How to Celebrate Take Your Dog to Work Day

Although some offices allow dogs and other pets to roam freely amongst the cubicles, most office environments restrict daily professional surroundings to humans only. If you’ve been itching to bring Fido into the office, but haven’t had a good excuse yet, consider asking your boss to celebrate “Take Your Dog to Work” day on June 22nd. The day has gone to the dogs as participating companies celebrate canine companionship and efforts being made to adopt a dog from the local shelter or humane society.

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Steps

1. 1
   Determine if your company plans to participate. Before you start picking out the appropriate outfit for your pet to wear to work, find out if your company is already on board with celebrating the day. Talk to your human resources professional to see if this is day they plan to recognize. If it’s a completely new concept, ask HR if you can direct them to the “Take Your Dog To Work” day (TYDTWD) website and try to get their impression of how they’d feel about celebrating the day. If there are no major concerns, take the next step and talk with your boss (or ask if this is something HR needs to present).
   
   
2. 2
   Discuss the idea with your boss. The official TYDTWD site has several ways to “win over” your boss; however, a few simple steps you can take include planning what you will say to him or her ahead of time, addressing any concerns about having dogs roaming the office during work hours and liability drawbacks. Inspire your boss with talk that emphasizing how productive it can be to have dogs at work and how dog-owning employees will embrace this opportunity and see the workplace as inclusive of their pets.
   
   
   • Share the benefits of participating in the day, such as the stat that 55 million Americans believe that having a pet in the workplace leads to a more creative environment and 38 million people find that the work environment is more productive if a pet is present. You could also show your boss how some offices, like Red Balloon, actually own an office dog that is cared for by everyone and even taken for walks by employees at lunchtime, all in the name of making work fun (and therefore, more productive).
   • Download the TYDTWD Action Pack to get started at http://www.takeyourdog.com/Get-Involved/register.php. Of course, you can participate and celebrate the day without registering your company; however, the organization offers special tips and ways to make the day run smoothly.
3. 3
   Consider partnering and/or sponsoring a local adoption organization or shelter. One of the best ways to show your affection for your four legged friend is to promote adoption through rescue. Show your support by either asking representatives to come to your office with adoptable pets or bring information about their organization to be handed out to employees and clients.
   
   
   • Contact your local humane society. Every county has a chapter of the National Humane Society, so conduct a quick Internet or phone book search for a location near your office.
   • Sponsor a national adoption group. Organizations such as Adopt-a-Pet or the ASPCA are always in need of support.
   • Reach out to local rescue groups. Some local rescue groups specialize in certain breeds so if your office is full of Labrador Retriever lovers you may want to sponsor a local Lab rescue organization, for example.
4. 4
   Establish rules about what dog owners can and can’t do while their dog is at work. Although many dog owners may contend that they have a very well behaved, adaptable dog, a room full of dogs that do not know each other can create pandemonium. Before inviting employees’ dogs to work, establish some clear cut rules to minimize the insanity.
   
   
   • Leash rule. Unless your pup is in your office with either the door closed or the area blocked off (with a baby gate, for example), consider asking each dog owner to have their dog leashed in order to minimize any chances the dogs could fight or run away.
   • Inspect offices. Many dogs will eat virtually anything so have each employee inspect their office for any poisonous plants, candy and chocolate, other foods bad for dogs, hanging electrical cords or any small items a dog may want to chew or eat.
   • Ask each pet owner to come prepared. This means employees should bring dog food, bowls, treats, toys and even bedding. Additionally, ask owners to bring a pooper scooper and baggies to remove waste from your grounds. Also, pet owners should bathe and groom their pup before the big day at work to minimize shedding and bad odors.
   • Inquire about each dog’s temperament. Some dogs may love to interact with dogs and humans, whereas others may become frightened or even aggressive. If an employee has a dog that has a few emotional issues, suggest he or she bring photos or videos of his or her pup to work instead of putting the dog through the trauma of exposing him to office conditions.
5. 5
   Promote and prepare for the special day. In addition to providing employees with enough time to get their pup ready to come to work, promote your support for local animal rescue efforts.
   
   
   • Send internal emails and post flyers. Depending on how your company communication works, send a detailed memo or email describing why you plan to celebrate the day, what each employee can do to support the cause and rules and regulations surrounding pets at work.
   • Find fun ways to celebrate employees’ pups. From inviting a photographer to take family pet photos or holding a cutest dog contest to holding a doggie relay or dress up, consider adding a fun event that involves both dog and owner.
   • Choose a slower time during the day to have a dog party. Pick up a dog-friendly cake from a local dog bakery along with snacks and plenty of water to celebrate and mark the day.
   • Set up an area in your office to accommodate your sponsor organization. Depending on how you plan to sponsor your dog rescue or adoption organization, set up a designated area for rescue professionals to disseminate information and/or keep animals on-site for adoption.
6. 6
   Take photos of the day your dog came to the office. Pin photos of each dog participant and employees on a bulletin board to remind everyone of what fun the day was. Add photos to online newsletters or the intranet. Try to keep the connection with dogs alive in everyone's minds––you just never know, this may become a more regular event than once a year!
   
   

 Tips

• Before you decide to have a "Take Your Dog to Work Day," think about where you work. While this is great for offices, it might not be the best idea if you are a doctor in a hospital, or a garbage man, to give a few examples.
• Don’t forget about accommodating cat people to celebrate “cat lovers day” during a different week.
• Provide educational information for your employees and clients about the benefits of dog ownership (and rescue).
• Consider inviting other animal professionals such as your local vet or dog trainer to provide educational or health opportunities to your pups.
• Keep plenty of cleaning supplies on hand in the event of an accident inside the office. Insist that dogs are toileted outside, without fail.

Warnings

• Have an exit strategy for any unruly pets. Be prepared to ask the dog owner to remove his or her pet if the animal is becoming agitated, aggressive or upset.

 Things You'll Need

• Pre-determined boundary rules
• Baby gate or similar to provide barriers if needed (check local thrift stores for a cheap source)
• An area for watering and feeding dogs
• Leashes and collars
• Camera