Where previously a framed photo of Fido or a china dog might have graced the work desk, a real live animal now sometimes lies beneath it - office dogs are finding social acceptance. Ever more companies, both small and large, are saying "yes" to doggie colleagues. Pet lovers at the Fressnapf specialist retail chain explain just how that works as dogs have always been welcome at work there.

Animals have a positive effect on us humans and that's not just within our own four walls. A dog also loosens the atmosphere in the workplace, helps to relieve stress, creates association between people and provides the physical balance necessary for a long day at the office. Employees who are allowed to take their four-legged friends with them to work suffer less frequently from health problems.

There are now companies who make it clear even at the job interview stage: "If you work for us, you should have neither anxiety nor an aversion towards dogs nor suffer from dog related allergies". And there are other companies only just getting to grips with the idea that a dog may occasionally or habitually accompany its master or mistress on the premises. Here are a few Fressnapf tips for the dog-friendly workplace.

• First of all, it's important that the needs of all are catered for. The management, even if it's a dog-friendly one, has to ensure a smooth-running operation. Employees who have a dog want to have them around constantly and to be there for them. Employees without dogs may either not want animals at all, suffer from related allergies or are afraid of them. The canine species itself needs to relate to its pack, to reliable timetabling and outside exercise. Whatever the rules are for dogs at work, you should bear this in mind!



• It follows, therefore, that an animal is only suitable as an "office dog" when it's properly behaved - meaning reliable in the company of other people and other dogs. Dog owners must be prepared to respect the personal space of their colleagues. Inversely, dog-less employees have to become familiar with the peculiarities of a canine colleague before they touch him, play with him or proffer treats. And: they must be able say when a dog or its behaviour doesn't fit in - even after a considerable time. An open and respectful cooperation is therefore helpful.



• The nuts and bolts of it all is flexibility: Mrs Miller should accept that, for genuine reasons, her dog may no longer come to the office (which it has been doing for six months). Mr Major, on the other hand, does not automatically have the right to bring his yappy dachshund just because Mr Smith has his labrador with him twice a week. But if it transpires during a probationary period that Fido has problems sitting still or staying in the room, that doesn't have to be the end of it. A dog training course can bring him up to scratch for the office environment. In principle: whoever wants to bring their dog with them to the office needs their management's consent. Everything else is at their discretion and may also require some time on the learning curve.

A dog in the office A business from which everyone can profit – dogs in the workplace: on the one hand, people benefit because animals are proven to have a positive influence on their well-being and on the other, the dog gets the feel-good factor of being with his "pack". (Photos may only be reproduced with permission and in connection with editorial text. High-resolution photos can be requested from the Fressnapf press office.)