Some offices have a “Take Your Dog to Work Day,” while others are dog friendly every day of the week. But just because you can take your dog to work, doesn’t always mean you should.
Here are some pros and cons of bringing your pet to the office with you:
Pros of Taking Your Dog to Work
A quick caveat before we look at the positives of bringing a dog to work: generalizations about animals are just that – generalizations. Every dog and every situation is simply a case of one. So, although there are some pros and cons listed below, it may be that your dog would not react or respond to the situations as they’ve been listed here.
That said, here are the benefits of bringing your dog to work:
- When you’re stressed at work, dogs are a great distraction. Dogs are also what I would call “the great equalizer.” In a potentially highly-charged exchange, a dog could bring peace to an otherwise non-peaceful situation.
- Dogs give you a reason to get out of the office to get some fresh air and stretch your legs every few hours.
- Pets are great icebreakers for officemates who may be shy or new to the environment.
- A dog-friendly office implies that your business is flexible and accommodating.
- Having a dog-friendly office sets the tone for getting involved in animal-friendly philanthropic endeavors.
- If your entire office is comprised of dog lovers, then it’s something to bring the team together.
- Dog lovers “get” other dog lovers. If there is someone in your office with whom you have a personality conflict, dogs offer a wonderful reason to connect.
Cons of Taking Your Dog to Work
Although “Take Your Dog to Work Day” is certainly an exciting prospect for both dog owners and office employees looking to get their dog fix, having dogs in an office day in and day out is a slightly different situation.
Here are the cons of taking your dog to work:
- Dogs stink. Pooping and farting come with the “I’m a dog” territory.
- They bark. Sometimes, dogs bark really, really, really loudly. And sometimes they bark a lot. (Barking is not an insurmountable problem, but it does take some work.)
- Visitors to your office may not have the same affinity for dogs. Some of those visitors may be clients (and clients pay the bills).
- Allergies. Enough said.
- If you’re a business owner, you may notice a slight decrease in productivity. Between walking, feeding, watering, picking up toys, cleaning up accidents and simply admiring and talking about the different things the dogs are doing throughout the day causes quite the distraction.
- Last, but not least: your liability. We live with dogs that we love and admire, but some of those same dogs also bite. And even if your dog has never bitten anyone, that’s not to say that they never would. This is the biggest reason to think critically before bringing your dog into the office. You must ask yourself (and be honest about the answer) whether your dog has a stable temperament. Any signs of instability, anxiety or fear need to be closely examined before you bring your dog into a potentially high-stress and inconsistent environment like a busy office.
Don’t Forget to Think About Your Dog
When it comes to taking your dog to work, the final con isn’t about you. In fact, it has nothing to do with you, but it has everything to do with what your dog wants and needs.
Did you know that most pet dogs require 16+ hours of sleep per day to maintain a healthy lifestyle? Most people don’t realize this, but our pet-quality dogs are not bred to be able to maintain a frenetic daily schedule. Dogs in an office will spend a vast majority of the day sleeping (on dog beds you hopefully provide for them!). Very rarely, if ever, do they spend the day walking around greeting and hanging out with people. They’d much rather be content and alone without having to deal with the stressors and conflict that come from interaction.
Bottom line – when you’re making a decision about bringing your dog to work, please think about whether it’s something that your dog would truly enjoy. Even though they love you and may enjoy laying by your feet while you’re working from home or enjoying a barbecue in your backyard, that certainly doesn’t equate to them enjoying being away from home all day.