# Dogs at work (indoor office setting) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362 "2011-04-06T04:29:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/41 "2011-04-06T21:33:59Z")
If you work in a bookstore, cats are okay. Same thing with dogs if you work in a junkyard. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/42 "2011-04-06T22:07:12Z")
Haven’t read all the responses yet. I once worked at a printing plant that had a small office building connected to the main printing plant. The printing plant itself had some office space walled off for pre-press work (graphic art, plate-making, etc.) I worked in the plant’s office space, and ran a ramshackle film developer part of the time. Our film developing machine had an exposed tray below it on the floor into which used fixative chemicals drained. The stuff had a piquant odor … it didn’t smell great, but it could be a pleasant odor in the same way some people like the smell of Liquid Paper or mimeographed paper. Anyway. The plant owner and his son both brought their dogs to work most days. Both were great dogs, didn’t cause problems for the staff, didn’t use the potty indoors, etc. But there was one problem with the owner’s son – he’d bring his dog up into my office and let him roam freely around the film developer. I stopped his dog more than once from drinking from the fixative tray. But that was much more of a owner problem than a dog problem. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/43 "2011-04-06T22:17:42Z")
No. Dogs belong outside. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/44 "2011-04-06T22:31:47Z")
The job I just left had an office dog. I’m a fan. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/45 "2011-04-06T23:13:47Z")
Depends. We sometimes bring our dogs to our office, when we have to study late, or in the weekends. The dogs are usually pretty mellow, and the others like to have live furry animals to pet. At my lab? Hell no. They have no place in the lab, as much as it pains me. So when I know I’ll be working there, I don’t bring my dog. I’m a veterinarian, though. At the very least, those who enter the profession tolerate animals. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/46 "2011-04-06T23:22:40Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Some people say their dogs are well-behaved and sometimes, they are. But you all know “well-behaved” means nothing to lots and lots of people. For every dog owner that’s good and trains their doggy there are three that allow them to jump and run around the office and bark their fool heads off. And I’m sorry, but these people ruin it for everyone. They say “Dangerosa brings in her Wuffles, why can’t I bring in my Marmaduke?” while Wuffles is sleeping nicely in her basket and Marmaduke is jumping on people with dirty filthy paws. > > Keep them at home except for special occasions, please. > [@Anaamika](#): > > All offices should be animal and child free by default. \ You’ve saved me all that typing. 🙂 No dogs, no kids - it’s a workplace, not a kennel or a daycare (unless it actually IS a daycare or a kennel). ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/47 "2011-04-07T00:58:58Z")
I would prefer even yappy little dogs to the stinking perfume that has infected my office. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/48 "2011-04-07T03:30:19Z")
No-ish answer here. I don’t think I’d want to work in a place that allowed dogs or kids in the office. The reason I selected No-ish is because seeing eye dogs are the obvious exception. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/49 "2011-04-07T04:29:19Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > I think it’s much fairer to implement a “You must like dogs to work here.” vs. “We’ve decided to implement a new policy that you had no idea about when you agreed to work here.” Well exxcept for the fact that such a policy would pretty explicitly discriminate against muslems. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/50 "2011-04-07T05:12:17Z")
An office is for doing work, and pets are an unnecessary distraction. No pets. And lots of people (like me) are allergic to dogs and cats. I guess if someone had a guide dog I’d have to quit. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/51 "2011-04-07T08:57:32Z")
What’s with the “bookstore cats”? Are they mousers, or the pampered descendants thereof, or is there some other reason why so many people mention them as something fine and frequent? The only business I’ve known where you could see a non-service animal was a bookstore, but the animal was a well-behaved, friendly, large dog. The owners lived in the back of the store, the door separating their living room from the store was split in half, farm-style, and the dog would stand at the half-door wagging her tail and watching people. If she knew you to be one of the customers who’d give scritches, the tail would wag faster but she never barked or whined. There was a sign on the front door “we do have a dog; she’s not able to enter the store”. ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/52 "2011-04-07T09:37:15Z")
No pets. Aquariums are ok though, as long as the air pumps are relatively quiet and they are kept clean. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/53 "2011-04-07T10:16:26Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Although I think “you must like dogs to work here” might run you into legal discrimination issues in the U.S. if the reason someone doesn’t like dogs is allergies or a mental health issue. I don’t know if allergy sufferers are in a protected class. The company I work for makes pet food and dogs are encouraged to come into work. I love dogs, but I can’t think of anything more distracting than having to figure out where Buddy trotted off to. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/54 "2011-04-07T10:40:26Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Well exxcept for the fact that such a policy would pretty explicitly discriminate against muslems. No it wouldn’t. Some countries have a cultural dislike of dogs, but there’s nothing in the Koran saying that people can’t be around dogs. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/55 "2011-04-07T10:54:43Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > No it wouldn’t. Some countries have a cultural dislike of dogs, but there’s nothing in the Koran saying that people can’t be around dogs. Well that’s open to interpretation I guess, but every single muslem I know will not touch dogs because of the cultural ban. Some I know even say its rude to let a dog swim in a pool because of this. I haven’t read the Koran, but I would need to ask where you’re getting your info from? Do note that I actually do live in a muslem minority country… ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/56 "2011-04-07T11:37:22Z")
ok…so I figured I should providde a cite, so from wikipedia… The majority of both Sunni and Shi’a Muslim jurists consider dogs to be ritually unclean.[1] Most practicing Muslims do not have dogs as pets.[2] Though dogs are allowed to be kept for guarding the house or farm, or when used for hunting purposes. Outside their ritual uncleanness, individual Islamic fatāwā, or rulings, have expressed that dogs be treated kindly or else be freed.[3] ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/57 "2011-04-07T11:55:25Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > I don’t know if allergy sufferers are in a protected class. > > The company I work for makes pet food and dogs are encouraged to come into work. I love dogs, but I can’t think of anything more distracting than having to figure out where Buddy trotted off to. The company I work for did a multi million dollar remodel because someone working in the area was allergic to mold. The mold problem didn’t rise to a general health issue and they ignored complaints for years until the ADA came up. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/58 "2011-04-07T13:06:30Z")
Funny, I don’t at all mind bookstore cats. They just seem to be staples. And the liquor store I sometimes go to has a big old dog of some kind of other. It seems to sleep all the time and doesn’t even really care about being petted - it doesn’t dislike it, but it doesn’t come over to get petted. Really, it’s just kind of a big lump. And one day I saw a bookstore with a big parrot and a cat, and the cat was sleeping and the parrot was standing on top of it. I lol’ed. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/59 "2011-04-07T13:50:29Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Funny, I don’t at all mind bookstore cats. They just seem to be staples. And the liquor store I sometimes go to has a big old dog of some kind of other. It seems to sleep all the time and doesn’t even really care about being petted - it doesn’t dislike it, but it doesn’t come over to get petted. Really, it’s just kind of a big lump. > > And one day I saw a bookstore with a big parrot and a cat, and the cat was sleeping and the parrot was standing on top of it. I lol’ed. 😃 My experience with bookstore cats is that they usually inhabit bookstores filled with bookstore dust. In theory these are delightful places to poke around in - a little disorganized, you can unearth treasures, and the piles of books can transport you to another world. In practice, if I want to dig through dusty bookshelves being watched by a cat, I have my basement - which is less dusty and more organized. For some reason book people and cat people overlap on the Venn Diagram. Outdoorsy people and dog people overlap. I’m not surprised to see a dog behind the counter if I go to an independent camping store or a cat in an independent bookstore. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362/60 "2011-04-07T13:53:17Z")
I like them, but my company now has a no pets policy. We used to have a guy who’d bring his dog in - she was a lab, and was absolutely great - I really enjoyed having her around. He trained her well. The reason she’s not allowed anymore is nothing to do with her or her owner, it’s because of our customers. Our sales guy brought customers in to our facility. They didn’t have any business here - the project they were involved in was at one of our other locations - but he brought them over to see our manufacturing floor and system builds (because it’s a sales opportunity, don’cha know). The lab was here and was hanging out quietly in an unused corner, like she did. Well, these customers were in the medical market, which has tight controls around quality and manufacturing, and they commented on having a dog on the shop floor. So that’s why she can’t come around anymore. It is a shame, because she was fun, but it’s not like the customers were in the wrong either. Sometimes, it’s not necessarily up to the company, but dependent on customer expectations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-at-work-indoor-office-setting/577362.md?page=4)