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Original poster

Office dogs

119 replies

ExhaustedMama68 · 19/10/2022 07:10

Does anyone else work in an office where people are allowed to bring their dogs along with them?

I’ve been in the same office for over 6 years and In the early days, one person was allowed to bring their dog on the odd day.

Now, as the company is growing and more new people are starting, they all seem to be bringing their dogs for various reasons - no care for them, want to save money on dog walkers etc.

My issue is that I’m actually terrified of dogs (which everyone in the office is aware of) and it’s becoming quite uncomfortable going to work each day and not knowing if there will be a dog or not.

I never bring my DC to work because my childcare has fallen through - I just make alternative arrangements?

WFH is unfortunately not an option.

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 19/10/2022 08:25

@Nishky32 yes she could but ultimately the dogs are there regardless of her phobia so if she can try to feel better about it she should

Lopilo · 19/10/2022 08:26

HighlandPony · 19/10/2022 08:06

Losing your house, not being able to pay your bills, your kids getting sick (and I mean hospitalised sick, not catching the current bug doing he rounds), your husband dying at sea, being made redundant, bad news on a mammogram, funeral costs for elderly relatives, dying before the kids are grown, kids ending up in crack or heroin, house getting repossessed, landlord selling up, becoming homeless, energy bills rocketing etc etc. I could continue but you get the picture.

Just can’t get on board with daft fears as an adult when there’s so many other real catastrophic things to be afraid of that we’re edging closer and closer to with every sodding chancellor announcement.

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My DS was hospitalised after a dog attack. She still has huge scars on both legs. That happened when she was a child. It triggered a lot of other long term issues for her.

As a family, we also experienced redundancy, cancer, funeral expenses, high energy bills and bad politicians. The dog attack was far more traumatic than any of those things.

25% of adults in the UK have been bitten by a dog. I would say it was quite a rational fear.

Nishky32 · 19/10/2022 08:26

girlmom21 · 19/10/2022 08:19

If they're being allowed to bring dogs into the office then this is the perfect job for them.

If anything, it's the people who are afraid of dogs who should look for alternative employment, surely?

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Er no, because the contact with the dogs is not part of their terms of employment- if people can’t afford to pay for care for their dogs they shouldn’t have them

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dogs
hattie43 · 19/10/2022 08:26

I would be so attracted to any job that allowed dogs into the office .

bibbidybobbidyboo · 19/10/2022 08:26

We have this issue at work at the moment too. Lots of people got dogs in lockdown, and now the combination of getting back to the office + cost of living increase making dogsitting expensive means more and more requests to bring dogs in.

Obvious problem is that 1 dog that sits quietly under a desk is not the same as 5 dogs running around the open plan floor. Not sure how to deal with this - a dog rota? A behavioural test they have to pass to be brought in??

I like dogs but I think it's easier to just say no to them than to allow them and need to bring in lots of rules to make it work.

Whereisthehugeteddybear · 19/10/2022 08:27

NightmareSlashDelightful · 19/10/2022 07:43

I’ve known several junior account handlers who’ve done the same!

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🤣🤣🤣

Nishky32 · 19/10/2022 08:28

girlmom21 · 19/10/2022 08:25

@Nishky32 yes she could but ultimately the dogs are there regardless of her phobia so if she can try to feel better about it she should

The issue is whether the dogs should be there, if it is taken up with senior managers it may be decided that they should not be brought in. The dogs are not a permanent fixture

threegoodthings · 19/10/2022 08:28

I'd be tempted to take a snake or a tarantula in. People are less keen on those than dogs. When people complain, suggest a no pet policy would be best.

Whinge · 19/10/2022 08:33

A dog who isn't massively affecting anyones productivity would be fine for me.

But for the OP that's any dog. She's worried about going to work as she doesn't know if a dog will be there She's terrified of dogs, so it's affecting her producitivity as if there are multiple dogs in the office her mind won't be on work.

A dog who's constantly harassing people or barking would be a problem.

But for others that may not be a problem. So who gets to decide?

My point was a well behaved dog for one person may be a badly behaved dog to another.

annonymousse · 19/10/2022 08:33

Where I worked years ago we were allowed to take our dogs. However we all had individual offices and all the office dogs were mature, calm and well trained. My dog had her bed under my desk and would sleep most of the day. Anyone coming into my office would be greeted with a wagging tail but she would rarely get up for them 🤣

I have now changed careers so it wouldn't be appropriate any more but it was lovely having her with me.

HaveringWavering · 19/10/2022 08:37

The thing is that "dog people" just don't see that having a dog in your indoor environment is in any way abnormal. At home they get to sit on the sofa, they chat to them as they potter about, step over them when they get under their feet.

For those of us who have never owned dogs and have no interest in doing so, it feels wrong and dirty to have them inside in your environment. The slobber, the dirty paws, the hair being shed, the farts and dog breath.

I'm allergic to dogs (and no doubt the fact that they make me wheeze and itch contributes to my general feeling that they are unsanitary).

If people started to bring dogs into my office I would not be able to work there. I still get a shock when I see them on public transport now and again and remember that it's completely legal.

That said OP, if your colleagues know that you are uncomfortable with the dogs and the CEO brings his then you'll probably have to accept that they are not going to change to accommodate you, and look for another job. The fact is that having the creatures there will make it a more attractive employer for some, so unless you are completely indispensable they'll be able to replace you easily. Things about jobs change all the time, this is probably just one of those things. Yes, there might be some employment law that you can call on to get a constructive dismissal payout or something, but do you really think you could continue working in an office full of colleagues who blamed you for losing their doggy at work privileges?

Fizbosshoes · 19/10/2022 08:37

A workplace that I have to visit regularly has had dogs for probably 20 years. They belong to the owners. When one of the dogs was a puppy it did a wee on my jeans which I was not best pleased about.
I'm quite cautious about dogs and can just about cope with an office with one (small) dog in it (assuming it didn't wee on me) but I think it would feel a whole different environment with multiple large or boisterous dogs. But if one person brings theirs others would potentially think its OK?

mavismorpoth · 19/10/2022 08:39

Don't get a dog unless you can be with them all the time. They are pack animals and need to sleep and live among their pack, not accessories or convenient pals. I.e. if you have a job that you need to go to every day you have no business having a dog. Yeah I know, but that's my firm opinion.

VenusClapTrap · 19/10/2022 08:40

A dog who isn't massively affecting anyones productivity would be fine for me.

what about a dog that is affecting productivity by a small amount? A medium amount? A fairly substantial but still not massive amount? As an employer, none of those would be fine with me.

Oblomov22 · 19/10/2022 08:51

There's been many threads about this before.
I don't like it, and I don't think it's right. I love dogs and don't think it's right that they are in the office. If you work full time and need to take your dog into the office, then you probably shouldn't be a dog owner.
When I did go to places with dogs in offices, 4 places, the smell was so strong it was overpowering. Even in most homes dog smell is quite strong.
I don't know when this became the norm, but I just don't think it's right.

Nishky32 · 19/10/2022 08:54

girlmom21 · 19/10/2022 08:25

@Nishky32 yes she could but ultimately the dogs are there regardless of her phobia so if she can try to feel better about it she should

We will have to agree to disagree on this- my view is it not for the op to mould herself to fit something irrelevant to her job and pander to irresponsible dog owners

Summer15coming · 19/10/2022 09:02

People are asked in their interview if they like dogs (from a "you might want to consider this"/"we need to be aware so we can mitigate" rather than a "you can only work here if you like dogs" standpoint), it's so ingrained in our culture. We have a dog policy which states that dogs are on probation to begin with and will not be allowed to come in if they cause trouble.

For me, it's the only reason I was able to get a dog. I wfh and travel into the office regularly. The commute timing doesn't work for daycare.

queenMab99 · 19/10/2022 09:03

If you work mostly from home, could your employers arrange dog free days, so that the people who bring dogs avoid those days, making it convenient for all?

ReadtheReviews · 19/10/2022 09:13

Perhaps you could raise it from the perspective of, please can I have my own space to work in as Im afraid of dogs? So the few changing for the many rather than the many for the few, or one?

Borracha · 19/10/2022 09:15

I would hate this. Why do most 'dog people' find it so hard to understand that not everyone likes dogs? They smell, they slobber, they lick their own arses and they can be dangerous. How is that appropriate in the workplace?

tigger1001 · 19/10/2022 09:37

I am very allergic to dogs. Even if one was in the office a day I wasn't, unless the office was thoroughly cleaned, I would likely have a reaction.

Twizbe · 19/10/2022 09:37

@Summer15coming would your company be as open to parents bring their children in? With childcare costs rising this might be the only way working parents could cope with school holidays etc

Summer15coming · 19/10/2022 09:40

@Twizbe - they're very open to flexible working and allowing people to work from home when necessary. They make more allowances and give more support to their staff than any other organisation I've worked for.

Wiluli · 19/10/2022 09:45

I rarely go in the officer tese days but yes dogs are allowed . You don’t have to touch them , I’m assuming they don’t go into your personal space ? My dog would be perfect for this she loves laying on everyone’s lap lol
it it makes you uncomfortable then talk to a manager or team leader etc People can’t read your mind and unless you say something nothing can be done

Twizbe · 19/10/2022 09:45

Summer15coming · 19/10/2022 09:40

@Twizbe - they're very open to flexible working and allowing people to work from home when necessary. They make more allowances and give more support to their staff than any other organisation I've worked for.

Ok but could I bring my children in one day a week because I don't want to pay for childcare just like the dog owners?

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