Posts Tagged ‘Take Your Dog To Work’

Tomorrow is Take Your Dog to Work Day

Thursday, June 25th, 2015
Great for Morale, But What About Productivity?

Great for Morale, But What About Productivity?

Tomorrow is the seventeenth annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. Actually, for me, every day that I am not traveling is Take Your Dog to Work Day, but for everyone else, Pet Sitters International organized this annual celebration to showcase the benefits to employee morale of having dogs in the office and to promote pet adoption. Pet Sitters International has also put together a planning guide to ensure a successful day. If having dogs in the office is not a daily event for your business, then take a few steps to prepare in advance for your canine visitors. Make sure you don’t have any employees with allergies that may be triggered coming into contact with dogs at the office. Verify that your office is pet-safe with no cables for a pet to chew on and no hazards that could cause injury. All dogs coming into the office should be current on their vaccinations. Put together a kit with food and water bowls and toys for the dogs to enjoy while people work. Should a dog be uncomfortable in an office environment, have a plan to take him or her home or to the doggy babysitter. Never leave a dog unattended in a car while you are at work or elsewhere.

So how much work can you get done when you have dogs in the office? I find their presence to be very helpful. Coco and Henry like to go out every two hours or so for a short leash walk and to take their potty breaks. That allows me to schedule my time to be productive in two-hour “chunks” and I return to my desk refreshed and ready to resume work. Without the dogs, I would never enjoy nature and take walks every two hours. This photograph, by the way, shows Coco with her friend Louise, the black cocker spaniel on the left.  We are just outside the patio adjoining my home office playing a game before returning to work. If you decide to participate in Take Your Dog to Work Day, it can be great fun, just make sure everyone stays safe by following the tips in the referenced planning guide.