Is your pup ready for the 9-5 grind?
Is your pup ready for the 9-5 grind?
Bringing your dog to work
by Ester Price
Home Comforts
Just like you might bring an office plant back to the office to replace the one you left behind during the lockdown, personal effects spruce up your workspace and you’ll need to gather a few items that will help your dog feel at home, too.
So, don’t forget their comfy bed so they can zonk out while you work. Gather some of your pooches’ favorite toys and items that remind them of home. Plus, bring lots of treats to reward their good behaviors.
Train Your Dog to Behave at Work
Your pooch must learn to behave while at the office or you could find yourself in trouble. Bad behavior and habits such as barking, running wildly, unwanted sniffing and jumping will not be tolerated for long.
Going to the office for the first time or after a long break may get your dog excited. The good news is that you can nip these issues in the bud with some simple training. These fundamental training skills will strengthen your bond. Your dog will probably enjoy learning a few tricks (especially as a way to score treats).
Good Manners
Basic commands like sit and stay can be used to calm your dog at work.
Barking can be a complicated behavior to discourage or correct. Your best bet to reduce barking is to ignore it as much as possible. By engaging with your dog in any way when they bark, you are helping to reinforce the behavior. When it comes to dissuading unwanted behaviors like barking, remember that the goal is to reward the good behavior. Not punish the bad. Encourage your dog when they’re behaving the way you like, and ignore them when they’re acting less than professional.
It will be hard to ignore a barking dog at work. Start training and encouraging good behavior at home and continue this at the office. Be consistent with them and they will soon learn not to bark.
Socialize Your Dog for Work
Remember how nervous you were on your first day of work? Well, your dog will feel exactly the same way on their return to work or first time at the office.
It’s important to take the proper socialization steps so your dog is ready for whatever the office has to throw at them. Ideally, you should socialize your dog as early as possible. If you have a puppy, the first 3–4 months are prime socialization time, after which it can get more difficult. Depending on your dog’s personality, age, and other factors, the ideal isn’t always possible. That being said, here are a few steps you can take to get your dog ready to handle the office.
Steps
- Introduce Your Dog to Coworkers. Take your dog for a quick, leashed walk around the office and introduce them to the people in your area. Offer treats and praise when your dog is behaving well when they meet new people
- Introduce Your Dog to Coworkers’ Dogs. Go for a walk in neutral territory with other dogs from the office and their owners. Walking with other dogs is a great way to make introductions and help new dogs get off on the right paw. Give plenty of treats for both dogs as you make the introduction. Watch out for signs of stress or aggression. If things are going well, just back off for a while.
- Get Your Dog Ready for the Commute. If your dog’s only experience with the car is to either the vet or the groomer, they’ll enjoy the commute to and from work even less than you do. Take them for a few fun trips in the car so they don’t always associate travel with fear or anxiety.
When you are back in the office continue with these best practices:
- Take lots of outdoor bathroom breaks and walks
- Reward your dog when they go outside, where they’re supposed to
- Do not punish them if there’s an accident, as this can make matters worse
- Don’t forget to pack poop bags as well as cleaning supplies… just in case
If your pooch is joining you in the office for the first time, it is important the dog be potty trained!
How to Tell If Your Dog Is Stressed at Work
Going back to the office or indeed going to the office for the first time could be scary for your pooch and stress them out.
If you see your dog exhibiting stressful behaviors, give them a break from the office. Options may be taking them home, or putting the dog in a crate or bed to calm down. Further training may be needed before you try again.
Consider that many of your colleagues will want to befriend your dog, but simply don’t know when the dog wants to be left alone or has had enough. Here are some signs that should give you an idea if your dog is a good fit.
The Signs
- Ears Pulled Back: There’s a subtlety to reading your dog’s ears. They might pull back their ears when anxious as well as when they’re relaxed. But there are other telltale signs. If your dog’s ears are pulled back tightly against their head, mixed with a tense body posture, they are likely nervous and should not be forced into more intense situations.
- Lip Licking: Is your dog licking their lips/nose like they just gobbled down a meal, even when they haven’t had anything to eat or drink? If so, this is often a sign of stress. Ease up and give them a safe space.
- Scratching: If your dog suddenly starts scratching but you have no reason to believe they’re itchy, it could be another sign they’re stressed.
- Shaking: Full-body shaking is one way your dog might try to release stress.
More Signs
- Tucked Tail: Your dog’s tail is a fantastic gauge for their mood. Elevated and wagging means all signs are good; tucked firmly between their legs and you’ve got a frightened pooch on your hands. However, don’t always be fooled simply because their tail is wagging. Be mindful of the other signs your dog is displaying. Tail wagging can just as easily be a sign that they’re angry/agitated as happy/excited.
- Whale Eyes: Dogs don’t look at people directly in the eyes. A friendly dog will be more willing to look someone in the face. A wary dog, on the other hand, will often give you “whale eyes,” which you can identify by the position of the head in relation to the eyes. When the dog’s head is pointed one way, while looking to the side, it means they’re keeping an eye on a potential threat. This is done while keeping their body aimed in the direction they’ll go if/when it’s time to skedaddle.
- Barking, Growling, Cowering: While you might recognize the symptoms of a dog that doesn’t want to interact, others might not. Kindly let your coworkers know that a barking or growling dog wants to be left alone and will not be won over.
