Taking a puppy to work

[freshstart24]

We've sadly had to have our two very elderly cats put to sleep this month. We are heartbroken.

However, we have wanted a dog for a very long time. We didn't want to upset our cats in their twilight years, so waited until now to seriously consider it.

We have a lot of things to consider and I think I can reassure anyone reading this that we will not go ahead until we can be sure that we can do the right thing by a dog.

I currently work 9-3, 3 days a week. I work with family, in an office. I could bring dog to work with me and give a long walk at lunchtime and a couple of toilet breaks in the daytime. However, would this work with a puppy do you think?

We could have a crate in the office if this is likely to help.

I could also change my working pattern for a while and work less hours over more days.

Our preferred dog would be a lab. DH is adamant that he wants a puppy, he will not consider a rescue dog due to friends having a very bad experience.

Would it work to take puppy to work?

I brought my puppy to work with me at 12 weeks old. She is content in her crate and i used to take her out for wees every hour to begin with now shes 11months old and can hold it till lunchtime when we go for a nice walk.

I've done it. If I'm honest it was a lot harder than I thought it would be and there were times I was reduced to tears of frustration!

I had an office on an upstairs floor, and there were a few accidents I had to clear up, so I made sure I had cleaning supplies in the office with me (luckily our office cleaner was hugely supportive).

The puppy did cry in his crate, and I knew that I needed to ignore it and reward good, quiet behaviour, but it was really difficult because when he cried it disturbed other people. I couldn't win!

He was a nuisance sometimes - it made having meetings, moving away from my desk and not taking him with me for anything (including meetings, going to the loo, making tea etc!) really difficult. I had to take him out a lot to make sure he got ample time to do his wees and poos, and that meant I was seen to be away from my desk a lot. Luckily my employers were OK with that.

Eventually it got easier, which is just as well because he was a big dog and quickly outgrew his crate. When I reduced my hours I decided it was time to leave him at home alone during my shorter working days and then only took him in on odd occasions and all worked well.

All that said, it was very hard at the start and I was lucky to have tolerant employers. I'm not sure I would do it again though! (Thankfully I don't have to - I have a six month old puppy at the moment but now work predominantly from home, so it's been an easier work/puppy life this time round!).

Having a pup at work is a little bit easier than having the baby at work, Not much though. On the plus side I found the puppy far more trainable and she got used to the routine surprisingly quickly. I hardly ever bring her to work anymore as she is 6 months old and goes to day care, but when I do she just goes straight to her bed and settles down to sleep, despite the fact that there are people coming and going all the time.

@PetraStrorm sorry to hijack the thread - but definitely agree. We visited the Sheffield retired greyhound trust last Saturday, and even DH who was adamant on a puppy of a "cuddlier" breed fell in love. Our boy comes home a week on Saturday! Really worth a look.

Petra do you have any settling in tips you might DM me? Our chap has only been out of race kennels for a week. Will be two and a half when we get him.

OP if you want a cat you should get the cat first then the pup.

I have an office dog, that started as a puppy. So it's possible with a bit commitment.
My puppy started at work at around 4 months. By than I had established a routine for him at home, he was fully "paper trained" and I knew all his little signs when he needed to go.
At first I kept him in a puppy play pen- which is bigger than a crate and I could lift him out easily if needed.
Once I had established a good office routine and his house/ office training was good, I got rid of the play pen and put him on a long lead. I used this phase to teach him to stay in his bed when others visited the office... and to ignore the door bell.
He learned to wait in his bed for my return if I had to go to kitchen or wc and only go to my colleges if they actually wanted to say "Hello".

Now he is a well established member of the workforce, although sometimes a bit cheeky! He has proofed himself many times over as a "stress busting officer" / psychologist. Only down side is, my colleges would be banning me from the office if I ever dared to turn up without him! 😀

I've also done this. It was hard and I often wished I didn't have my dogs at work as they created so much hassle for me.

I wouldn't do it again to be honest.

Shizer - start a thread in the Doghouse - there's loads of experienced hound owners there. Congratulations on your boy You won't regret a thing, I promise.

I've done this and it works out really well. Puppy knows it's time to sleep at certain times of the day -just stick to the same times on your days off.

Make sure puppy has breakfast early so has been to the loo before you start. And if possible break up your break into 2, until pup gets the hang of things a little bit. A long walk so young won't be a any good ways. Have the crate in a quite place, a few toys with a cover over possibly. They soon learn, and soon get into a pattern.

You will be fine, I've done it with the past 3 dogs lab, collie and cocker. The lab and collie stay at home now days but the cocker comes with me

I have done this. We got a parson puppy for dh and she very quickly chose me.

Like moon, I established a home routine and toilet training first, then once she was able to go out she came with me. I had a puppy pen initially, then moved her to a bed under my desk with a baby gate on the office door.

Her routine is up at five, walk before work. One hour drive, pee when arrive at seven. She then has breakfast and waits for everyone to arrive to say good morning. She then sleeps till eleven. Out for a walk and pee. Sleeps till lunch then goes to kitchen to scrounge and play. Another nap then sleeps till three. Walk and pee, leave work six, quick pee then home for walk and tea.

Routine for her is key. If I am out with clients one of the secretary's takes her out and they fight to do so. She is the office psychologist, best friend and cuddler. She barks very rarely if a new person appears at gate. She barks all the freaking time in the house so this is quite a breakthrough.

She never seems to poo during the day. She goes first thing and last thing. Although on days off she doesn't get the routine and will poo during the day. She loves a lie in and seems to know when it is Saturday.

The first few months were a killer, I'm not going to lie. Your stuck on phone she pees on floor. You have time for a walk, she won't pee then pees when you go back in. Patience patience patience. It sure paid off because now I get in trouble if I don't bring her and she is a huge part of the team. Gate is normally open and her bed is by my door so she can watch the world go by.

Parsons are people dogs and she likes to be near people as much as possible.

It is the best thing I ever did and has improved my mental health at work greatly. I adopted her mum last week and have taken both in all week without issue. Again so long as they have company they really don't mind.

I would go for it.

My parents have a shop and a dog. They got her as a puppy in the summer when the shop is quiet (it's a ski shop) so my mum could spend the first few months at home with her to get settled and trained. And then started taking her to work to get used to it.

My parents have a lab too.
She is now a really good dog and curls up on her beanbag in a corner and has either a walk in the morning or during the day.

It can work, but it's definitely best to do it after the puppy has settled in at home and isn't very younger. And it helps if the dog has a lazy sofa temperament.

No, it won't work. Puppies need to play as they develop. Crates are a good place to rest, with the right buildup, but you can't expect them to rest all day, or even for a couple of hours at that age.

Labs' idea of play is chewing everything. Unless your office has nothing on the floor (shoes, bags, paper) and no food except in locked cupboards, a lab puppy will wreak havoc. The cuteness will wear thin very fast!

I would consider an older pup (my husband took ours to work who we got at 4 months) as they are past the toilet issue. He is now a much loved member of the office and is absolutely no trouble at all. It's his second home!

Have found a Lab to be ideal for your plan.

House-trained very easily. Now they are grown they are perfect! Love to walk and play whenever I offer - sleep contentedly when I work.

The initial puppy stage is very distracting (not exactly difficult) because they are so lovely and so funny. They will chew anything. Mine tried quite a few works of 19C literature (which they found as hard to get into as some of my students do) and the heels of shoes.
However - it does only last weeks.

We got a pen and used part of this as a crate at first - then made it a play pen once the pup was more housetrained.

Now both Labs here are very easy to work with and very content with whatever I offer.

None of the difficulties were as great at the pleasure they have brought us.

My pup is 5 months old now. When we first got him, DP and I made sure one of use was at home all the time for the first 6 weeks. I hardly managed to get the house work done never mind proper work!
DP was at home more than me and said the first month or so was worse than having a new born baby!
We spent lots of time outside waiting for him to pee but still had to pick him up and rush outside with him if he squatted in the house.
Could you and your DH take time off to start with to settle the puppy in?

And I took my pup into the office to introduce him to everyone when he was 9 weeks. He spent the whole time darting under peoples desks coming out chewing paperclips, paperwork etc and by the end of 30 mins in the office, I was worn out!
Having said that, someone else brought there 10 week old lab in this week and he was super chilled and just happy to be cuddled.

Labs are well known has chewers to a relatively old age, I am a vet, 7 years ago myself, my colleague and our head nurse all got puppies in a short space of each other, They all grew up together at work went to training together etc.
My colleague had had GSDs before and felt he was an experienced dog owner, but nothing prepared him for owning a lab and the chewing. Despite being crate trained ( they all were) once his lab was 18 months old he had to have all the skirting boards replaced on the ground floor of his house.
All the puppies ( others were a cocker and a poodle) toilet trained quickly and have grown up to be lovely well socialised dogs.
Though I would echo if you want a dog and a cat get the cat first so it knocks the pup into shape. It is entirely possible to have terriers and cats if you get the cat first and have a puppy.