Bring Your Dog To Work Day: Pros and Cons

Today is Bring Your Dog To Work Day.  It's a relatively new thing that is catching on.  Apparently Millennials LOVE having their pets with them as they work and a lot of workplaces are allowing them.  If you're allergic or afraid of dogs, stay with me.  I'll talk about you in a minute.

Being a life-long dog lover, I vote in favor of having dogs in the office.  I know they would have a positive impact in many cases, reducing employee stress, boosting morale, they can even serve as furry diplomats, bridging the gap between two people who disagree.  Almost everyone can agree that a dog is cute, funny, friendly, etc.

Will they make workplaces more productive?  Hmmm, I'm not sure.  If I see dogs around, I'm going to want to stop and pet each one.  They would be a distraction.  I would love it, but they would probably keep me from my to-do list.

But then I think about how they could help people work longer hours because they wouldn't be rushing to get home to let the dog out.

Now, what about folks who have allergies or just don't like canines.  I know for some people who were bitten or scared as kids, it's hard for them to be around dogs.  I don't think they should be forced to tolerate something that's going to make them uncomfortable or sneezy.

I have to say that as allergic as I am to cats, I would HATE it if company policy made it a cat-friendly office.  I would truly be miserable and definitely NOT productive.  So I really empathize with the people who aren't a fan of dogs at work.

This one day a year idea is a cute one, and if it doesn't cause big reactions or problems, then that's great.  (Suggestion to bosses:  how about making workers PAY for the privilege of bringing in a pet and then donating that money to Popcorn Park Zoo or some other animal rescue organization.)  But I don't think I want to see every workplace filled with dogs.

What do you think about having dogs at the workplace?