They say every dog has his day. This year, that day is Friday, June 22, the 20th national Take Your Dog to Work Day.
Once again, dog owners throughout North America will prod their poodles and pull their pugs to their place of employment.
The event is promoted by Pet Sitters International (petsit.com/takeyourdog if you think I’m pulling your paw) and has been growing nationwide since the first year, according to the organization’s Vice-President of Marketing and Operations Beth Stultz.
Involvement ranges from merely taking a dog to work, to holding office pet parties and even raising money and awareness for local pet rescue organizations.
“I’ve heard about an owner/dog look-alike contest with proceeds going to a local animal charity,” Stultz said. “Although I’m not sure I’d want to win that contest!”
To participate in this year’s event, your first step should be to consult your employer. But don’t be too hard on a boss who shoves his face in yours, refusing to sanction it. That will merely confirm what you’ve always suspected: your dog’s breath is better than your boss’.
Should you decide to press the issue, however, you could always attempt to persuade a stubborn boss by pointing out that some breeds are invaluable in the workplace. For instance, if your boss is always complaining about staff who never make it to meetings on time, explain that your border collie will round up those slack stragglers and promptly herd them into the conference room before you can say “Lassie come home.”
Speaking of the iconic TV pooch, if you’re a collie owner, you may want to mention how dependable they are at alerting others when a colleague falls down the elevator shaft.
Needless to say, a few words of caution should be heeded before hauling your massive mutt to the office.
Some people genuinely suffer from cynophobia (fear of dogs), so it’s a good idea to check with co-workers prior to the event. While a growling Rottweiler would certainly cast an imposing figure sitting by the desk guarding your stapler, it might be unsettling for some colleagues if left unleashed to roam around the water cooler.
And since dogs love to chew, you also should keep a close eye on him at work to ensure he doesn’t run off with stuff. Just because you steal stationery supplies from the office, doesn’t mean your dog should.
While well-behaved dogs visiting most businesses shouldn’t pose any major problems, establishments are inappropriate for pets. If you work in the fast-food industry, it’s probably best to forgo participation since some customers tend to frown on fang marks in their cheeseburgers. Likewise, don’t take your dog to work if you’re in the boomerang testing business — you’ll drive the poor animal nuts.
Finally, keep in mind that coworkers also may bring their dogs to the office, so it’s important that yours can socialize with fellow canines. Your boss won’t appreciate the place looking like a Civil War battlefield at the end of the day.
On the other hand, you don’t want your dog to be too well-behaved. Should the boss ever realize your dog fetches things more quickly than you and comes running immediately when whistled, Fido may be promoted to your position while you’re sent home to the doghouse.
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, in Alabama, and has written features, columns, and interviews for more than 700 magazines and newspapers; getnickt.com.