I have wondered about the concept of bringing dogs to work and why only dogs have achieved the work-friendly status. They are trainable and that makes the biggest difference. A cat would not do as they were told but a dog would. They can be distracting and some people can be allergic to them. But companies that decide to allow them to work have obviously decided the benefits outweigh the problems.
The dog is somewhat like the bowl of candies folks used to have at their desk back in the cubicle farm eras. They create a natural watering hole for coworkers to gather around and fuss over the animal's cuteness. The dog owner becomes more visible and memorable specially in a bigger place. I know of a woman who has her dog on an extraordinarily colorful leash. To this day, I don't know her name but that leash is like the flourish at the end of her signature.
Seeing dogs in the office being fussed over by their owner and random dozens of people always makes me think about the young children left in daycare that belong to the same dog-owners. Wouldn't it be that much better if that child could be lavished the same attention and did not have to be separated from their parent all day along. Sometimes being a dog is indeed the best life - such is the way with random workplace benefits.
Comments