Letting a dog in the office may seem like a strange thing to do, but only if you are not a pet owner. According to a report, over 60 million households and individuals in the US own a dog and most of them want their puppies to be in the nearest proximity around the clock.
Having a dog-friendly office is also a way for employers to create a more efficient team. How come? Well, numerous studies prove that pet-friendly companies gain substantial benefits because:
- It helps reduce stress level among employees.
- It minimizes absenteeism.
- It encourages people to work harder.
- It inspires employees to spend more hours working overtime.
But in order to create an amazing dog-friendly office, you and your team need to work together and find the best way to achieve a mutual objective. We want to help you out here by presenting 10 tips on how to achieve dog-friendliness in your company.
1. Create a Pet Policy
You don’t want to enter the dog-friendly office project without a clear set of ground rules. This is essential because you need to protect both the puppies and employees. At the same time, a pet policy will help you to avoid potential misunderstandings and find a solution for every situation.
Ground rules include basic details such as regular vaccinations, house training, disqualification criteria, and so on. Our fellow colleagues at AssignmentGeek and Best Dissertation have written dozens of pet policies, so you can consult with them in case you need advice.
2. Check the History of Every Dog
Another important rule is to always check the history of a dog’s behavior before letting it enter the offices. You need to make sure that a dog doesn’t have a history of aggressive behavior, including even the smallest incidents. That way, you will keep everyone safe and secure.
3. Provide Lots of Dog Amenities
Dog-friendly offices require a lot of amenities to always keep the situation under control and ensure a pleasant stay for all pooches. The list of items is almost endless, but you should definitely begin with the following amenities:
- Water bowls of all shapes and sizes.
- Dog gates to keep the pooches calm and peaceful.
- Toys to keep them busy and entertained.
- Stain removers are more than welcome as pets will always leave smudge behind.
4. Get Dog Beds
Puppies spend most of their time napping, so you have to consider adding enough dog beds to ensure a cozy and comfortable sleep.
5. Get Dog Treats
This goes without saying, but dog-friendly companies must always have enough food and treats for their pets. While most owners bring special food with them, it’s never a bad idea to keep some more treats on the stock in case of emergency.
6. Help Dogs with Onboarding
Employees are not the only ones who demand quality onboarding. As a matter of fact, every dog needs to get familiar with other pets in the office in a timely manner. Jake Hudson, a writer at Brill Assignment and a pooch owner, says the best idea is to let dogs meet each other in the neutral environment: “For instance, you can take a few of them for a walk and let them get acquainted with each other outdoors.”
7. Allow Dogs to Interact Every Day
One of the first things people do when entering the office is talking to their colleagues. Dogs have pretty much the same routine, so you should give them the opportunity to interact and play for a while early in the morning.
8. Save Time for a Walk
No matter how quiet or well-mannered, pooches cannot sit back and keep calm the entire day. You should take advantage of work breaks to take a walk with your pet and allow it to spend some energy outside. This is good for both sides because you could certainly use a short walk, too.
9. Follow the Three Strikes Rule
A three strikes mechanism has the purpose to ensure maximum compliance with the general rules of behavior. What does it mean? If a dog owner doesn’t respect common principles, you can tolerate it up to two times. For instance, if an employee fails to pick up after a pooch and it keeps repeating the same mistake, you have the right to remove the pet from your premises.
10. Leave a Pet-Free Zone
The last advice on our list is very important. Namely, there are a lot of people who just don’t like spending work hours next to animals, so you have to create pet-free zones to indulge those members of the team as well.
Conclusion
Dog owners know how difficult it may be to separate from their pooches every day, so it is often a good idea to create a dog-friendly office. We gave you 10 suggestions on how to put the idea into practice and enjoy the privilege of working with your puppy near you.
