No, you will never forget the day when you first saw your puppy and without any tiniest doubt decided to bring it home. And now your little friend is always with you, you share one space and, in a sense, one life; it is always happy to see you, and when looking into your eyes, it seems your puppy is reading your mind. Your dog has become your dear companion, still, something prevents you from thinking that you live up to its loyal expectations of you. Because every day, from Monday to Friday, you go to your workplace and, having closed the door, ruthlessly leave your dog behind.

This situation is familiar to any dog-owner and it left many scars on their hearts. However, the educational organization for professional pet-sitters, Pet Sitters International, offered its vision on the way of addressing this issue back in 1999.  And this is how the day when it is ok to get your dog to your workplace, the Take Your Dog to Work Day was launched! It is celebrated every year on June 22nd and implies several goals—the first is to celebrate friendship with a pet, the second is to encourage employers to allow dogs (and other pets) at work, and the third is to promote adoptions of dogs and other pets from rescue centers, local shelters, and humane societies.

In this article we will pay closer attention to the Take Your Dog to Work day from the perspective of all the parties engaged in this holiday: dog-owners and their colleagues at work, employers, and, of course, the leading characters of this event—dogs. And following the tips provided in this text you will unequivocally raise your dog’s chances to produce a bright, positive, and unforgettable impression on your company’s staff!

First of all, if you have in mind the idea of taking your dog to your workplace, you must be sure that your dog fits your office environment. If you find that one or more of the features from the list below characterize your dog, just forget about your plan:

  • Your dog has never communicated with strangers
  • His or her character has signs of aggressiveness or irritability
  • He or she is very shy or too friendly
  • Your dog has a fear of something
  • Your dog jumps on people
  • He or she barks a lot
  • Your dog is not potty-trained
  • He or she has growled at strangers before

And if you’re lucky enough to have a dog without any of those characteristics and thus the one that fits the initiative to take him to your workplace, you should think of the next step—to prepare your office for your dog’s visit:

  1. Check If your co-workers wouldn’t mind you bringing a dog to the office. In most cases, they really wouldn’t; still, there happen to be people allergic to dogs or those who are afraid of dogs or just in some way oppose you bringing your pup to the office. Whatever the reason, you have to be respectful of them.
  2. Remove all potentially dangerous for dog items from the workspace. It’s no secret that the office environment is not the safest one for dogs, as there are quite a few items that jeopardize your beloved puppy’s safety. Among them are permanent markers, electrical cords, poisonous office plants, and pesticides. Before you get your dog to the office, all those items must be set out of your dog’s paw and jaws' reach.

After making basic preparations for your office space for your dog’s visit, it’s time to take care of the preparation of the visit itself—for how it most likely will be happening and its potential risks.

  1. Pack a bag for your dog. You can’t go without this necessary pack for your dog, otherwise, you put your dog’s visit at risk of making a negative impression on your co-workers and becoming an unpleasant experience for your pet. To prevent this scenario, pack a bag for your dog with a bottle of water, food, a toy, a leash, safe disinfectant, and paper towels.
  2. Have a talk about your dog with your co-workers.  This means sharing with them information on the main rules of dog feeding and petting, to prevent dangerous situations that may potentially end in your dog’s maltreatment or scaring, and just basic memos of conduct around your dog to avoid spoiling your dog’s behavior by your co-workers. So, in this photo retouching company, it is a rule that everyone who comes to work with animals in the morning meeting should share short rules for handling their pet.
  3. Have a plan B. The most principal value for you as a dog-owner is the health (including mental health) of your precious pet. You should always keep that in mind and prevent any dangerous or uncomfortable situations from happening to your dog. You can never know exactly when they are going to happen, so you must be prepared for them beforehand. Prepare a way to go back home or for a walk with your dog in case he or she feels uncomfortable. “Having a dog at the workplace is great for staff, but the dog-owner must make sure his dog has a place where he can escape to” – advises Jeremy Katz, a marketing director of Adsy.

And finally, you should take special care of your dog before the day of his appearing at your office, to make the right impression and produce good memories for you and all your co-workers:

Take care of your dog’s look and manners. It’s needless to mention the importance of the first impression, so make sure your little friend is clean and isn’t experiencing any health difficulties. And it’s not any less important to take care of his manners—to be sure that your dog won’t cause any problems in your office and won’t get overly stressed. It is strongly advised to teach your dog basic commands, to relax, and calmly greet people.

The Take Your Dog to Work day is a great opportunity to socialize your dog in your workplace environment. And it is also a great day for your co-workers, as pets are known to reduce stress, increase productivity, and motivation!