In Canada, dogs go to work with their owners

First change: 05/09/2022 – 15:42Last modified: 05/09/2022 – 15:41

This 12-year-old Labrador sniffs around the workplace looking for something to eat or play with.

Next to him approaches a basset hunting dog named Delila … and she seems to want attention too.

The Ottawa company, which has a dozen employees, has other dogs roaming around, including the English Greyhound EV and the German Shepherd puppy Hudson.

Daisy is the “integrated part” of the company, whose website she poses for a photo with team members and even has a short biography.

“Many of the great inventions directed by Dave (McMulin, vice president of design) came from long walks with Daisy,” the company said, adding that the dog “has nine years of experience in supporting master designers.”

Increased activity

“We encourage pets to be brought to the office,” Tungsten co-chairman Bill Dickey told AFP.

The 47-year-old manager laments that “if you develop a relationship with your pet at home, all of a sudden you go to work, they have to be caged all day or wander around the house alone.” To him. Animal.

Note that infectious diseases have made companies more tolerant of the presence of pets at work.

In the office kitchen, there are floor bowls lined up to give dogs a drink during the day. The latter sometimes sleep at the base of chairs, chew toys or run into a hopping ball in the hallway.

Adding tungsten partnerships to the Humane Society’s list of dog-friendly businesses has led to an increase in both business and employee productivity, Dickey said.

According to a recent Léger survey conducted for PetSafe, half (51%) of Canadians support the idea of ​​bringing their dog to the office.

This proposal is especially appreciated by young people: 18% of employees between the ages of 18 and 24 say they will change jobs if their employer rejects this option.

As about 200,000 Canadians adopt dog or cat during epidemics, employers will be forced to retire from working with their employees.

Challenges

For some employees, such as Johann von Halle, 29, the new rule was the “key factor in the decision” to hire at the Tungsten Cooperative last year.

The owner of EV, which is looking for a “not very corporate” environment, told the AFP that “allowing dogs is a good indicator of a company’s culture”.

In a joint venture with Santosh Bird Construction in Ottawa, designers at the Atomic Research Laboratory are excited to see the presence of 10-year-old blonde Yorkshire Terrier Samson.

His owner, Trevor Watt, did not want to leave him alone in his new home when he returned to office in January.

Bringing him in should be a temporary solution. Not only did he adjust to office life, he also won over his master’s comrades, who now share the rides with Samson.

“He wants to come to work,” says Trevor Watt, who “doesn’t have to worry about him.”

Her boss, Byron Williams, says petting a dog is a great way to “after a big meeting”.

But the presence of man’s best friend at work can cause some challenges, for example, for those who are allergic to animals or are afraid of them.

Samson is in a state of shock when Watts’ co-worker is frightened by the sight of the dogs.

Some employees of other companies, interviewed by AFP, also complained of stains on the carpet, unexpected barking and hair everywhere.

© 2022 AFP