My lab mix enjoyed the office more than I did.
This Friday (24 June 2022) being National Take Your Dog to Work Day in the US. I thought I'd share a story about the first time I took my dog to work.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Shadow's First Time at the Office
My time as an Instructional Designer at a community college was fast-paced, stressful, and hectic. It was not unusual for members of the design and development teams to work long hours during evenings, weekends, and holidays. We usually worked remotely, but sometimes needed to head to the office.
One Saturday, I headed to the campus pond with my dog, Shadow, to watch the ducks. Despite being a Labrador Retriever mix, he was gentle with all creatures. He loved playing with and watching other creatures. It was supposed to be a day focused entirely on him.
I received a call from my supervisor informing me that some paperwork I submitted during the workweek went missing. I needed to head into the office and handle it ASAP.
We debated the urgency since the paperwork was not due until the next week. I explained that I was on campus but had to take my dog home first. My supervisor told me to bring him into the office since I was already on campus, but to enter through the back door of the building so we wouldn't get in trouble by the building officer.
Being a goody-two-shoes, I did not feel comfortable sneaking my dog into the building. I was already on the verge of quitting for various reasons. So, we went in through the front doors and greeted the building manager to see if I could get fired that day.
The building manager knew I was an employee on the second floor. Our department was housed in an entire wing of the building. She greeted Shadow, petted him, hugged him, and told us to have a great day. The building manager said she was sorry I had to work on the weekend again.
We headed upstairs to my office. I shared a room with a colleague who had a plush rug. As soon as I let Shadow off-leash, something my supervisor insisted on, he immediately rolled on the plush rug. I intended vacuum the plush rug before we left and inform my colleague when we saw each other on Monday morning.
My supervisor came in to meet Shadow. She was enamored with him. After she went back to her office across the way, she periodically called Shadow over to talk and play.
I learned that my supervisor was an introvert with no friends. She also did not have internet in her apartment, so she spent much of her weekends in the office to surf the web, watch online videos, and sometimes get some work done. Shadow's presence in the office gave her some much needed company on a lonely Saturday.
I figured since Shadow enjoyed playing with her, I went ahead and got a head start on a new course design project. It was the least I could do for my supervisor who was struggling emotionally on this day.
She used Shadow to pass me handwritten notes for fun. She could have easily asked her questions or made a statement aloud, but I admit it was fun communicating through Shadow. He did not seem to mind because the handwritten notes went where they were supposed to go.
My supervisor also gave Shadow a tour of the other offices in our wing of the building. Shadow enjoyed sniffing around and following her lead. I knew Shadow was having a great time in a place he has never visited before.
Later in the day, I was finishing what I wanted to complete. Shadow laid on my colleague's rug playing with a plush toy my supervisor loaned him.
To my surprise, my colleague walked into the room and stopped in front of Shadow. Shadow immediately got up and greeted her. My colleague then dropped to her knees to give Shadow hugs and kisses.
I learned my colleague often brought her dachshund, Nugget, to the office when she had to work on weekends. As was the case with Shadow, our supervisor would spend her time playing with Nugget. This day was the one day she left her dog home. We scheduled a meeting for our dogs to see if they would get along in the office.
Shadow's first time at the office went so well, I always took him with me when I had to work on evenings or weekends. It beat working from my tiny apartment with poor internet reliability.
Shadow and Nugget got along very well. It surprised my colleague because she claimed her dog was anti-social. There was something comforting about our dogs playing together on her plush rug while we got work done to meet tight deadlines.
I knew when I took a job with a university that I would lose my privilege to take my dog to work with me. However, I worked for a department that valued their employees and encouraged wellness.
My Thoughts
I know not every dog owner is able to take their four-legged friend to the workplace, so I consider myself to have been fortunate to have that opportunity with the community college I worked for. It also helped that I raised a well-mannered dog who listened to commands (verbal and non-verbal) well and loved people.
Shadow especially had a way of making others feel happier. My supervisor and I never spoke about our personal lives prior to that first day I took Shadow to the office. There was something about having Shadow around that made my supervisor comfortable enough to open about herself.
As our relationship improved, I learned that she was also on the verge of quitting. We would discuss ways to improve the workplace environment while we were there. She asked me for interview tips since I had experience interviewing and hiring employees. In turn, she encouraged me to apply for a remarkable position with a university in another city.
Having my dog with me on the weekends I needed to be in the office was stress relieving. Shadow's enjoyment and comfort at the office made challenges easier to deal with.
What's Next?
I will take a break from sharing dog stories the next few weeks. Arts and crafts' projects are coming next. If you prefer my dog stories (according to my website's analytics, stories about my dogs are the most read blog posts), check back in a few weeks to see what story I share next!
Have you taken your dog to work? Comment below to share the story of your dog's first time at the office.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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