If you’ve ever been to our office or even looked at our website, it should be clear that most of us are proud pet parents! And those lucky enough to have dogs also have the privilege of bringing them to work every day. We feel our pets add a lot to our day and workspace. Still, if we didn’t put the effort into making our office dog-friendly, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy what they bring to our day.

A poorly pet-proofed office space wouldn’t be accommodating to dogs or conducive to a productive work day. We’ve put a lot of work into turning our workspace into one where we can stay on task and keep our puppies happy throughout the day, and we wanted to look at some of the ways we did it so you can also enjoy your dogs’ company at work.

1. Lots of Toys and Treats

Lucy guarding her toy - because play time extends through business hours.

We want our dogs to be excited to come into the office, and there’s no better way to build that enthusiasm than with plenty of toys and treats. Our favorite time-consuming treats are bully sticks and yak chews! We try and avoid balls or non-puzzle toys that require human interaction so they aren’t throwing them at our feet all day.

Having designated office toys they share helps keep the office safe and free of dog scuffles. We also like to keep dog beds around to ensure they’re as comfortable as possible throughout the day and have a place to nap when they’re not running through the halls.

2. Cute (But Not Too Cute) Furniture

Skully getting ready for a nice nap after a hard day’s work.

Whether they mean to or not, dogs can dirty up and destroy any office furniture they’re allowed on. Which is pretty much all of it in our office. That’s why we don’t keep furniture we’re too attached to. That way, if our dogs tear through the couch cushions or track dirt on the rugs, we’re never too broken up about it.

Balance is the key here. You don’t want to just pull your office furniture off the street, but you also don’t want to buy the nicest couch you can find for your break room only for your office dogs to tear it to shreds. The cutest furniture you can find that won’t leave you heartbroken to see destroyed is the way to go here. Plus, the less time you spend worrying about protecting your furnishings, the more productive you’ll be!

3. Plenty of Outdoor Time

No matter how much effort you put into making your office dog-friendly, you have to remember to take them outside the office too. Not just for bathroom breaks, either, but to let them play around, dig holes, and hopefully, tire themselves out a bit. Plus, it’s easy to forget when you’re locked inside all day, but we could use the sunlight and fresh air just as much as the dogs.

We’re lucky enough to have a nice backyard area at our office where we can take our dogs out for bathroom breaks and playtime when they need to burn off some energy. We also take the dogs to visit the landscape supply store next door where they get treats and pets when needed. If you’re looking for a new office space and want to keep it dog-friendly like ours, we wholeheartedly recommend renting one with access to an outdoor area. We promise you won’t regret it!

4. Office Doors

We take a lot of video calls at the office, and despite how much we love our dogs, their barks and laps around the office can get distracting during meetings. We like to keep our doors open whenever possible so the dogs can run free, but when it comes time to focus, we’re not afraid to shut our office doors to keep them locked away from important meeting areas.

Though it might sound obvious, it is one of the most effective ways to stay on task in a dog-friendly office.

5. A Flexible Schedule With Dog Breaks

Duke waiting patiently for all the humans to finish their work.

It’s important to remember if you’re going to create a dog-friendly office that while you might be on a tight, strict schedule, your pets aren’t. Dogs want to play when they want to play, eat when they want to eat, and go outside when they want to go outside, whether it’s convenient or not. That’s why, aside from our meeting times, we like to keep things flexible. That way we’re there to help if our furry friends ever need anything.

Though it takes some extra steps to make them feel at home, having our dogs in the office is a treat we’re lucky enough to enjoy every workday. And though we don’t necessarily build our schedules around them, keeping our days flexible enough to give the dogs some impromptu attention keeps them happy and makes our days more exciting.