Dogs in the office

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m not a dog person. I don’t really like them but can bear them for a short amount of time.

I have been asked to interview for a job and the website talks about having dogs in the office as a plus point.

This isn’t a plus for me.

I imagine dogs in the office are overly intrusive and I think it changes the dynamic.

I’d like to hear from people who work in offices where dogs are allowed and how it is day to day, especially if you aren’t a big dog fan.

Only 31% have dogs but there are many more who'd like them if their lives allowed for it. For most of us, it's a dream to have the garden space and free time to devote to them.

My late mother was in a care home where they brought in dogs and other animals for the residents to pet, they even brought a donkey in one Christmas. As a life long animal lover, it absolutlely made my mother's day to have a dog come in, the joy it brought her was wonderful to see, she'd had a stroke and her life had become very limited, just that small thing of having an animal near to touch was incredibly therapeutic for her.

They certainly didn't force the animals on any one who didn't want to see them, there were no animals sticking their noses into immobile people's faces, that would be ridiculous and simply did not happen, the staff took great care to make sure that only those who were keen got the opportunity to experience the animals, and any residents who didn;t like animals didn't have to be anywhere near them.

It was all very organized and regulated, they would hardly release a pack of dogs into a room full of immobile frail elderly people and let them jump on them and slobber all over their faces.

I used to be based in a co-working space that brought in a dogs-at-work regime while I was there. It was an attempt to be trendy and it was very disruptive. A few colleagues brought well behaved dogs in once or twice then gave up as the space because dominated by the untrained and unsuitable. They were noisy and once one started, the rest followed. They would make it very difficult to eat lunch or use the kitchen. They would sprawl about the walkways and leave toys about the floor. One used to chew cables. The company made rules about well-behaved dogs only, tried to bring in a passport system to limit the numbers and prevent disruptive dogs coming in. But the worst offenders started claiming anxiety and emotional support animal status (which tbh I would have anxiety living with some of them). They just couldn't (or wouldn't) revoke the policy, so I (and several others) moved to a a rival co-working space. I don't think this one has a set policy, but there are a few dogs in the building. These are kept in private offices, not in the open plan space. I have my own office now, which is in some respects a shame as I liked being around people. But the risk of dog-gate all over again is just too great!

I hated it, one my directors in former workplace always used to bring her massive dog. Whenever myself and colleagues were eating lunch, he'd come over for food and basically eye up my subway! Super annoying. Not everyone likes dogs and that's fine.

This sounds wonderful to me to just be able to pet a dog whenever you felt like it

might cause less work to be done though

Please just do yourself a favour and don’t work here. You won’t enjoy it and your dog loving colleagues will resent you for not liking their animals!

I don’t think I’ve ever had a thread reach 8 pages and I really didn’t think this was a contender.

To recap for those who didn’t read my posts:

I have no desire to change to culture or workplace - they are an established company and this works for them.

They have advised that there is max 1 dog at a time, usually only 2/3 times a week and not every week (have been zero dogs for the last month). This is enough to reassure me it’s not a place with multiple dogs every day which I wouldn’t like so I may accept the interview.

I’m talking to the recruiter in more detail next week. A few reservations separate to the dogs anyway.

Im genuinely surprised at some of the strength of feeling in favour of dogs in the office but obviously accept those opinions are as valid as mine.

Before I volunteered I worked all my life in gardens. There were always dogs in the gardens I worked in - mine, other gardeners and workers and the garden owners.

Dogs were welcome. Nobody was 'entitled'. The jobs were always done to everyone's satisfaction and the dogs were never any trouble.

You sound very inflexible and short on imagination about how happy workplaces might make for good outcomes for all.

I love dogs and I still wouldn't want dogs in the office

You haven't. But you have made it very clear it's not something you would like. I also haven't said that you would complain just that you would be an arsehole if you did, especially as you where aware from the outset. So why knowingly put yourself into a situation you won't be happy with and that would make you very unpopular if you tried to change it?

I take my dog to the office with me, she’s very well behaved and sleeps in her bed behind my desk. Everyone else enjoys having her there. We had a temp worker who was allergic to dogs but she worked in a different room and I made sure my dog didn’t ever go in there and stayed in her bed whenever she came into our room.
Consideration of owners will impact how much the dogs will bother you and unfortunately a lot of dog owners these days can be inconsiderate.
Though, they have dogs in the office and you don’t like dogs so it’s probably not the job for you anyway.

Wow the world really has gone mad. How ridiculous. If it were me I wouldn’t even waste my time interviewing.

OP clearly isn't an arsehole. / gavel

I worked in an office where they hired a blind person (she had some peripheral vision but was registered legally blind) with a guide dog.

One employee complained as she was Muslim and dogs are considered unclean and she wouldn't work around one.

She was told nothing could be done - legally the guide dog overrode her religious beliefs. She tried to take the company to a tribunal stating religious discrimination but was told she'd lose.

She resigned in the end but she caused so much stress and bad feeling towards the blind employee who needed the dog to get around.

Thank you.

I find it really odd how some people are jumping to a version of ‘you’d be an arsehole to try to change it’ then giving it the ‘I didn’t say you said you’d try to change it, just that you’d be an arsehole if you did’ when it’s clear what they actually mean is I’ve misinterpreted your posts, not read the full thread and now I’m back tracking.

Sophistry at its finest.

@Paddingtonscaresme obviously a guide dog/assistance is completely different ballgame and I wouldn’t blink at that.

But why would you say I’d be an arsehole to do something I clearly have no intention of doing?

It’s either a way to have a pop at me (for no reason) or you’ve not read my posts properly.

This was suggested in our company in 2021.
I said if there were dogs in the office I would not be working there any longer and then it was put to a secret vote and it was agreed no dogs.
One person who had a 'covid dog' was a bit miffed but 🤷‍♀️. Everyone else took it on the chin.

It was the highlight of the week when a dog was in the office where I used to work. My dog is a bathed every week, hypoallergenic curly thing who smells mostly of fabric conditioner from sleeping on my bed. That said, I didn't take him in because he literally has an opinion about everything and would drive everyone nuts.
I think that most people are aware of their dogs behaviours and wouldn't take them if they would be an arse (like mine). I do think though, that if you're joining a company with a culture of dog lovers, this job may not be for you. I think you should look somewhere that's a better personal fit for you.

🙄 Because you would be an arsehole to complain, just as anyone would be to complain about something they where fully aware of before they starred any job. You say you have no intention of complaining, but I wonder how you will feel in 6 months time?

@Umidontknow

You haven’t answered my question.

Why would you even say I’d be an arsehole to do something I have no intention of doing?

If I said ‘our group of friends is planning a holiday and they are are trying to choose between a & b locations. I won’t go to a as I don’t like it so I’ve said I’m happy to give this trip a miss if the group decides to go to a’ you’d the one posting ‘you can’t agree to go to a and then moan about it’ when I have very clearly said I’m not going to a.

It’s just a way of you being a dick to me because you disagree with my opinion.

My posts are very clear that I have ZERO intention of trying to change the culture or environment of an established workplace.

You can roll your eyes all you like but we’ve all come across your brand of twattery which completely avoids the actual question.

Might be worth going for the interview and seeing what it's like. I've worked somewhere where dogs were allowed and there was very little take up. Of the three dogs that were ever brought in, one was well behaved and the other two were a nightmare. No one asked the two badly behaved ones to stop coming. It was so distracting trying to work with yapping. That being said, I really liked them all and it was nice to have a play on your coffee break

Obviously if you're not a dog fan, you won't have that 'plus point', but the point I was trying to make which got lost was that because they're dog friendly doesn't mean there would necessarily be dogs in every day and also that dogs vary hugely

I've got dogs but would never take them into an office environment. I wouldn't want others dogs there either. Some people are afraid of dogs.

I’ve got a proper chat with the recruiter on Tuesday so will get a better feel for the role.

Company have said it’s max one dog and not that frequently.

Reading between the lines it seems like somewhere that will be accommodating if your dog care fell through. It’s hybrid so, I think if you had to come in on a non-standard day you could bring your dog without being worried.

I don’t hate them but I’m not interested in them, and past experience shows me that many dog owners are really upset you don’t show real interest in their dog.