Top Tips for Bringing Your Dog to Work
In honour of National ‘Bring Your Dog to Work Day’ 2019, Jon Kay, owner of Camp Tails Doggy Daycare in Bury St Edmunds, shares with us 5 top tips for bring your dog to the office!
1) Ensure your dog is confident enough to not need / strive for your attention all day
You want to make sure you don’t abuse your employer’s good will with a dog that is taking too much of your focus off your day-to-day work.
2) Your dog should be people-friendly and confident
They will no doubt get a lot of attention from other workers in the office which can be great, but for an anxious dog this is terrifying, so do assess suitability of your environment.
3) Make provisions to take them out for a walk and a play on your breaks
This may seem obvious but the majority of dogs won’t be content to sit and do nothing for the 10 hour work day, so give them a special walk and playtime in and around your breaks. Also – don’t forget to give them plenty of opportunity for toileting. The last thing you want is an accident on your nice office carpet!
4) Give them space
Ensure they have their own area to retreat to. It can be overly stimulating and every dog is different. They will most likely settle and be quite content given the opportunity. Perhaps bring a home comfort toy and bed to make them feel comfortable. A brain activity / Kong stuffed with some treats is a great treat but also will keep them entertained and content.
5) If there are other dogs in the workplace – ensure your dog has the correct social skills
It’s important your dog is happy around other dogs and understands basic meeting and greeting etiquette. We try to show all our dogs how to be respectful of each other and learn that not every dog is going to be your best friend.
Overall, enjoy having your companion with you! It can be a great stress buster, conversation starter and can elevate the whole mood in a workplace. You’ll be surprised how productive you can be if you take a couple of minutes out for a doggy cuddle!