Pawsitive Workplaces: How Office Dogs Boost Creativity and Culture
Because meetings are less boring with dogs..
My banker, lawyer, and doctor friends may not be taking their dogs to the office anytime soon, but for many of us who work in creative industries, every day is “Bring Your Dog to Work Day.” I work at a marketing agency that has allowed employees to bring their dogs to work for years – a popular perk and excellent recruitment tool. There aren’t many formal rules in place; they just trust us to use common sense by leaving barkers or aggressive dogs at home and trusting us to be polite adults who get our dogs vaccinated and clean up after them.
The last marketing agency had a more formal “Dogs in the Office” plan in place. It was a program I was happy to help build when the agency CEO popped by my office one day shortly after we returned to work as the world emerged from COVID lockdowns. She had asked her team if they were comfortable returning to the office, to which many of us replied, “I’m ready to come back, but I’ll really miss my dog.”
“Please do some research and see if there are any city or county ordinances that prevent us from allowing dogs in this building,” she asked. “If you can’t find any, let’s outline a program and make it happen.”
Since there were no ordinances in place, in a matter of weeks, the office patio had been converted into a small dog park, fire hydrant and all. But the program wasn’t without stipulations. Here are some things I learned in building my company’s “Dogs in the Office” program:
Don’t overlook the obvious. It may seem like common sense that professionals know not to bring in a dog that barks incessantly or has bladder issues. Don’t overestimate your colleagues. Spell out expectations, including things like having your dog fixed before bringing it in. (As our program launched, we did have a female doodle puppy who was too young to be spayed, along with a hunting dog whose owner opted not to neuter him. So discussions and common-sense guidelines helped prevent a pointer-doodle from being conceived in the middle of the workplace.) Let people know that if they don’t clean up after their dog, they will lose the privilege of having Fido with them – and stock up on office cleaning supplies accordingly.
Keep some things off-limits. Dogs in meetings are cute. Dogs in the kitchen are not so cute. We posted signs designating our kitchen areas as dog-free zones. We encouraged allergic or dog-phobic colleagues to come forward so we could make special accommodations, though fortunately, no one did. We also asked people to forgo bringing their pups in on days when there were formal client presentations in the office.
Expect some to break the rules. When I say that some didn’t play well with others, I’m referring to the humans, not the dogs. Our two-level office shared a stairwell with other offices, many of which housed attorneys, and none allowed dogs. They weren’t keen on tumbleweeds of fur blowing through the stairwell, so I purchased a cordless vacuum and implemented a weekly stairwell vacuuming schedule that rotated between all dog owners. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. People whose dogs didn’t shed weren’t thrilled to vacuum up others’ fur. And weekly wasn’t enough, as prolific amounts of tan fur seemed to pile up daily.
There was only one coworker with a tan dog, so I politely asked her to take some extra shifts and help keep the fur in check. She refused. Being asthmatic, I wasn’t thrilled about tending to someone else’s mess, but I did for several months – it was worth it to me to keep the program intact. But I can’t say I didn’t rejoice when she resigned. And we never had fur in the stairwell again. (Side note: the same coworker allowed her dog to roam free during meetings. The large tan shepherd-mix would salivate while eyeing my squirrel-like Chihuahuas. One day, she jumped up on me, and her paw ripped the pocket of my brand-new jacket. Her owner chuckled as if it were amusing. She was young and single at the time, but I expect that if she has human children someday, they’ll be the kids throwing food and running around the table in the restaurant – and she’ll be the parent who finds that adorable.
4. Formalize the plan. Program participants were required to sign some paperwork vouching for their dogs, including: 1. A waiver absolving the agency of all liability in the event their dog bit or injured someone on company property (the agency attorney blessed the language). 2. Proof of vaccinations, which were filed by the owner and updated annually. 3. Acknowledgment of best practices – i.e., a slide deck I created to outline the rules and expectations.
5. Have fun with it. The office dogs provided lots of great content for the agency’s social media channels. Working with a bunch of very creative people, we had several avid photographers on staff who graciously hosted periodic doggie photo shoots. For $15, people could sign up for professional pet pics; those proceeds were donated to a local rescue group. (I will treasure these pictures forever.) Upon joining the agency, new dog-owning employees were given branded pet bowls and leashes. There were dog treats at happy hours, lunchtime dog walks, and frosty paws in the fridge. In short, the agency dogs became a cornerstone of our culture.
While it won’t work for every industry, in a relaxed, creative setting, dogs in the office create camaraderie, promote fitness, and relieve stress. Work may not always be a walk in the (dog) park, but no matter how stressful the project, I’m convinced that canine colleagues are inspiring little muses who make long hours and crazy deadlines more palatable for their proud humans. And that’s just good business for all.