BOEBLINGEN, Germany (dpa) – When its master leaves the home a dog is usually devastated. Left to its own devices, a dog would always follow its owner wherever he or she went – even to work.
On the face of it little stands in the way of taking a four-legged friend to work. Indeed in some cases, it might be good thing. “Where there’s strong bond between dog and master exists it’s better not to leave the animal alone,” said vet Heinrich Nuetzel, from Boeblingen.Certain things do have to be observed at the workplace though in order that the animal can make itself comfortable under the desk.The first requirement is to get the employer’s permission for a dog to remain on company’s premises. If no colleagues object, for whatever reason (including allergy fears), then there’s nothing to stop the new “colleague” settling in for the duration. Fortunately the animal can be trained in how to behave in the office, particularly if it’s still young.“During their formative phase, dogs are better at adjusting to office life,” says Nuetzel. Puppies aged between three and four months can also easily get used to the work environment. On the other hand, a dog aged two, especially one previously kept in a kennel, is likely to be too old for such new tricks: “Animals like these can no longer adjust.”Jutta Siebers, managing director of the national animal-protection society in Moers, takes her eight-year-old mongrel to work every day. “It’s a practical solution when the dog is fearful of being separated.” Her office-dog certainly has enough room to move about: the society’s office has a small garden attached.Every morning and noon, Jutta Siebers takes her dog for a walk. In the office, the dog is a popular member of the office and doesn’t bother the four other members of staff. They do, however, take the precaution of keeping the dog locked away when the postman comes, just in case. Three years ago it was a different story. “Back then, the dog scarcely had the confidence to trot into the office.”Evi, a hunting terrier who recently passed away, had a different life altogether. As the faithful hound of Hermann Thiele, a lawyer practising in the northern city of Flensburg, he was taken to his master’s chambers every day from the age of ten months. There he would lie down in his favourite corner and sleep until it was time to leave. “As soon as I turned the dictaphone off he’d jump up wanting to go home,” says Thiele. Otherwise, Evi didn’t interfere with daily goings-on in the slightest.“A dog’s soul is really only at peace when it’s constantly at the side of his master,” says the lawyer. You’ve only got to show the animal its place in the office and it will obey. The terrier even followed the barrister to court cases. “As I’m self-employed I didn’t have to ask anyone’s permission of course.” Most office workers are dependent on the boss’s blessing.Heinrich Nuetzel the vet advises owners to spare a thought for how their dog might react to human company for many hours a day. “You have to assume that it will seek contact with others.” So in the end, the decision on whether or not the dog should be taken to the workplace comes down to its social behaviour or lack of it.
