Hello all, We are getting a Labrador puppy in the middle of May after a long long time of considering one, researching, and then finding our puppy! This forum has been fantastic to read through and has really helped me gain knowledge, made me laugh (and at times terrified me) as to what we are committing to! We have 2 dog friendly cats, and a nine year old yorkie cross, again dog friendly. My query here today is if anyone has took there puppy to work? How has it been? I am the manager of a residential home, the people who live there are very excited to meet our new arrival and love animals. My current dog can come to work, but for short periods as can be a bit nervy/ happy with so many people in and out, so she goes to my sister's for the days I work. My role at work was very different until a year ago, so was not in a position to bring her in at a younger age! If he came to work he could have a bed / crate in my office. Access to our enclosed gardens, and access to communal areas with me supervising! I don't want this post to be taken in a way that I think it will be easy to have a puppy / grown labrador in the workplace. I really am aware it will need to be organised, lots of positive training and structured esp in the first year or 2! I really am just wandering if it's been done / tried by anyone else? We have a recommended puppy day care, close family, dog walker friends and fantastic neighbours for the 2 days in week we both work, and puppies first month 1 of us will be home, so is not something that we have to do, just something I would like to do! Thanks in advance, Nikki
How lucky that you will be able to take your pup to work I'm sure the residents will love it too. I'm not fortunate enough to have been able to do this more than occasionally when I took my first Labrador to work sometimes. Others will have done it though and I'm sure you'll make it work too. I guess I'd just have a pretty good plan in place for the toilet training stage. In this stage you'll need to be able to pay a lot of attention to your pup's needs to avoid accidents, and that might be tricky when work issues demand your attention at the same time. If you were able to set up a puppy pen in your office with a rubber mat and something absorbent on top (like old towels or vet bed) that'd mean you could safely pop the pup in there if you had to rush off to attend to something and couldn't attend to him for a short while.
I say pen rather than crate as you want it to be big enough so that your pup feels ok to go to the loo in it. Crates are small and are designed to be a sleeping area only which discourages the pup from pooping/weeding.
Welcome Nikki from Hattie 9 years and our rescue boy Charlie 6 years. Lucky you how lovely to be able to take your puppy to a residential home where the residents can enjoy the company of a puppy. My Hattie is a Pets as Therapy dog and I know the happiness she brings to terminal patients every week during our Hospice visits. It sounds like a good set up with the enclosed gardens so you could do toilet training. You also have lots of support for the days you work. Well done you for being so organised. What's your pups name? Good luck hope it all goes well x
Hi and welcome! I took my first Rottie puppy to work with me from 10 weeks to 8 months, when unfortunately I changed jobs and wasn't able to take him in any more. Another job change a year or so later meant I could occasionally (though not every day) take him again. I think I just had dumb luck because I expected him to be good and he was. He was a very calm puppy and simply stayed under my desk on his blanket and slept most of the time. I would take him out to wee about four times in an eight hour day. Like I said, very lucky as I don't think most puppies would be so easy. Still, I think your puppy may surprise you as well and what better socialisation that taking your pup so early. It's a wonderful idea and I hope it works out really well for you! And congratulations on your new puppy!
Hello and welcome. I agree with Rachael that the toilet training stage is where you'll struggle most because, being at work, I assume you can't be watching the puppy for "the signs" every minute, and dropping everything to take him out when he starts to sniff. So, I imagine that would be quite wearing. Also, the biting thing - you'd have to be very careful because pups can be quite astonishing with the enthusiasm of their biting, making you look like you've been in a horrible fight with Edward Scissorhands, and I'm sure you don't want that with you residents! Once you're through that stage, though, it should be great for you all. My puppy is six months now and very chilled out most of the time. She knows when I'm working (I work form home) that I'm boring, so she just settles down to snooze. Good luck with it - looking forward to hearing the stories of the mischief he gets up to, running amok in the nursing home
Thank you all for your friendly welcome and advice! I can be flexible with going out for toileting so half hourly visits to garden and slowly extend time in. He won't be with clients unsupervised as big paws on frail skin don't make a good combination! He will be called Jordy, and is a yellow lab! Roll on May 14th!
Your main problem won't be big puppy paws, it'll be little crocapup teeth! My Mum's care home had a dog which came to work with one of the managers. She was called Louisa and she was amazing. Never once did she get in the way of Zimmer frames, wheelchairs etc. I visited a lot with puppy Tatze and Louisa was amazing with her too. It will be very, very hard work for you - but worth it, I think.
So worth it! It's great to hear success stories! I'm lucky I have time to get organised and people on call for support! Your correct sharp little teeth will need to be otherwise occupied! I shall take lots of kongs and chews to pop in to distract from fingers, cushions and clothes! We have therapy dogs visit our home, visitors bring in there dogs, and 2 ladies who live there have there cats live with them! We all love having them round!
Hi and welcome from me and my 14 month old boy Bailey. I work at a rugby club and my OH is the groundsman at the same club, so Bailey has always been with one or the other of us there - either with me in the club house when little or with OH when he was vaccinated and able to roam free! We had to keep a close eye on him, particularly on a Sunday when the children were there playing rugby - in fact we had to watch the "adults" on a Saturday too otherwise he would be passed around like a bag of sweets! We found that a couple of hours each day were more than enough at the very beginning - even now my OH will come with me to work on a Saturday, and as people start to arrive for the match Bailey has to greet all the senior players to get his fuss from each of them (in fact he is now the team mascot!) and a bit of a play with them while warming up, but once the match kicks off my OH usually takes him home for a rest. Sunday's is pretty much the same, but mid-week when the adults come in for training two evenings a week is his favourite time as he is out there with them for pretty much the whole session (unless it is freezing cold and wet) before coming in for a warm by the fire and a share of the cheese and ham sandwiches made for the players! There are times that Bailey cannot be at the club and on those days he stays at home with the OH. Occasionally he has to be on his own for about 4 hours but his is walked and fed before my OH leaves and he has access to water at all times. He just gets on our bed and sleeps while we are both out! During the summer months he misses his team-mates as the summer rugby team that is based at our club don't involve him with training (although there are several of them who always come in to say hi to him and have a fuss and play). Good luck and I think with determination and organisation it is possible for you to have your dog at work with you and for you both to enjoy it. Look forward to the puppy pictures
It is fantastic that you are able to take him to work. Harley has come to work with me in the past a lot. I used to work with children with behavioural issues or additional needs so used Harley as an incentive for good/change in behaviour. It worked everytime! The kids loved taking her for walks, talking to her about their home lives, doing agility with her and sometimes just cuddling her whilst they cried. She also came to my playscheme every summer and played with lots of children. Unfortunately I have changed jobs so can only rarely take her to work with me now. I really miss her whilst I'm at work even though my dog walker is amazing.
