Who Takes Their Dog To Work With Them?

[OSoSwift]

I took my dogs to work with me for ten years. When I changed jobs I took them in sometimes, but they were not really supposed to be in there, but my bosses didn't mind (as long as I didn't abuse the privildge) as they were well trained and well behaved.

At my job where I took them for 10 years we had 2 Dobes (mine) an Anatolian and a Vizsla. All got along really well, all were bitches and two were desexed in the beginning, then one was enitre and the rest were desexed.

[stormie]

Yep, Porp has come to work with me every single day since I got him at 9wks. In my previous clinic he had a bed next to my chair in the staff room and just hung out there all day, but at the new clinic he's in the backyard with the Boss's Newfy and Xbred, with beds and crates in their laundry for sleeping. Though when its quiet, he's in the waiting room sleeping next to me behind the desk.

[The Ark]

I haven't actually asked if mine are welcome at work, but have taken them in a few times regardless. I do bookkeeping for a smallish firm, and really a dog under my desk doesn't cause too many problems. I have also had to work from home a couple of times in the last few weeks as it is too hard to decide where to put all the doggies when it is raining. My employers have been fine with one dog at a time, but I don't think they'd be too keen on having 2 min pins, a greyhound, an Aussie Shepherd pup and an aged Malt x in the top office area.

[MavericksMission]

I take mine to work every now and then

They love a day out and all the attention from the staff.

Especially if I am working down in the laundry for the day, they come in and keep my company!

I work at an animal hospital, so I guess it is appropriate

[MavericksMission]

Whoops. Double Post.

Edited May 26, 2010 by MavericksMission

[animalia]

My dog does and annoys every person and dog around her with her persistent barking

[MsKatie]

Mine only come in with me on the weekend when there are no kids around - and even then they are not even really supposed to be on the school grounds and I watch them closely to make sure they don't pee anywhere thay shouldn't.

Must take Earl in one day to meet the kids though - have had a few family pets in to visit the classroom - including a litter of puppies.

Would love to be in job where I could take them :D

[KitKat]

My boys can't come in to work and if i can get back out to where i was i can at least smooch the work dogs and take them for walks in my lucnh break :D

[SmoothieGirl]

Ha! I work at the head office for a large bank, that isn't going to happen anytime soon. But I do work from home regularly and they are my favourite days. Good long walk in the morning for the both of us, then work, then sometimes a private obed lesson for us both in the afternoon (or a visit to the dog park), followed by more work for me.

The funniest though is if I'm on a teleconference at home and Bronte decides its play time. Apparently the Collie voice travels really well over the phone and she always gets a few laughs. Many a time I have finished my call sitting on my front step as its the only way I can get away from her and her LOUD bark.

[zoozoo]

I wish I could take my dog to work but everytime I ask my boss she laughs at me.

It would also be too hard to take him on public transport, toilet breaks, etc. And I'm risking the chance of people bringing their cats in (Cats! Yuck!!).

[Luvmy4]

Doesn't count I'm a sahm but mine has visited my son's classroom and did a day at playgroup

[Jake-K9]

When I had a job I used to take the malinut... hoping I can find another where he can come along too...

[dee136]

Relatively new on here but thought I would join in this topic as I've had such good experiences taking mine into work.

I work as a nurse doing night shift in a low-care nursing home and often take in one of my dogs. (have a 2.5yr old mal & 1.5yr old sibe)

I find they actually make my job a lot easier! We have quite a few residents who suffer from anxiety &/or have dementia, as well as a number of other behavioral conditions. When I don't have a dog with me I spend an enormous amount of my night spending 1:1 time trying to calm residents and stop inappropriate behaviors, often with no luck so drug therapy is the next option. I find for a large majority, a visit from a dog works 10 times better than 1:1 time, and without the need to medicate.

Residents who can be verbally aggressive and completely non-compliant with staff, meet the dog and there is a complete change in mood & behavior. One particular resident who I have never seen smile, met the mal and broke into a big smile then giggles. She loved shaking "hands" with him and when it was time for us to leave in the morning, kept coming back to the office asking "can I just say goodbye to Chilly again?".

Other residents smile while they reminisce about their own past pets while giving mine pats.

One evening when either dog hadn't been in for a week, I had one woman pull out a doggy calendar and say "that's just like yous dogs". This blew me away as she has Alzheimers and usually doesn't remember any of the staff, let alone the fact that she could connect me with the dogs.

We have 70yr old man with severe depression, he has a shed out the back to potter around in, as well as make furniture. He loves to take the dog out with him in the morning for some "man time". It's wonderful to see one of my boys trotting along next to him & following his commands.

I can't take a dog in as often as I would like to as I need my partner to be home the following morning to look after the sulky dog that has been left home. I also think having 2 would be a lot of work as their interactions with the residents have to be very closely supervised as some conditions can make people quite unpredictable.

[fiveplusone]

Relatively new on here but thought I would join in this topic as I've had such good experiences taking mine into work.

I work as a nurse doing night shift in a low-care nursing home and often take in one of my dogs. (have a 2.5yr old mal & 1.5yr old sibe)

I find they actually make my job a lot easier! We have quite a few residents who suffer from anxiety &/or have dementia, as well as a number of other behavioral conditions. When I don't have a dog with me I spend an enormous amount of my night spending 1:1 time trying to calm residents and stop inappropriate behaviors, often with no luck so drug therapy is the next option. I find for a large majority, a visit from a dog works 10 times better than 1:1 time, and without the need to medicate.

Residents who can be verbally aggressive and completely non-compliant with staff, meet the dog and there is a complete change in mood & behavior. One particular resident who I have never seen smile, met the mal and broke into a big smile then giggles. She loved shaking "hands" with him and when it was time for us to leave in the morning, kept coming back to the office asking "can I just say goodbye to Chilly again?".

Other residents smile while they reminisce about their own past pets while giving mine pats.

One evening when either dog hadn't been in for a week, I had one woman pull out a doggy calendar and say "that's just like yous dogs". This blew me away as she has Alzheimers and usually doesn't remember any of the staff, let alone the fact that she could connect me with the dogs.

We have 70yr old man with severe depression, he has a shed out the back to potter around in, as well as make furniture. He loves to take the dog out with him in the morning for some "man time". It's wonderful to see one of my boys trotting along next to him & following his commands.

I can't take a dog in as often as I would like to as I need my partner to be home the following morning to look after the sulky dog that has been left home. I also think having 2 would be a lot of work as their interactions with the residents have to be very closely supervised as some conditions can make people quite unpredictable.

Awesome!

I think there should be dogs like this in every residental care facility on every shift!

[mita]

One evening when either dog hadn't been in for a week, I had one woman pull out a doggy calendar and say "that's just like yous dogs". This blew me away as she has Alzheimers and usually doesn't remember any of the staff, let alone the fact that she could connect me with the dogs.

We have 70yr old man with severe depression, he has a shed out the back to potter around in, as well as make furniture. He loves to take the dog out with him in the morning for some "man time". It's wonderful to see one of my boys trotting along next to him & following his commands.

Welcome to DOL!

I loved all your post because it's more proof about the wonderful results coming out of research into how dogs help elderly people in nursing homes.

The University of Qld has been conducting one study where dogs visit people with Alzheimers....& there the patients are responding in amazing ways...just like you've described.

Also it's interesting the dog breeds involved. Many people think of 'therapy dogs' are being small, fluffy & toy like. But you have a mal & a sibe.....& the dogs in the U of Q study included a german shepherd & a staffy.

Of course, some therapy dogs are smaller. One little tibetan spaniel boy here, is owned by a nursing home manager & he goes to work with her.

His name is very suitable for his work....Aspro!

[dee136]

Thanks for the welcome.

I can't believe that with the results and responses that dogs get working with the elderly that there are still so many places that don't allow dogs.

We used to have a residents small fluffy dog living at our facility but it was only beneficial for that one woman as it was blind, deaf, incontinent and shy. Not sure whether the residents ignored it because it was small and went unnoticed, or because it was very unresponsive.

I find that aside from 2 residents, the rest love the size of my large dogs as they fill the room with their big size and big personality.

We have relatives bring in dogs and the residents that are nearby love it.

A new woman moved in recently with her small fluffy dog, the dog seems a bit bewildered and has been a bit snappy but hopefully once it settles in it will be of benefit to the residents.

[Tokkie]

I do!!!

My boss doesn't mind, there are a lot of dogs anyway..... Dog grooming salon.

[cointreau]

Can't take my girl to work, its a human hospital I work 12 hour shifts which gives me more days off to spend with my girl, not a bad compromise really.

[lillim]

I've taken Misha into the office with me once, I came prepared with a bag of goodies and toys thinking she'd be bored tied up to my desk all day and she'd want to go where the action was and she just slept all day next to the heater