Introducing your dog to the workplace
Introducing your dog to the workplace
Introducing your dog to your workplace is best done gradually to avoid your dog becoming overwhelmed. Start by bringing them in for some half-days, if possible. Ease them in gradually by one or two days spread throughout the week until they are fully familiar with your workplace and routine and showing signs that they are fully relaxed in their new space!
Some tips to help with settling in:
Give your dog ample time to sniff around their surroundings
Bring a familiar bed or blanket from home for them to settle on
Make sure they have their own quiet area to settle in, away from busy walkways
Have something for them to engage with while you’re working, such as an appropriate long-lasting chew, an enriching toy, or something else they enjoy
Keep some treats locked away for rewarding desirable behaviour!
Consider a sign at your desk asking people not to approach, at least for the first while, so your dog doesn’t get overwhelmed with lots of new people!
Signs that they’re happy and comfortable to look out for:
Settling in quickly to their designated area
They seem relaxed and aren’t displaying any signs of stress, or anxiety
Mildly inquisitive of, but not upset or excited by, noises and movements around them.
When your dog is not showing signs of anxiety or frustration on days they’re in the workplace with you, you can try bringing them in every day for a week and see how they react.
Remember, your dog might cope very well on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday might become fed up or a little overwhelmed, and this could mean that Thursday or Friday might be too much for them to cope with.
For example:
Monday: Arrive at work, many people stopping by your desk to ask how your weekend went and tell you what they got up to.
Tuesday: It was an extremely windy morning, causing disruption to your usual commute. You had to take an alternative route to work as a result. At lunchtime, your dog didn't get as long a walk as they’re used to.
Wednesday: There was a problem in the office and an electrician was called in. He had to use a drill and it was quite loud and high-pitched.
Thursday: It was your colleague's birthday, they are two desks over and everyone came by to sing happy birthday and give them a cake.
Friday: Everyone in the office is getting excited for the weekend. People are much more bubbly and talkative than usual so the noise in the office is a lot louder than normal.
Signs that your dog isn’t coping to look out for:
Avoiding interaction with a lowered head and averted eye contact
Showing signs of frustration or fear, such as baring teeth, growling, barking, or lunging
Showing anxious body language, such as ears back, wide eyes, lip licking, and tense body posture
Laying down exposing their stomach with their tail tucked in, ears back, and a closed mouth.
Yawning is to be expected if they’ve just had a walk or it’s late in the day and they’re feeling tired. But yawning could also be a sign of stress, so watch out for this.
