Simple steps to make your office pet-friendly

Research after every thorough research study has waxed eloquent on the benefits of making workplaces pet-friendly. Dogs, in particular. It is proven that dogs lend a friendly air to the office environment and make employees bond well with their colleagues. They also increase one’s physical activity and build trust among staff members, leading to a rise in productivity.

That said, not every office space is best suitable for dogs. Or vice versa. Every dog can’t be well-mannered or -behaved to be endowed the privilege of sharing our cabins and cubes. There are some thoughtful measures to be adopted to iron out the kinks in this process.

Let’s check ‘em out one by one.

• You want to make your pet-friendly. Good. It’s a good idea to involve all stakeholders – from your core staff to security personnel – before taking a call on the transition. Get all their inputs before drafting a comprehensive policy
• Figure out how well the spaces inside your office support a pet-friendly policy. It should not be intimidating or restricting to pets as well as not prove to be a hindrance for employees to even walk around
• Before letting any new dog inside your premises, assess its behaviour and find out how trained or groomed it is. A well-behaved dog to its master may not necessarily be amiable to strangers. Later, you don’t want a human-canine confrontation
• You would do well to check on their health, hygiene and cleanliness. Routine vaccination and protection against fleas are important for a safe working environment
• Ensure that dogs don’t cause any nuisance, by barking, squealing or distracting work environment by playing with their toys
• It’s advisable to have some designated zone outside your office for dogs to hang out on breaks
• Establish dog-free zones for employees that are allergic to or would do better to stay away from pets

You can go ahead and establish a dog-friendly office, once you have these measures in place. Feel free to share with us your experience about pet-friendly workplaces.