Wouldn’t it be great if you could take your best friend to work with you ? At a pool company in Arizona, you’ll find a number of pooches running free on any given day.
At Ron Ostlund’s corporate office it isn’t unusual to hear the jingling of dog collars. Or see up to eight dogs greeting visitors at the door, begging for snacks, or barking to be noticed.
It may sound disruptive or just plain crazy to allow dogs in the office, but Ostlund’s company is among the nearly one in five that allows employees to bring pets to work, according to a 2008 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.Almost a quarter of working Americans believe pets should be allowed in the workplace, the survey found.
According to Bob Vetere, APPMA president, companies realize that employees in pet friendly environments are calmer, making them more productive. Plus, pet owners aren’t having to worry about running home to feed or let out their dog.
At a time when the pool industry has taken somewhat of a dive, Ostlund said Riviera’s business is up 13 percent. He can’t give all the credit to the dogs, but they get some. Ostlund said he has had clients choose his company because of the dogs. Others pop by just to see the pooches.
The working dog pictured above is our very own Dogster member Mickie. She looks like she may be slacking off a bit, maybe she’s reading her Dogster mail. Either way, I think her career as a budding businessdog is about to come to an abrupt end.
What do you think about your dog being allowed to go to work with you, good or bad idea? Are there any Dogsters that bring their dog to work? Give me a bark, let me know what you think.
