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Cubicle-Friendly Canines Should Be Allowed at Work
Feel free to cut this column out and post on the company bulletin board or slip inside the “suggestions” box. I’m all for dogs going to work with their people. However, in order for dogs to be welcome everyone needs to be on the same page.
Taking your dog to work with you improves performance, boosts morale and reduces sick days. And, of course, the dogs love it.
But not every dog is ready for such a responsibility. People whose dogs have had no training shouldn’t consider it. In order to be successful, dogs at work need to have some basic skills. Owners need to be able to control their dogs using a quiet voice and/or hand signals. It’s just common courtesy. No one wants to share work space with someone who has to shout at their dog to get it to mind. Dogs should be clean, quiet, and if they don’t like people they aren’t familiar with, they should at least tolerate their presence.
There needs to be at least one area designated as the dog’s toilet area and it needs to be kept clean. The company janitor shouldn’t be expected to remove dog waste as part of his job description. Baggies should be available and used by anyone taking their dogs to the area. All dog waste needs to be cleaned up and deposited in appropriate receptacles outside.
If dogs are to be loose in the building they should all get along, be housebroken, take directions from others, be stranger-tolerant and be boundary trained. This means that if a delivery person leaves a door open, the dogs won’t be outside running down the middle of Harmony Rd before anyone notices. Dogs who are not friendly, not housebroken, or are ill-mannered shouldn’t be allowed to roam the building. These dogs, as well as puppies and dogs-in-training, should be either crated or, better yet, trained to a tie-down next to the owner’s desk or work space.
Not everyone is a dog lover and their rights need to be respected. Common areas like the break room and kitchen should be off limits to the dogs. Some people are allergic, and although they may like dogs, shouldn’t be around them and their hair. Make sure everyone has a say in where the dogs are allowed to go and what they are allowed to do. Set training standards. One place I worked at had a simple test for the dogs. If they passed, they got to come to work. If they didn’t pass they could test again the next month. Training was heartily encouraged this way.
Professional dog trainers are more than happy to come in and give advice and suggestions. A dog training class set up at work would be a great idea. Be pro active, get something started. Your best friend will love you for it.
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