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AIBU?

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Original poster

About office dog

179 replies

onesupplied · 03/04/2017 20:16

Name changed as it's identifying.

I work in an open plan office. A new manager has recently started bringing her dog to work, which has free roam of the place.

My problem is that I hate dogs; in fact I am scared of them. I got bitten when I was a kid and have always been nervous around them. Aside from the fact that it makes me nervous, it smells, keeps nosing around in people's belongings and my colleagues think it's hilarious that I'm scared and keep mocking me.

It's a reasonably formal office with around 40 employees.

AIBU to think that the office is not a place for a dog?

OP posts:
TheWhiteRoseOfYork · 04/04/2017 11:37

Trouble with that article is that it is mainly biased toward the dog owners, they did not seem to feature any non-dog-in-office-fans. It also describes a set-up where the dogs have a three month probation period, are checked by the company vet for fleas, have a dedicated clean-up team and the dogs are on a lead in the office.There are also dog free areas and meeting rooms .None of this seems to be the case in the OP's situation.

The article concludes by saying that around 50 companies they spoke to in the UK allow dogs in office, so thankfully it seems it is still quite rare.

This bit of the article made me absolutely astonished

Pascoe says the dog has enabled the agency to negotiate better deals over Skype. “The foreign rights director will hold Marlowe to the camera and say ‘Marlowe doesn’t like that price’, then pause a beat – and the recipient tends to up the offer. Hmm

Sorry if someone held up their dog and tried to get me to up an offer I would be ending the meeting. That is utterly unprofessional and completely bonkers!

MumW · 04/04/2017 12:00

I think you need to put it in writing that you have a phobia to dogs and it is causing you difficult in the work place and that this is made worse by the bullying/piss-taking of your collegues.

If this isn't enough then see your gp and get signed off with stress and investigate whether you could leave and take out a claim for constructive dismissal and/or disability discrimination. If this is the case, you might find just dropping the fact that you've looked into it and this is what you've dis overed might just be enough to focus their minds.

Try citizens advice or acas.

My niece has a phobia of dogs and has had counselling which has helped a lot but she would have a panic attack unless she left the office so you are coping really well under the sitiuation - perhaps a bit too well - I'm sure you can't continue with the monumental effort it must take to do this.

Hope you manage to resove this one way or another. Flowers

DJBaggySmalls · 04/04/2017 12:04

If a Guide Dog owner takes their dog to work they keep it in their cubicle. Partly so it doesnt get run over by an office chair, partly so it doesn't cause a nuisance, but mostly to stop people feeding it treats all day.

I don't think its unreasonable to ask them to contain the dog.

FamilySpartan · 04/04/2017 12:10

I love animals but I think bringing pets into the workplace is odd. Unless you're taking them to the vet straight after work and it's a one-off occasion, your pet belongs at home.

IHeartDodo · 04/04/2017 15:25

I would hate this! Petrified of dogs...
What is the law here? If the boss starts bringing the dog why should the OP have to leave? Seems unfair...

MipMipMip · 04/04/2017 15:28

I had a new boss who decided to start bringing his young dog in. Friendly but very distracting. And i'm a real dog lover! So I brought in my elderly, incontinent girl. Funnily enough dogs were banned from then on!

(I did clean up and made sure there was no smell left. She was on there half an hour in total - it was not really a dog safe office. Although she was old enough to not do anything stupid, unlike his. And we had spoken about dogs not being appropriate before but he was flexing his muscles)

paxillin · 04/04/2017 17:23

Bring in a dog whistle and secretly blow it from the loo or under your desk so the dog barks. Hide sausage ends at the bottom of the bin so the dog tips over the bin and causes a mess.

Andrewofgg · 04/04/2017 17:54

Am I the only one to have read the article which Badgersarefriends linked to and been amused to find that it was in the Guardian and that Nestlé were the Good Guys? Is this a First and a Last?

joystir59 · 04/04/2017 18:17

I'd love a dog at work, but wouldn't get any work done

kali110 · 04/04/2017 18:54

I don't think it is unprofessional to have a dog at work aslong as they behave. It is quite telling that your boss won't have it in their own office.
I don't know what the solution is though if you can't speak to you boss.
Also, your workmates may not back you up, they may enjoy having the dog, or not want to speak up.

DJBaggySmalls depends where you work! If you're open plan then the guidedog owner doesn't have much choice!

Badgersarefriends · 04/04/2017 20:14

Andrewofgg talking of amusing, remember that hilarious story that you posted last year about when you killed a dog? And you found it funny.

And then you post your vile dog hating comments on every thread that possibly mentions dogs.

If you were able to read the article - the Guardian is not a known endorser of Nestle. It was more about the health benefits and improve the in happiness at work.
Let's face it, they are not doing it for the love of animals.

Badgersarefriends · 04/04/2017 20:16

Apologies, that was over the top. It still upsets me incredibly to remember that thread and think that it happened.

Original poster
onesupplied · 04/04/2017 20:27

I don't think there is realistically any way that I can ask this manager not to bring the dog so it looks like finding a new job is the way forward. Perhaps it just affirms I don't fit into the office...

OP posts:
madcatsforever · 04/04/2017 20:35

I take my dog to work :)

I have since she was 9 weeks old. However, before I got a puppy I asked if everyone in the office was ok with me bringing in a dog - we're a small team and everyone was fine with it.

She has a huge crate to play/ sleep in and I walk her outside twice a day. She's only allowed out to play in the office under supervision and only in one area not free run of the office.

She's now 6 months old and has everyone wrapped round her tiny paw 😂

About office dog
Spudlet · 04/04/2017 20:42

We had office dogs in my old workplace, but with some conditions. The dogs were not allowed to wander, were always on leads in the building, bedding etc was to be regularly washed, and insurance was a requirement. Also, if anyone working in a particular office objected, that trumped everything and that room became dog free. There were a number of offices in the building where this was the case. I loved having my dog at work with me, but was always very aware that it was a privilege and not a right.

Worth speaking to your manager or hr in your case, op.

Neverm1nd · 04/04/2017 20:57

I was going to suggest tipping a glass of water somewhere visable on the floor when no one is looking, but someone upthread beat me to it with the dog poo idea.

I'd guess if she thinks it's weeing / pooing in the office, and if you do throw a few small smelly tasty morsels into the bins, she will at least be embarressed enough to keep it in her office. I have four dogs. The idea of trying to care for one while working fills me with horror!

Neverm1nd · 04/04/2017 20:58

Excuse the spelling...posting from my phone always seems to go wrong!

Original poster
onesupplied · 04/04/2017 21:02

Madcat that's great it worked out for you but what you (and some people with dogs) don't seem to grasp is that there are people that don't like any dogs, don't find them cute, are downright scared of them and wouldn't be 'wrapped around their doggy paw'.

No amount of pictures is going to make me like dogs which is fine but I don't see why I should have to suddenly have to put up with them at work. If I had known about dogs in the workplace before I took the job I wouldn't have taken it.

OP posts:
InvisibleKittenAttack · 04/04/2017 21:04

oh OP - that's a horrible feeling. Is there noone in Hr you can at least raise this with even if you can't speak to the manager directly? Do you report to them or someone else? If you report to someone else, can you tell them about your fears and how it's making you stressed and unable to concentrate?

Ultimately, you might need to find a new job, but for the meantime, at least logging your issues with someone (even if they don't fix the problem) would be a good start. apart from anything else, it'll make them realise it's an issue they'll have to raise when interviewing to replace you...

Gabilan · 04/04/2017 21:19

I don't think there is realistically any way that I can ask this manager not to bring the dog so it looks like finding a new job is the way forward

I would make it very clear that you can't work with the dog there and ensure there is a paper trail. It sounds like they are bullying you out. If you start creating an audit trail of trying to resolve things with them but not being able to, it might prompt them to do something. (Although if you've been there less than 2 years there's not a lot you can do even if they bully you out).

madcatsforever · 04/04/2017 21:29

@onesupplied

Actually I did grasp that - as in my previous post I checked with all of my staff that they were ok with a dog in the office BEFORE I got her, it was one of the conditions in the early discussion stage of getting a dog that she couldn't be left at home for 12 hours a day. She's kept crated and not free to go near anyone or touch anything.

Not everyone likes dogs, not everyone likes cats, personally I don't like people that much - life is such.

Andrewofgg · 04/04/2017 23:15

Badgers There was nothing dog hating about anything I have posted on this thread.

BerylStreep · 05/04/2017 08:28

OP - is there an HR? Is it your manager or another manager? Or your managers managers IYSWIM?

This is not a reasonable situation for anyone to work in - I wouldn't tolerate it at my workplace.

I really do think if you are contemplating moving jobs anyway, that it would be worth raising that your fear of dogs is so great that you are unable to do your work.

I would also highlight that you are being mocked and made fun of by colleagues because of your fears, and the combination of these are making it a very hostile place to work.

If there isn't an appropriate response (which is NOT saying 'look how cute he is' BTW) then go sick with workplace stress.

TotalWhittle · 05/04/2017 10:17

This thread worries me. I'm very allergic to dogs and have been hospitalised for allergies in the past, so I absolutely couldn't work with one in the office. (I love dogs and it breaks my heart that I'll never have one of my own.)

It never even occurred to me that people might bring their dogs to work, and that I might end up having to turn down a job, or leave if it's a new thing. Fresh hell in the jobhunting process. Shock

kali110 · 05/04/2017 10:18

Idon't think the manager is bullying her out. some people just don't realise that some people are scared and no amount of looking at dogs will help.
She obviously wants to bring her dog in and op is the only one who seemingly has a problem with it.
If the op won't say anything to her ( don't blame her) then she can carry on as she is pretending there isn't a problem.

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