Objective opinion needed- dogs in the workplace

[okeydokey]

I don't think dogs belong in an office at all.

However, in this situation, they are allowed. What do the others in the office feel? How does the boss feel? Maybe a drafting of new rules is in order.

 

[ols386]

If I were the one with the smaller dog, I would probably just not bring it to work, because I would be too concerned about it's safety.

 

[BCV513]

Are there any rules other than "dogs are allowed"? I'm assuming the dogs have to be leashed or contained so they don't run out the door or something. This is tricky, because if things get too out of hand, none of you will be able to bring your dogs in any more. Maybe you could just try telling the lady that "Fido (your dog) isn't feeling too friendly today. Maybe he can play with Toothy tomorrow." Eventually she'll get the hint.

 

[Pakey]

If I was concerned about the safety of my dog, I would not bring him into a situation that placed him in danger. If nobody else has any issues with this dog, I would just leave it alone, take care of my own dog, stay out of the rest of it.

 

[lillygator]

what kind of business is this? do you have customers coming in? How do people get work done when they have to worry about dogs in the office?

 

[luvmy3]

I think snappy needs a muzzle if he's being brought into the office. I'd go to the office manager.

Definitely Like a pp said there are most likely rules to having your dog there, snapping would probably be against them so if your co-worker wants to continue to bring her dog she will probably need to take measures to keep he dog from snapping at people or other dogs.

I neve knew there were dog friendly offices. I think its kind of cool, but if I was a dog I'd rather go to doggy day care than be stuck with mom at the office all day

 

[Magpie]

I saw this exact situation on an episode of the Dog Whisperer!

I would recommend hiring a dog expert to come in and evaluate the situation. You don't know how aggressive the lab really is, or if your "hyperactive" little guy is actually instigating a problem. An expert can tell you which dog is the problem, and give you guys some advice on what to do about it. Also, because this is a neutral outsider, you won't be ending up with a lot of she said/she said office drama.

 

[WicketsMom]

Oh how I wish I could work somewhere that was dog-friendly. However, it seems like there should be some rules for the dogs to protect the other dogs and people working there. A little common sense can go a long way.

I have two dogs, a Lab and a Lab/Doberman mix. The Lab I would bring in to work with me if it were allowed, the other one I wouldn't because while she is very sweet, she can be unpredictable in some situations with other dogs. She has never bitten, but does like to verbally let the other dogs know that she is the boss (or at least she thinks she is).

The bad thing is that if the situation escalates and a dog or human is bitten, then it could mean that no one is able to bring their dogs in any more. Unfortunately I'm seeing this in local areas where irresponsible owners don't pick up after or control their dogs in public places. Then the dogs are banned completely and the responsible owners suffer.

Sounds like there need to be some ground rules set for appropriate pet/owner behavior in the office if there aren't some already.

 

[Jennasis]

what kind of business is this? do you have customers coming in? How do people get work done when they have to worry about dogs in the office?

Lots of businesses are set up this way. Check out www.dogFriendly.com for a state-by-state lisiting. Some are customer oriented business and some are not.

 

[ilovemk76]

Dogs do not belong in work places. Solution - Leave all dogs home.

 

[castleview]

I would think there would already be a rule in place that all dogs must be "dog friendly" It's really a no brainer The last thing you need in an office besides a "cat fight" is a dog fight.

This is what I was thinking. Our previous dog was horrible with other dogs (similar background but not as extreme as your co-worker's dog). For that reason, she didn't go to the soccer field or many other places with us. It was my responsibility.

 

[Jeniferdwn]

you are lucky to be able to take your dog to work. I'd LOVE to be able to take one of my doggies to work! Good luck with getting the big dog to leave the little doggy alone! Keep the little one safe!

 

[sbell111]

Hello all!

I work in a pretty small office - about 10 women in my program. I'm the admin assistant, so I pretty much help everyone 24/7. Our office happens to be dog-friendly, which was a great perk when I was hired.

I have a small (15lb) pug, who is extremely friendly, a bit hyper active, but over all gets along with every dog at the dog park and avoids confrontation. A few months ago, a coworker who has some aggression issues of her own adopted an older black lab(about 60 lbs.).

This dog has been through A LOT (bullets in his butt, hip displaysia, an overall terrible start to his life). The first time she brought him in, over a few months ago, he immediately snapped at my dog with his big mouth & teeth. This was really frightening for me. It's happened more than once, unfortunately, and we now avoid him.

Last week I asked my coworker if we could keep them seperated for my dog's safety, and she flipped. She was upset for me bringing up his snapping and growling, stating that I called him an aggressive dog. He is an otherwise lazy & boring dog, but has this scary habit that puts my dog in danger. She refuses to compromise, and I feel that I can't bring my dog into the office anymore.

I need an objective opinion. I didn't want to have to bring up the snapping, but she continuously brought the big dog into our "safe" office space. I felt that she was disregarding our feelings, and the one time I stand up for myself, I get chewed out.

What would you do? Is snapping not an aggressive behavior? Is it office behavior?

Thanks for any help

As I understand the OP, she has a hyperactive pug. A coworker has a 'lazy and boring' older lab. The lab snapped at the pug.

Based solely on the OP, I'm thinking that the solution to the problem is to keep the pug from messing with the lab. That may mean not bringing the pug to work.

 

[cinabug]

what kind of business is this? do you have customers coming in? How do people get work done when they have to worry about dogs in the office?

Yes, I really want to know this too. Where I work, we've had coworkers who requested that we all avoid wearing perfume and using scented soaps and lotions because of their sensitivity. It seems like a coworker or customer would likely have some sensitivity to dog hair or dander.

 

[hugApug]

Wow, thanks everyone for your responses. I guess I should have explained the snapping incidents a little better. In knowing full well that my pug loves to greet other dogs while off leach, I kept her on a leash each time she was near the lab. His snapping came at points when she was merely walking by(i.e. entering through the door from a walk). She's also brought him into our office (I sit with multiple people, with a baby gate blocking the door), after two snapping & growling incidents.

It's a really tough situation, as my coworker takes great offense to coordinating our dog schedules. There are some deep-rooted issues with her not liking my dog (talking bad about her to other coworkers, who happen to love my pup). She's a general office bully.

As others have stated, maybe the office is no place for a dog, but prior to this new one coming in, there were zero issues for two years.

I won't be bringing my pup in anymore, as long as this other dog is around. Her safety is my #1 priority, even if the situation is really not fair.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[hugApug]

Yes, I really want to know this too. Where I work, we've had coworkers who requested that we all avoid wearing perfume and using scented soaps and lotions because of their sensitivity. It seems like a coworker or customer would likely have some sensitivity to dog hair or dander.

We're an office inaccessible to the public. So far, no one has been allergic or fearful of dogs.

 

[badblackpug]

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I have a fat pug (25lbs) !!!! Anyway.... it seems as if this woman is unwilling to compromise, so you are right that you need to protect your own and leave him home. I know my pug was quite a nudge when he was younger (he's an old man now) and would approach any dog, big or small, without fear. He was not aggressive in any way, but just a very "in your face" kind of guy.

I also know that there are some bigger dogs with aggression issues, that tend to go after smaller dogs. It is a shame that this woman cannot respect boundaries, but I guess there is nothing you can do.

 

[sunnyday123]

The bolded made me chuckle.

OK, I'm assuming that the Lab doesn't snap at humans? A snap at a human should get him banned from the office immediately.

I also think that you have to take the initiative to keep your dog safe not depend on the Lab owner's good sense -- or lack thereof! As a PP said, keep your pug on leash with you, bring in his crate or, even better, set up an X-pen close to your desk and keep your pug in that. Tell Lab Owner that she has to keep her dog away from the X-pen.

That said, without seeing the snapping incident for myself I wouldn't want to jump to the conclusion that the Lab is truly dog aggressive. Did/does he growl and snap on sight? Was your friendly pug just trying to greet him and perhaps accidentally getting in his face? It sounds as though this guy has been through a lot, he may be in pain, and we don't know his past experience with little dogs.

A growl can just be dog talk for "back off, Buster!" A snap is more worrying, and I can see why you are concerned, but an air snap (snapping to miss rather than to connect) means "you are getting on my last nerve, puppy, get out of my face!" Some larger dogs do treat little dogs like puppies and that would be typical puppy discipline behavior. Polite and sensible dogs (of all sizes) back away after hearing a growl and diffuse tension -- turn their heads away, yawn, go into a submissive pose, etc.

My own pet peeve. Some little dogs (please understand I'm not saying your pug is one of them) never seem to have got the memo on dog ettiquette! I have greyhounds and foster some also. I'm always surprised at tiny dog owners who want to let their little dogs run right up to strange greyhounds and lick their faces. My two are quite small dog friendly, but I never know with a foster.

I always like to recommend this article by Suzanne Clothier to all dog owners: "He Just Wants To Say Hi." www.lasvegasgreyhounds.org/Site/.../ArticleHeJustWantsToSayHi.pdf

Very good advice. It's more your responsibility to keep your dog safe, and it that means keeping it away from her dog, then that's what you have to do.

I also get the feeling from your post that you don't like her, or her "big" dog. You also said your dog is a little hyper. He very well might have annoyed this older dog, and this was his way of telling your dog to back off. When dogs meet for the first time, it should be controlled and closely monitored. Every dog that comes into the office should be well behaved, and that means no snapping, and no running around like a chicken with your head cut off.

I can't tell you the amount of people I've encountered who think it's funny that their little dog growls or lunges at my big dog. Little dogs should be expected to behave in the same manner as a large dog. Maybe getting some of his excess energy out before going into the office would help.

 

[hugApug]

Very good advice. It's more your responsibility to keep your dog safe, and it that means keeping it away from her dog, then that's what you have to do.

I also get the feeling from your post that you don't like her, or her "big" dog. You also said your dog is a little hyper. He very well might have annoyed this older dog, and this was his way of telling your dog to back off. When dogs meet for the first time, it should be controlled and closely monitored. Every dog that comes into the office should be well behaved, and that means no snapping, and no running around like a chicken with your head cut off.

I can't tell you the amount of people I've encountered who think it's funny that their little dog growls or lunges at my big dog. Little dogs should be expected to behave in the same manner as a large dog. Maybe getting some of his excess energy out before going into the office would help.

You're right, my dog is 100% my responsibility. Knowing her outgoing personality, I keep her locked behind a baby gate in my office where she happily sleeps most of the time. Each time that the incidents have happened, she's been on a short leash, with me, walking towards our office (with the other dog off leash in open spaces and catching us off guard-him approaching, not vice versa).

It's not the dog that I don't like, it's my coworkers unfortunate attitude to the situation. I feel really sorry for the life he has had to lead, and find him to be a good dog despite the snapping instances. All I wanted was to find a way to make it work safely for both dogs, but her attitude is that the office should be open for him.

I'm all with you in agreement that snappy little dogs are just as bad as snappy big dogs. I've had my feet snapped at by too many little chihuahua's at the shelter I volunteer at. No snapping or growling is ever cute.

Thanks for your feedback

 

[hugApug]

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I have a fat pug (25lbs) !!!! Anyway.... it seems as if this woman is unwilling to compromise, so you are right that you need to protect your own and leave him home. I know my pug was quite a nudge when he was younger (he's an old man now) and would approach any dog, big or small, without fear. He was not aggressive in any way, but just a very "in your face" kind of guy.

I also know that there are some bigger dogs with aggression issues, that tend to go after smaller dogs. It is a shame that this woman cannot respect boundaries, but I guess there is nothing you can do.

What a cute pug face!! Can't help but love our pug kids.