Taking A New Puppy To Work

[dekadent]

I'm about(in 4 weeks lol) to bring home my new (will be 8 week old) puppy & for the one day a week where no one is home my boss has said that I can take puppy to work

The hard part is that it's only on a trial basis & my bosses main concern is that the office will end up smelling like puppy pee, so my question for everyone is, what product do you recommend to kill puppy odor, are any of the pee pads better than others for attracting the puppy so it goes where I want it too, as we don't have a yard at work I can't take puppy outside until it's older & has had all its shots (sorry for calling puppy "it", I don't know what sex I'm getting yet).

I'm going to take puppy's crate to work to spend most of it's day in initially, but what do other people take to keep puppy occupied & out of everyone else's way ?

Edited April 11, 2013 by dekadent

[Dory the Doted One]

Not sure I'll be much help, but this is what I plan to do...

I'll have my puppy at work too, with her own crate. I'll have her on a collar and lead for outside wee time on a regular basis. And hopefully some playtime. If she's in her crate she will be less likely to pee. From there outside with I hope a quick wee response time. Then back inside for some cuddle time, before back to her crate. I want to avoid pee mats if I can and be as close to home routine as I can.

There will be plenty of people for her to socialize with and while I'm mindful of disease I also want to maximize my socialization window and get her routine underway as close to home as possible. So no pee mats here, and no pees in the building.

Urine off is a good product for accidents. It's an enzyme cleaner for pet messes.

I'll have her toys and treats and plan to do short training sessions between work. ;)

[gsdog2]

Not sure I'll be much help, but this is what I plan to do...

I'll have my puppy at work too, with her own crate. I'll have her on a collar and lead for outside wee time on a regular basis. And hopefully some playtime. If she's in her crate she will be less likely to pee. From there outside with I hope a quick wee response time. Then back inside for some cuddle time, before back to her crate. I want to avoid pee mats if I can and be as close to home routine as I can.

There will be plenty of people for her to socialize with and while I'm mindful of disease I also want to maximize my socialization window and get her routine underway as close to home as possible. So no pee mats here, and no pees in the building.

Urine off is a good product for accidents. It's an enzyme cleaner for pet messes.

I'll have her toys and treats and plan to do short training sessions between work. ;)

I agree with this ^^^

I've always taken my pups/dogs to work with me from 8 weeks of age. Toileting has never been an issue as they're in my office with me and I'm able to take them outside regularly. I'm lucky there's an area outside that's not accessible to other dogs or the public. I think I would still take puppy outside (public area) if this wasn't available, although you would need to evaluate just how big a risk this would be. The crate's a great idea and also plenty of things to keep puppy occupied - chew toys are great! I've found (at home) that Bio-zet washing powder mixed into a paste is great for getting rid of smells when a 'mistake' is made.

Enjoy having your puppy at work and don't forget pics will be expected here when he/she arrives :)

[minimax]

I took my pup to work for quite a while when she was little, but I have direct access to a fairly private grass area so toileting wasn't a problem. Although I did have a pee pad down as she was being pee pad trained at home, but she never used it (except to sometimes eat her bones on :laugh: ). I didn't have her crated, but she was only small (pug) and I'm not in a busy office. She normally had people to play with when she was awake, even if one person came over at a time, for 5 minutes, that's a lot of play time! She had toys and bones, I'd feed her brekky at work, and mostly she would just sleep anyway. I have so many photos of her asleep under desks, curled up on peoples shoes :laugh:

In the whole time she was here, which was a few months, we had one accident and that was by the door when I didn't realise she was standing there to be let out. I just used what I do at home, which was vineger and water.

Oh, and don't expect to get much work done for the first few days ;)

Edited April 11, 2013 by minimax

[dekadent]

Thanks everyone for your replies, sadly I really can't take puppy outside, our little "yard" (read metre wide strip of weeds) is open to every stray dog & leashed one in the area & I'm not prepared to take the risk with my precious bub, so for the first few weeks at least it will be pee pads. I'm getting a crate to go under my desk, will have toys & water available under my desk too, I was looking online last night & saw painters drop sheets which are rubber backed, which I thought maybe I could put down in my desk area so that if there is an accident it won't actually go on the carpet & I can just take them home & wash them. As soon as puppy is old enough, we will be going outside to toilet. I am also thinking about bringing a door barrier (I have like a cubicle at work) so that puppy can have a small area to play in but can't distract anyone else, although for most days that won't be a problem as I'm the only person in my area of the office.

I'm sure this is doable, I just have to make it as pleasant an experience for the boss as I can so that it can become a permanant fixture

[minimax]

Don't forget pup also needs to learn to be alone, so although it's fun to have pup with you all the time, in the early days it's really important that she/he does spend some time alone to get used to it, because there will be times in it's life that it will need to be alone, and having been with you 24/7 from the start means it won't have learnt how to be alone.

[gsdog2]

Don't forget pup also needs to learn to be alone, so although it's fun to have pup with you all the time, in the early days it's really important that she/he does spend some time alone to get used to it, because there will be times in it's life that it will need to be alone, and having been with you 24/7 from the start means it won't have learnt how to be alone.

I think OP said it's only one day a week :)

[minimax]

Don't forget pup also needs to learn to be alone, so although it's fun to have pup with you all the time, in the early days it's really important that she/he does spend some time alone to get used to it, because there will be times in it's life that it will need to be alone, and having been with you 24/7 from the start means it won't have learnt how to be alone.

I think OP said it's only one day a week :)

for the one day a week no one is home, so the pup will be with someone every day.

[gsdog2]

Sorry minimax you're right - I missed your point. Puppies do need to have time alone, my sister had her puppy with her 24 hrs a day in the beginning and is now paying the price. Her dog stresses badly when left on her own and it's upsetting the neighbor. He has asked her to find a solution because the dog barks and cries whenever my sister and her husband leave her at home on her own. It's something that has to be 'trained' for as soon as the puppy joins your family :)

[dekadent]

Don't forget pup also needs to learn to be alone, so although it's fun to have pup with you all the time, in the early days it's really important that she/he does spend some time alone to get used to it, because there will be times in it's life that it will need to be alone, and having been with you 24/7 from the start means it won't have learnt how to be alone.

I think OP said it's only one day a week :)

for the one day a week no one is home, so the pup will be with someone every day.

Pup will only be coming to work with me one day a week, the other days my daughter has uni, so pup will be alone for part of the day & even on the days I don't work, pup will have times where I won't be with them as I have horses that also need my attention, but thank you, maybe I need to think about how I do things at work, I do have an area out in the factory where pup could go for periods as long as pup doesn't howl or bark.... I could also leave pup at home for the one day, but hate the thought of it having to spend the whole day in it's crate or shut away by itself in a room ( I can't let it have run of the house as I'm not sure what mischief my 2 older Staffys might encourage pup into! Read furniture / food stuffs / clothing destroyed ) I can see why it would be good for pup to learn to be alone, something to think on......

Edited April 12, 2013 by dekadent

[gsdog2]

dekadent definitely take the time to walk your puppy around the factory floor. We have a mechanical repair workshop with lots of noises and things going on. I've always made a point of walking my puppies (on lead) around the workshop and exposing them to as many noises as possible. The result has been dogs that are almost 'bomb proof' when it comes to storms and fireworks. I will have to dig up the pics I have taken if Indi sleeping next to one of the mechanics while everyone works around her. She can now be left off lead - I leave her mattress there for her but that's more for cleanliness than anything else.

[dekadent]

dekadent definitely take the time to walk your puppy around the factory floor. We have a mechanical repair workshop with lots of noises and things going on. I've always made a point of walking my puppies (on lead) around the workshop and exposing them to as many noises as possible. The result has been dogs that are almost 'bomb proof' when it comes to storms and fireworks. I will have to dig up the pics I have taken if Indi sleeping next to one of the mechanics while everyone works around her. She can now be left off lead - I leave her mattress there for her but that's more for cleanliness than anything else.

Hehehe thanks GSdog2, maybe factory is the wrong word, we used to have equipment stored out there & people working, but with changing requirements it's now like a great big storage area, BUT it's fully concreted (nice & easy to clean), light & airy & has lots of space where I could set up a playpen type deal, I'm now wondering if it wouldn't be better to leave puppy out there with it's crate & toys etc, so it gets time on it's own, but isn't totally isolated as people have to walk through the area to go to the bathrooms & I could bring it into the office for "visits" with me, at least until it gets older.... I'm sure there's a way to do this so that I don't create a dependent dog that suffers from separation anxiety, just not sure what the best way is, I'll also have a chat to the breeder over the weekend & see what they think, thanks for all the help everyone...please keep it coming

[megan_]

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Edited April 12, 2013 by megan_

[PuddleDuck]

Febreeze is awesome :) my old work we would have up to 15 dogs in on a day, all carpeted office, and we febreezed the hell out of any whoopsies. It never got stinky in there....just crazy

[gsdog2]

This was my Military Working Dog foster Uno. The RAAF were happy for me to take him to work and you can see from the pic I didn't crate him, but the corner of the office was his. I have to say bringing a working breed puppy to work is a LOT more work than the average puppy!

[gsdog2]

.......... and getting familiar with the workshop :)

[dancinbcs]

Make sure you do not put pee pads in the crate or it defeats the purpose of the crate. I would b more inclined to go with the baby gate or a puppy pen, put a bed in one corner and and pee pads or better still, artificial turf pad as far away from the bed area as possible. Also make sure puppy does not have access to any computer or power cables.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

Hamish started coming to work twice a week from when he was around 10-12 weeks old. Those first few weeks he spent at home getting used be on his own (generally he was having to do 10 hours at home, but then Kenz and I would play with him when we got home). So be careful about how much time it spends with people, it soooo important that they learn to be on their own.

At work I'd just take him outside to go to the toilet, and we are in a spot that is heavily trafficked but he was already pretty much toilet trained (even when left in his puppy pen he rarely used his toilet spot - fake grass with pee pad underneath - he'd often only do one or two wees during the day and wait til I got home and he could go outside) and wouldn't go anywhere inside unless he wasn't taken out after knocking at the door repeatedly.

He had access to a crate and if I couldn't watch him he was put in the crate. I work in a very dog friendly office(we generally have minimum 3 dogs in on any day), so others could watch him and also were able to take things off him that he shouldn't have. He was a good boy, but I know if it had have been Kenz there as a baby then we would have lost every computer cable and power cord in the place as she was a chronic chewer!!! So make sure it can't get to any cords and that you have heaps of chewy things for the baby.

In terms of managing him at work, Hamish has always had his breakfast at work and he gets it in a Kong so that it takes him quite some time to work his way through it (well it used to, now it doesn't take so long!) and then he would also be a bit tired after that and want a nap. Even though he is 1 year old now he still gets his breakfast in 2-3 kongs, plus a good chewy rawhide while he is at work to keep him busy and occupied so I can actually work.

Some other things to think about.... how will you manage the puppy and noise when you are on the phone etc? How will you manage if you need to be doing something NOW and puppy is asking to go to the toilet/getting in to mischief/crying/barking? Is there a safe space to leave the puppy if you need to leave it unattended? What rules will you set up for other people within the workplace around your puppy (for me this is really important, when Hamish started coming to work I briefed everyone on what he was allowed to do and not allowed to do and some training basics to help him in the office environment. Also REALLY important - often everyone wants to give them treats, this can be ok, but within reason!! I always have a little stash of treats on my desk, or his dry food, and that is what is to be used, when they run out they run out so he can't be overloaded with treats!!)? Do you have facilities to clean up accidents (we use biozet in our office)? Are you able to take puppy home if it is becoming a nuisance and boss is getting annoyed? Will you be able to drop what you are doing and take puppy to vet if needed? What will you do if someone else you work with complains about the puppy (or also then wants their dog to come to work with them, etc, etc)? I only pose these as they are things that we encourage people to think about at my work if they are going to have animals with them! And I think if you have contingency plans for every possibility it will give your boss confidence that you are really trying as hard as possible to make everything work for the best for everyone!! Having a dog at work is great, just be ready that your work day will be turned head over heels for some time and you might end up doing a longer day to get done what needs doing due to the various "puppy interruptions" that tend to occur - random visitors, toilet breaks, more visitors, etc!!

[ChewieTAG]

how I wish my work place allows dogs!

[Lollipup]

How do so many of you have work places that allow dogs? I only work 2.5 days a week and the rest of the time I run my own mobile business where pup can come with me if it's not too hot. But I can't imagine being allowed to take my dog to work at my other job. Would be nice though! They did have a guide dog there once that the boss was baby sitting. But I missed it Apparently it didn't look too good having a guide dog for the blind in their eye clinic! :laugh: