Pets at Work: Training the Humans

We have two dogs at the office and welcome other furry friends. However, often the humans need more training than the dogs when it comes to establishing a controllable, calm atmosphere for both the humans and the dogs.

Dogs are easily trainable, humans are a bit more difficult. But before a dog is brought to the office it should be able to follow basic commands like sit, lay down, stay, come, no and should be comfortable on and off the leash.

Before dogs are introduced into the workplace, the humans need to understand and be willing to uphold some basic principles in regards to introductions, discipline, food and treats, patience and pack mentality.

Introductions. It is best to bring a new dog to the workplace on slower days, when the humans have enough time to properly introduce the dog to the other dogs and the humans. Also, don't "surprise" the dogs currently there. For example, when I bring my dog in she in on leash and the Nigros require the beagles to settle down and be calm before they are allowed to interact. In the beginning, it may take up to a half of an hour to get all of the dogs to settle down.

Discipline. The hardest thing for humans to do is to restrain themselves from overexciting the dog with how they interact with the dog. Raised voices, slamming items or making other loud noises, or hitting a dog are NOT required. Often, a “sharp” look works, dogs are good at picking up subtle signals. In some cases, you may need to physically block or restrain a dog… but there is never any need to do it in a violent way.

Food and treats. If you know dogs, you know that they will eat just about anything. However, all people around the dog must understand that it is very unhealthy for the dog to overeat and become overweight. So make sure that everyone knows they must consult with the owner of the dog before they give treats to the dog and train the humans to keep their food out of the dog's reach. In addition, keep in mind that most dogs love fetching, pets and scratches almost as much as food, so treats are not necessary to praise the dog.

Patience. As mentioned above, it may take up to a half an hour for dogs to become acclimated to the other dogs, their new surroundings, the new people and the interesting smells. Some dogs may even require several short visits before they feel comfortable and calm in a new environment. If there are problems with having a particular dog around, then address it. Try to figure out what the problem really is and then brainstorm ideas for fixing it, and then give it a try. And if it doesn’t work, brainstorm some new ideas, and try those!

Pack Mentality. Dogs are pack animals and they must understand that the humans are the pack leaders and not a specific dog. When meeting new dogs (or humans), dogs want to know where they stand in relation to the new dog… the pecking order is very important to them. So, you have to make it very clear that the people are in charge…no dog should be allowed to correct another dog (through nudges, barks, growls, or nips), no dog should demand attention over another dog, no dog should claim a space as its own, etc. The key is for each human to know that they are the boss (at least when it comes to human-dog relationships) and the dog will do what they want. In most cases, just believing that will give the human the proper body language and energy for the dog to know what to do. Dogs can sense and in some cases, even smell human emotion. So it’s important not to be fearful, timid, apprehensive, afraid, powerless, etc. If you are, the dog will be in control!

We believe that the benefits of having our furry friends in the office out weigh the effort involved in teaching them (and the humans) how to be good members of the team! I mean really, how could you look down at their sweet faces and not smile?




Author: Natalie Nigro and Pamela S. Stevens