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Work

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Original poster

my colleague is bring the dog to work.

65 replies

vickibee · 05/02/2014 14:28

is this allowed? it sits in a cage thing in corner of office but it is not very friendly and howls everytime she leaves the room. I don't like it but can see no choice as a bereavement means there is no one to look after it at home.

OP posts:

D0oinMeCleanin · 05/02/2014 14:33

It's allowed if your management says it is, so long as there are no health and safety issues preventing it. Dogs can be in offices. There are laws against it.

It doesn't sound ideal for the dog though, perhaps you could nicely and tactfully suggest a doggy daycare place?

NatashaBee · 05/02/2014 14:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LtEveDallas · 05/02/2014 14:38

stowsettler · 05/02/2014 14:40

Dallas, I want to work where you do!

Doesn't sound great for the poor dog. When I was single and had my dogs I used to arrange for either doggy day care, as stated above, or a dog walker to come in during the day. They were fine.

Unexpected · 05/02/2014 16:22

Is this a temporary thing because of the bereavement or is the dog always going to come into the office? Were you asked about this? It isn't illegal but not nice for anyone who is frightened of/allergic to dogs.

Original poster

vickibee · 05/02/2014 16:24

well the boss has said it is OK. the office is an old doctors surgery and we each have our own small room. mine is opposite the dog's room and I hear it howling the most everytime said colleague leaves her room. I have to say I thought it would be temp until she got something sorted but it looks like a perm arrangement. She looks so miserable caged up all day. Colleague leaves house at 730 and doesn't get home until 6 so she cant leave it.

OP posts:

TantrumsAndBalloons · 05/02/2014 16:25

Oh god there are 6 dogs in my work place. 2 of them are mine.
None if them are crated though, they all just run around or lay down and sleep.
It's lovely.

Original poster

vickibee · 05/02/2014 16:28

unexpected I am neither allergic or frightened of dos and have kept dogs of my own. I just don't think bringing them to work is right. Perhaps I should ask if I can take my 6yo on INSET days?

OP posts:

TantrumsAndBalloons · 05/02/2014 16:33

Oh god you would hate it here

LEMmingaround · 05/02/2014 16:37

I need to know where you all work...........

OP, stop being so mean, if you ask nicely im sure they will let you have a goldfish on your desk or soemthing. maybe suggest that the dog is allowed out of the cage....

eurochick · 05/02/2014 16:39

I used to work somewhere one person brought in her gorgeous golden retriever. I loved going to her room! I think every office should have an office job they are very calming. (Well, perhaps not if they are howling...)

Minicreamegg · 05/02/2014 16:42

Ok what jobs allows dogs at work?!

would love a job that allowed this

Beccadugs · 05/02/2014 16:47

Perhaps you could suggest she gets a baby gate for the door of her room so the dog can roam a bit more...

jellybrain · 05/02/2014 16:50

I used to work with a colleague who bought her dog to work. There were only two of us though. The dog collected the post everyday - saved us having to go downstairs. Was very helpful and she wasn't even paid

KatieScarlett2833 · 05/02/2014 16:50

Both my parents took their guide dogs to work, they had to, in order to get there.
Never once was it an issue, mum was a civil servant and SF worked in academia.
The dog is crated, what harm is it doing?

Frettchen · 05/02/2014 16:51

There's a curled up, sleeping dog under my desk as I type this...

Not that I MN whilst at work, of course

In fact there are a heck of a lot of dogs in the offices here. We are lucky enough to work somewhere dog-friendly, with plenty of secure (ish) grassy areas to walk them.

However - if your colleague's dog is having an affect on your work/the work of others in the office, then that's not really on. If my pup was howling through the day I would definitely be taken aside by my manager and asked to do something about it. The policy here is that dogs can be in the office so long as they don't cause too much of a distraction. It's great for morale (not to mention it gets me away from my desk at lunch time) only if all workers in the office are dog-friendly and the dog is well behaved. Also - we have to have 3rd party insurance, just in case our dogs were to damage anything/any other dogs (Not all insurers cover the dog in your place of work, even if it's not working - not sure if you're in the position to bring that up with your colleague, but could be worth mentioning to their manager.)

LtEveDallas · 05/02/2014 17:15

We have baby gates (high ones) on the 3 doors into our office. We also have "Beware" signs with pictures of the dogs. We all have insurance including 3rd party liability. We have a register of all dogs and have to prove insurance/vaccinations yearly.

Today's brood were 2 lurcher crosses (one v poorly), one greyhound/lurcher/shortneckedgiraffe, one springer/collie, one lab, one springer and one cocker.

Tomorrow we could have a Rottie, cocker, JRT or Toller alongside any of the above.

Everyone that knows us knows that the office is mad

When DD is on school hols she comes to the office at lunchtime and helps walk the dogs for an hour whilst DH goes to the gym.

It's a great place to work.

(Oh and I met a Spanish Water Dog today and I WANT ONE)

FireMaker · 05/02/2014 17:21

At dd's last school there were at least 7 dogs roaming the classrooms and coridors each day. Was fantastic. I guess if you didn't like it you didn't send your dc there!

LaurieFairyCake · 05/02/2014 17:23

I'm more concerned the wee sausage is crated all day. It would be much happier under her desk/at her feet/cuddled up to the radiator.

Original poster

vickibee · 05/02/2014 18:34

It is wary of people and growls at people who enter the office so roaming free is not really on. If it was friendly and approachable it would not be an issue at all

OP posts:

SnowBells · 06/02/2014 00:01

vickibee

The crate thing is not so nice, but seriously… why doesn't it "feel right"?

Because society has brainwashed you to think so?

I would LOVE to work somewhere where dogs were allowed to roam around.

Viviennemary · 06/02/2014 00:08

A dog in a crate all day in an office is hardly ideal for anybody. Dogs in an office. What next.

TheCraicDealer · 06/02/2014 00:16

All the people talking about having dogs in their offices seem like they're in canine heaven, but those dogs are clearly used to being in that environment, adequately trained and used to the people they have to share that space with. That sounds great, I'd love that. I would not like to see a dog in a cage for eight hours a day, or hear it whining every time its owner left the room. I'd actually find that pretty distressing. She either has to start training it at home so that it gets used to her not being in the same room, or she should make other arrangements.

Ragwort · 06/02/2014 00:16

I don't like dogs at all and would feel very uncomfortable if I had to work in an environment where dogs were allowed - actually I did used to work in an office where someone had an assistance dog (colleague was blind) and I could understand that not the time the dog was sick all over me though.

I just don't think it is appropriate to take pets to work and it makes it very awkward for those of us who don't enjoy the company of dogs ......... if you start a job and dogs are part of the team then obviously you have the option not to work there but if the goal posts are changed when you are already in a job then I do think it is not at all appropriate. Fair enough if this was a short term measure due to bereavement but otherwise you are surely able to discuss it with your manager?

Jinsei · 06/02/2014 00:24

Several people used to take their dogs to work in my old organisation. Never bothered me, though I was a bit when I went in one time and found an injured sheep in there as well!

I used to take dd with me sometimes as well, so appreciated the flexibility. Where I work now, dogs would be an absolute no-no, but I have allowed colleagues to bring in school age children if they've been in a bind. The kids have always been good as gold. :)

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