6 Tips for a Happy “Take Your Dog to Work Day”
Share
Take Your Dog to Work Day, is rapidly approaching, so PetsWeekly is here with some helpful tips and reminders on how to make this year’s joining of home and work life a success.
For those of you who’ve taken your dogs with you to work before, this stuff is old hat. But, if you’ve never had the privilege of taking your favorite fluffy friend with you to the office, it’s critical that you prepare your workplace, yourself and—most importantly—your dog for the party!
1. Check with your employer
If office memos and posters haven’t made it obvious already, ask management if they’re celebrating Take Your Dog to Work Day this year. If they are, ask for information on their policies regarding the holiday and any special events planned for the day. If they’re not, then talk to them about the possibility of celebrating next year. Above all, be understanding.
2. Prepare your office space
The day before you bring Fido into the office with you, make sure your workspace is “puppy-proof.”
- Secure any dangling wires or cords.
- Make sure all electronic equipment is safe from being knocked over, peed on, chewed on, or otherwise damaged.
- Do a floor check and pick up any bits lying there: paper clips, wads of tape, staples, etc.
Put all items that might be toxic to your dog up out of their reach or in a drawer: pens, markers, correction fluid, gum, candy, etc. - Spy out desk corners and other areas your dog might chew on and keep an eye out for any chewing during the day. Even if your dog isn’t a chewer, they may decide to gnaw on something if they get anxious or bored.
3. Prepare everything your dog might need in advance
Pack a bag with food, water, dishes, medicines, snacks, plastic gloves, waste removal bags, paper towels, hand sanitizer, grooming wipes and anything else you might need. Be sure to include your dog’s vet records in the bag so you don’t forget them the next day. Be sure that you plan for the transport to work as well. Your pet should be secured at all times, particularly during transport to and from your work location.
4. Prepare an exit plan
It’s possible your dog and the office won’t mix very well, so plan ahead for what you’ll do if that turns out to be the case. Check with your employer as they may allow time for trips back home if things aren’t going well. If your dog is small enough to fit in a crate under your desk, bringing this along (along with a blanket to cover the carrier so you can make a safe, quiet place for them to hang out) will help you avoid having to leave work—unless your pup just can’t seem to calm down even after you’ve put them in their hideaway.
5. Don’t make people greet, pet, or otherwise associate with your dog
The same goes for your co-workers dogs. It’s best to just let everyone “go with the flow,” and it’s a lot easier to gauge and correct unwanted or dangerous behavior from your dogs if everyone is associating with one another from a distance. Click here to read some excellent guides on preparing your dog for the big day on the Take Your Dog to Work Day website under the “Handy downloads” section in the center of the page.
6. Approach co-workers’ dogs with caution
Even though most pet parents will keep their dogs at home if they’re not used to this sort of social event, it’s smart to exercise caution. When you do associate with the dogs of your co-workers, do it as you would any other dog you don’t know. Click here to read an excellent article on this subject, and watch this video for some pointers on reading doggy behavior.
BONUS: Respect the rules
There is still a lot of breed-specific legislation out there. Be aware of those rules and respect them. It’s important to keep your job so you can keep your dogs fed.
We hope you all have safe and fur-filled Take Your Dog to Work Day! As always, we encourage your comments! If you have any other tips for PetsWeekly readers or you’d like to ask us a question about bringing your dog to work that wasn’t covered in this article, post a comment below.
