Dogs in the office

[banjocat]

I've recently started at a new workplace.

Someone in the same office but from another team brings her dog in, and has been doing this since before I started.

It's a very large open plan office, around 30 computers in there, and also members of the public come into the front area (where there is a customer facing desk).

I have mild dog allergies. Not to the extent that it really causes a problem, but if the dog came and sat near me (which he sometimes does) I have to move away from him.

Despite my allergies I do like dogs, but I suppose I'm just surprised that no one mentioned or checked with me that there would be a dog in the office. With such a flow of staff and people through the space, there are bound to be people with allergies or other problems wtih dogs - I'm kind of surprised that this is allowed and just seems to be in place every week.

I don't feel I can say anything without it creating bad feeling as it's an established routine now and lots of colleagues love the dog.

Are dogs in the office becoming the norm now?

AIBU to think it's a bit rude not to check with everyone who is working there?

I’d be going for point 3 if l turned up to a new job and a dog was there. I should have been informed AND the employer should have done a RA about dogs in the workplace.

Ever hear of employment law? You can't just do whatever you want - FFS!

And you can't see the benefit of your dog not being in the office and taking your moth bitten purse out to pay for it to be walked and looked after instead of foisting it on everyone else
How odd

@RaspberryJamTart can the dog not be walked at lunchtime? I walk mine at lunchtime when working from home?

Do you own a dog? They don't need walking 24/7.

How odd you think they do!

Bring your child into the office, you'll be driven mad before anyone else

Mum mum mum

Fall over cry, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm bored, I want my nappy changed, I need toilet training, I need stimulation, I need to socialise, I need to learn ti tie my paces, blah blah

I

Surely that depends on the child and the dog ?

My DD was a dream child as a toddler and would easily sit for hours quietly colouring in any given space and made no noise, she was always so super polite and did everything she was asked to do. DS on the other hand was a liability! Whereas I know some dogs who would barely flinch at a firework going off next to their head and some that can’t see a bit of fluff in the air without going mental and start barking and carrying on.

I also find the latter kind of dog is the one with the Entitled owner who thinks everyone wants to be round their stinking great pet. I doubt they’d realise they’re not the type of dog you bring into an office.

Also - the smell. All dogs smell. Anyone who says theirs doesn’t is deluded. I couldn’t cope with the smell and the casting of hair. TBH I see very little benefit to anyone else other than the irresponsible owner of bringing a dog into the office. You might think it’s therapeutic but I reckon for most people it’s a massive annoyance

But bringing your smelly dog that slobbers over people, yaps, runs round, gets dog hair all over everyone’s clothes, smells awful, demands petting, sniffs crotches, may petrify people with phobias and may cause allergic symptoms and asthma attacks is perfectly acceptable in a workplace?

The funny thing is that you think your dog would be LESS annoying. It wouldn’t.

Id also be nervous of the extra trip hazard especially if carrying a hot drink! I’ve seen a waitress be injured because some yappy thing jumped out from under a table when she was carrying sizzling skillets and couldn’t see the dog. Why is I one sneering the question about personal injury?

Yesterday mine had just come from the groomers and smelt amazing. My colleague was sniffing him.

What does the dog do for the rest of the day? If it just sits there, it can do that at home, no need to be in the office.
Dogs are smelly, unhygienic allergy inducing and can be equally distracting as children...of course not your dog because they are special 🙄 and don't beg for attention or get under the feet or smell (nose blind) or bark, or growl, in the same way that some children are well behaved. I don't want children in the office any more than dogs...neither should be there, or both should be allowed.

That’s nice.

He will still smell of dog, and it’s a horrible smell. Why should other people put up with that?

Well I did say in my earlier posts that it was a one off so usually nobody has to put up with it. Also, I didn't ask her to keep sniffing him.

My bosses dogs are really well behaved and just chill. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.

@KarenNotAKaren including my current job and the last three places I have worked. Three out of four were dog friendly.

You feel very strongly about dogs in work places don't you?

I think that's really poor they didn't tell you before.

I feel strongly about dogs in the workplace. I was attacked by a dog when I was five years old and had my entire scalp ripped off, and had to have a lot of reconstruction. I’m still terrified of them to this day, despite loads of therapy. The realisation that if I ever need to look for another job, 75% of workplaces will have very suddenly become no-go areas for me is alarming. Never in all my career have I ever even had to consider that offices are no longer workplaces, but canine menageries.

its almost unbelievable that some people would admit to not hiring the best person for the job because they are allergic to or frightened of dogs.

Imagine saying that about any other characteristic such as race or colour.

I wouldn't have any personal issue with dogs in our office, but it would terrify my friend who doesn't like them and cause problems for anyone with allergies.

Just because something suits you, doesn't mean it's right thing to do.

YANBU, although it is a good question to ask at interviews as being quite badly allergic to dogs, I would not be able to accept a position where they were present. My DH's firm did allow dogs but they were too disruptive and they don't allow it anymore.

@RaspberryJamTart I've seen many more than one waitress injured by tripping over feral children!

I find dogs a lot less annoying than children in an office all day!

I find it hilarious that you think a child in an office is more acceptable than a dog.....

But if that's how you treat your children..... like a dog.... says more about you than me!

I deffo felt my children needed much more structured care and looking after than my dog but 🤷‍♀️ we're all different.

Actually, the assistance dog would take priority

Someone brings dog to office and I don’t like it. I love animals however our office is small and tends to smell of him. Also there is nothing worse than a dog sniffing out your period! Also of more annoyance was we had a big meeting with our owners in our office and plus guests from other offices .. we were pushed for space and the dog sat on sofa where as I had to stand for 1.5 hours leaning on a desk! I think now and again it’s ok and in my old office which was way bigger it wasn’t so much of an issue.

That's ok @Menomeno because you know you can go and work from home and become socially isolated/lonely instead of the dog(owner) because you know they are faaarrrrrr more important than any tax paying society contributing human
💐 Not nice to have that fear.

@Secondstart1001 I like dogs but would not be stood up when a dog was sat on a sofa.

Dog friendly offices are a thing?

Surely that’s a massive distraction if the animal is roaming around and there has to be some sort of health and safety implication/risk assessment in place?

And how is it managed? Surely it’s wouldn’t be long before there were multiple dogs in and then people wanting to bring other pets/their toddlers/etc.

I can’t imagine taking the cat to work. I mean for a start it would shred the office plants and probably get stuck behind the coffee machine or somewhere equally ridiculous😂

@TiredCatLady yes but you know, as long as those dogs aren't lonely and there is not financial downside for the owner, who cares about anyone else...is very much the MN dog owners rhetoric.

The mind literally boggles.

I'm now exceptionally relieved that I don’t work in a dog-friendly office.

Could you explain how a dog sitting there would be as distracting as a child..... does your child just sit there? Well trained if not a bit misguided if they do! Do you use a lot of screen time for them?