:

I'd be coming back and there'd be a turd on my desk.

I would so bring my dog to work with me. He's well mannered, doesn't drool or slobber and he's only 6 & 1/2 pounds and therefore won't take up much space.

johnart said:

Or she'd turn your wastebasket over and poop on top of it.

Genesia said:

That dog will be the end of me.
She slept on the bed last night and I barely got a wink.
We have our walk through for the new place this eve and I'm ready for a nap.

They are having this issue at hubby's school right now because a student wants to bring an "Emotional Support" dog to class.
Only "Emotional Support" dogs do not necessarily undergo the same training a Service Dog does. This particular dog is disruptive during class.
[Edited 2/25/09 11:47am]

Im happier and waaaay more relaxed when my dog is with me.

johnart said:

Meh - they need to be service dog trained regardless of their designation, imo. I'd like to make Uzie a service dog for that exact purpose (emotional support) but that designation isn't certified here yet and it's probably a long way off until it is. We have as much right as anybody to support that will make us function better, but the dogs need to be properly trained and that's that. Uzie IS trained and knows when to relax and when not to, but I still wouldn't expect her to be allowed to work since she's not certified.