# Dogs in the office — are there limits? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109 "2011-09-21T21:09:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/41 "2011-09-22T18:32:58Z")
> [@thelabdude](#): > > Several years ago I read an article in Forbes about dogs in the work place. Mostly it was about employee retention. How do you keep your people from jumping ship? There are some people you would have to really beat up before they quit a job they could take their dog for one they couldn’t. It was most common in tech places. > > Dogs can be managed in work places. My wife, daughter, and I have all taken our foster puppies to work sometimes and her husband to his classes. At times, it has included 2 month old ones. A 10% unemployment rate has helped out a lot with employee retention without the issue of your dog smelling my dog’s butt, and my dog thinking that is going too far. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/42 "2011-09-22T18:52:59Z")
> [@Naxos](#): > > Not really. > > Owning dogs is a vanity and self-absorbed personality disorder. Especially for people that live in cities. > > Owning dogs in a farm with ample space to roam and maybe a task for them to perform, like herding sheep, etc, is no problem at all. > > I know you know I’m right about this. Not really. There are plenty of dogs breeds (and subsequently, mixes) that have been bred to be companion animals. Not all dogs are working dogs, and not all working breeds need to work all the time. Some do, and people who own them need to be aware of that and ready to make sure their dog has enough stimulation to be happy. But even a Border Collie living in the city can be given jobs to do in the house that would allow it to be a suitable pet, although it would take a very devoted individual to manage it. But a Maltese, or a Boston Terrier? Those are dogs that are meant to be pets, not workers, and keeping them is a wonderful joy to a great many people. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/43 "2011-09-22T19:17:29Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Not really. There are plenty of dogs breeds (and subsequently, mixes) that have been bred to be companion animals. Not all dogs are working dogs, and not all working breeds need to work all the time. Some do, and people who own them need to be aware of that and ready to make sure their dog has enough stimulation to be happy. But even a Border Collie living in the city can be given jobs to do in the house that would allow it to be a suitable pet, although it would take a very devoted individual to manage it. But a Maltese, or a Boston Terrier? Those are dogs that are meant to be pets, not workers, and keeping them is a wonderful joy to a great many people. I assumed his comment was pointing out the inanity of the first comment by choosing the radical opposite position. If they honestly cannot grasp the concept of a house dog, then I don’t know what to tell them. You can have a house dog just as easily as a house cat. Especially if they are around the same size. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/44 "2011-09-22T20:36:27Z")
The bigwig CEO of my company keeps a black cat in his fancy-pantsy suite. Quiet cat, usually just asleep on top of a shelf somewhere, and I have never seen or smelled a litter box … but, yes, there is an office cat in an otherwise stuffy and buttoned-up corporate environment here. In the opposite vein, I used to work at a small, independent spirits shop that was sandwiched between two dog businesses - a dog wash and a day care. The owner of the shop frequently brought in her own dog, and encouraged her customers to bring in theirs, even going to far as to have a little jar of dog biscuits to give them. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/45 "2011-09-23T18:02:13Z")
I think the limits are noise, smell, or moving around the office. In other words the dog needs to sit under your desk and be quiet. But overall dogs in the workplace are not a good idea. My insurance agent decided to start letting his golden retriever roam about the office, and whenever I would go in there this dog would be there running around pressing his nose up against me trying to get attention. Not exactly a professional work environment when I’m trying to conduct my business and move on. I noticed after a few months the dog was no longer there. ---
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/46 "2011-09-23T18:26:09Z")
Outside of the hair and allergy issues I don’t see a problem with it. I live in Bucktown and a lot of the small offices and stores have dogs and cats in the. One of the has a great big fluffy white dog. The kind you can sink your hand up to your wrist in fur before you hit dog. But now I wouldn’t want to be around that dog, no matter how nice he is, (and he is nice) with a good suit on 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/47 "2011-09-23T19:53:12Z")
Since I moved to CA, I don’t remember an office that did not have a dog in it. Where I work sometimes, there’s usually three dogs. Some of the front desk people have to walk them. They wander around, sniffling, barking, growling, etc. My suggestion is… Get rid of the freaking pets! You look like overgrown children! Bring a stuffed one that doesn’t fart! Etc. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/48 "2011-09-23T21:06:04Z")
> [@AndyLee](#): > > Outside of the hair and allergy issues I don’t see a problem with it. I live in Bucktown and a lot of the small offices and stores have dogs and cats in the. One of the has a great big fluffy white dog. The kind you can sink your hand up to your wrist in fur before you hit dog. > > But now I wouldn’t want to be around that dog, no matter how nice he is, (and he is nice) with a good suit on 🙂 Even with my suit on, I would get down on my knees to pet that dog! I LOVE the fluffy ones! I do get a bit irritated with the dog hair, but that’s why they make those sticky roller thingies. I will probably never be lucky enough to work with a dog in the office, unless I start my own biz. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Naxos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Naxos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naxos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/49 "2011-09-24T06:41:00Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Not really. There are plenty of dogs breeds (and subsequently, mixes) that have been bred to be companion animals. Breeding dogs to be “companion” animals falls within the classification of self-absorbed vanity behavior I mentioned. People own “companion” dogs for specific psychological drives which are very well known. Forcing a species to genetically conform to a human’s expectations and need for emotional gratification has to be acknowledged as what it is. We do this with many animals, mostly for food or clothing or other supposed living needs, but doing this for vanity alone is in a class of its own. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2011, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/50 "2011-09-24T07:00:01Z")
You have an interesting perspective, **Naxos** , and there is certainly some merit to your argument. ---
**Author:** ![Naxos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Naxos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naxos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2011, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/51 "2011-09-24T07:13:08Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > You have an interesting perspective, **Naxos** , and there is certainly some merit to your argument. Thanks for the acknowledgement. I see the labs and even greyhounds in my city neighborhood and city parks, being “walked” by their owners… what a sad, sad situation. I value the mistreatment of the animals more than the vanity needs of people. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2011, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/52 "2011-09-24T07:15:09Z")
My last dentist, that just retired, may have had the last dentist office with dogs and smoking. I have taken many smoking breaks in between cleanings and **ROOT CANALS** to come back to dogs in my dentist chair. A small shoosh and they leave. I have smoked cigs with the dentist in the chair with gear in my mouth and in the back room with all sorts of shit and gear in my mouth, he was a fisherman and dentist, I loved him, to bad he and the the times have gone. i think with a little computer repairer I can still trade in home dentistry. This was 2010. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/53 "2011-09-24T21:51:23Z")
When we were raising guide dog puppies, I often brought them as part of their training. They were likely going to have to accompany their partner to work, and they needed to learn the behavior. They sat under my desk most of the time, but I also trained them on elevators and walking up and down steep flights of stairs. However, my company used to allow dogs, and it didn’t work. Some people are petrified of dogs, and some of them were pretty big. One person let the dog run in the corridor. Guide dogs have been bred for generations to have no aggressive behavior, and to be quiet and ready to sit. Not all dogs are so well-behaved. If it is a small office, full of dog lovers, it can work fine, but you need to be sure that no one who is nervous around dogs is being intimidated to let them come. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/54 "2011-09-25T01:11:05Z")
> [@Naxos](#): > > Breeding dogs to be “companion” animals falls within the classification of self-absorbed vanity behavior I mentioned. > > People own “companion” dogs for specific psychological drives which are very well known. > > Forcing a species to genetically conform to a human’s expectations and need for emotional gratification has to be acknowledged as what it is. > > We do this with many animals, mostly for food or clothing or other supposed living needs, but doing this for vanity alone is in a class of its own. Good grief, this sounds like something straight out of the PETA propaganda Newsletter. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/55 "2011-09-25T02:38:49Z")
> [@Naxos](#): > > Breeding dogs to be “companion” animals falls within the classification of self-absorbed vanity behavior I mentioned. > > People own “companion” dogs for specific psychological drives which are very well known. > > Forcing a species to genetically conform to a human’s expectations and need for emotional gratification has to be acknowledged as what it is. > > We do this with many animals, mostly for food or clothing or other supposed living needs, but doing this for vanity alone is in a class of its own. You have a stupid perspective, **Naxos** , and there is no merit to your argument. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/56 "2011-09-26T04:21:36Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > You have a stupid perspective, **Naxos** , and there is no merit to your argument. Especially since he values mistreatment of companion animals. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lovely_Margo_Lane)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/57 "2011-09-26T04:45:02Z")
The only time I’ve ever had a fear reaction to a dog was at work. It was a bit after hours and I was walking from my desk to the kitchen and I heard two dogs going after each other. Weird. There aren’t usually dogs in the office and I thought everyone else had gone home. I rounded the corner and saw a small adult dog and a half-grown bigger breed play-tussling. They saw me and charged! Clearly they were just coming to say “hi!” but something about the context made me freeze up. I backed against the wall and pushed the pup away with one leg (I had a coffee cup in one hand and a bunch of paperwork in another) and tried to be firm and commanding with my “no!” but it was a pup and clearly not trained. Slobber all over my work pants ☹ It came at me again 5 minutes later on the way back to my desk. Both times the dogs were pretty much unsupervised, they were there with the wife and daughter of the big boss, neither woman had her full attention on the dogs. It’s very strange to me even now how visceral a reaction I had to the incident, even though I knew at the time I was in no danger. I never had a strong opinion about dogs in the workplace before, but now I do: They should be leashed or otherwise fully controlled at all times, and there should be some warning so I can steer clear if I don’t want slobber-pants. Also, though I tried to play it off at the time, word has apparently gotten around the executive wing that “Margo doesn’t like dogs.” This came up in a nice way actually, said by a co-worker to her child who was bringing a dog around for hello pets, to discourage the kid from going into my workspace. It’s not really true, I like dogs fine, but oh well… ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/58 "2011-09-26T11:52:30Z")
> [@Naxos](#): > > Breeding dogs to be “companion” animals falls within the classification of self-absorbed vanity behavior I mentioned. > > People own “companion” dogs for specific psychological drives which are very well known. > > Forcing a species to genetically conform to a human’s expectations and need for emotional gratification has to be acknowledged as what it is. > > We do this with many animals, mostly for food or clothing or other supposed living needs, but doing this for vanity alone is in a class of its own. You really need to come with me on Fridays when I take my Lab to visit a nursing home. He and the residents have a great time. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/59 "2011-09-26T16:17:30Z")
> [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](#): > > Also, though I tried to play it off at the time, word has apparently gotten around the executive wing that “Margo doesn’t like dogs.” This came up in a nice way actually, said by a co-worker to her child who was bringing a dog around for hello pets, to discourage the kid from going into my workspace. It’s not really true, I like dogs fine, but oh well… Your whole story is why dogs should not be allowed in the workplace, but this last paragraph really makes me angry for you. Jerks abound and dog owners are no exception. For every person that brings in their well-trained dog there will be three people who whine that they want to bring in Fluffy the Uber Slobberer too, and you all should just suck it up that you are covered in pet hair and drool by the end of the day. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109/60 "2011-09-26T16:24:13Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > When it a _live_ dog. Pictures are ok. I didn’t take my cat to work, why should someone be able to bring their smelly mutt? I take my cat to work sometimes. I’m a professor and I have my own office, so most people don’t even know the cat is here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-in-the-office-are-there-limits/597109.md?page=4)