The Dog Friendly Office

Every day is bring-your-dog-to-work-day at my dog friendly office! In fact, a huge factor in adopting my dog in the first place was because I could bring her to work with me every day. I have been working for a small non-profit company for over three years, and our staff consists of five people; four of us have dogs we bring to work daily.

At first I was apprehensive about the potential problems that could arise from having Sadie with me each and every day. I adopted her shortly after being hired at Environmental Media Association (EMA) and because I truly didn’t know her very well yet, it was hard to predict her success or failure at the office. Initially I worried that she wouldn’t survive as an office dog - that I might end up having to leave her home all day, or that she might wander out our suite door and find herself on bustling 3rd Street.

Well, it’s been over three years now and Sadie considers my work place her second home. She legitimately looks forward to coming to work every day – though I cannot say the same for the rest of the office. She greets every visitor with a lick – and the occasional jump that I have worked for years to correct, and has never even attempted to walk out the door without being on leash.

Besides the obvious benefits for the dog, having a dog friendly office also offers many advantages for humans as well. If I am having a rough day I can take a five-minute cuddle break. My lunch breaks consist of walking Sadie through our beautiful mid-city neighborhood, getting some fresh air and mid-day exercise. And most importantly, having dogs at our office has offered the opportunity for building morale. My coworkers and I walk together every day; we are a pack. Our dogs have become best buddies, attending one another’s birthday parties and hiking together in Runyon Canyon.

I truly believe that having Sadie at the office has given me the opportunity to become closer with my coworkers. Rather than causing the distraction I feared, the dog friendly office has become a calm, happy place …until of course UPS comes to the door!

Jenny
Volunteer Coordinator