National Take Your Dog To Work Day - No, Seriously

I am passing this one on as-is; no point in spoiling the theme.

And I must confess that I had taken one of my Labrador retrievers – Miss Daisy (as gentle a soul as one can find) - into the newsroom a couple of times. On Saturdays though.

Miss Daisy enjoyed it, especially the attention from the weekend reporter.

Fortunately Miss Daisy was always very well behaved and never barked, let alone put a stain on the carpet of The News-Herald’s newsroom floor. Though in hindsight, a pee stain or two would have improved on the carpet’s rather hideously dull coloration.

Be that as it may, here’s the release:

Take Your Dog to Work Day is June 23, but how many offices are actually dog-friendly?

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance—the #1 customer-rated provider of health insurance for dogs and cats—conducted a survey to find out. Here are 5 interesting tidbits about Fido at the office:

*  Is your workplace dog-friendly?  35% Yes; 65% No

* Do you take your dog to work?   78% Yes; Of those who do, 45% take them every day

*  What are the top benefits for pups?   81% Quality time with their pet parents; 51% Attention from coworkers

*  What’s the downside?   67% Barking; 33% “Accidents” on the carpet; 20% Distraction

*  What are the top “pet perks” you wish your employer would offer? Pet insurance benefits: 71%; Pawternity leave (time off when you adopt a new pup): 64%;    A daily dog-time break: 57%

Is your workplace dog-friendly?
A lucky 35% of survey respondents are able bring their dogs to work, but the majority (65%) cannot. Some workplaces are simply not appropriate for pups; if you work in a restaurant or healthcare-related field, pups are probably not welcome, and dogs could pose a risk or be hurt in a hazardous setting such as construction.
 
For those of you who have dog-friendly workplaces, how many of you take your dog to work?

A whopping 78% of respondents with dog-friendly workplaces bring their pups with them at least some of the time; of those, 45% say they take their canine companion to work with them every day.

 While we may get a case of the Mondays, dogs actually like going to work!

So what’s in it for the pups? Eighty-one percent of respondents report their pups enjoy having quality time with their favorite humans, and 51% say it’s all that attention from coworkers.  

And what’s the downside?

Having our canine companions at work isn’t always perfect – the challenges run the gamut from “accidents” on the carpet to being a distraction. Sixty-seven percent of pet parents say that making sure dogs don’t bark at inopportune moments is their biggest hurdle with bringing a dog to work.

 What’s on your pet-workplace wish list?

 All of it! While most pet parents wish their employer offered pet insurance benefits, “Pawternity” leave ranked very high as well. Designated doggy potty stations (including baggies) and a daily dog break were highly rated, and the final three – an off-leash dog area, free treats, and extra supplies – were equally important to responders:

* Pet insurance benefits: 71%

* "Pawternity leave" (time off when you adopt a new pup): 64%

* A designated doggy potty station, complete with poop bags: 57%
* A daily dog-time break: 57%
* An off-leash dog area: 43%
* Free treats: 43%
* Extra supplies (like bowls, leashes, etc.) in case I forget mine: 43%

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net