DILEMMAS: PETS ON PARADE
August 20th, 2008Dog days at the office?
Hello - I have a question,
People are allowed to bring their dogs to the office, mostly because the owner of the company loves animals and likes to bring his. Aside from the owner, two people bring their dogs in to work regularly and I find it annoying and distracting. The dogs don’t bark that much but it’s an open office space. They’re big, they nuzzle me when I don’t want them to, and are always underfoot. Should I complain?
- Cat Lover
Dear Cat,
An office is a menagerie of sorts but most workplaces should be limited to homo sapiens, and here’s why.
Some employees may be allergic to dogs and can’t function effectively while taking antihistamines, hardly a boon to productivity. Others may be afraid of dogs and ashamed to admit it. Animals can even be dangerous in some settings.
But perhaps most important is the fact that not all dogs are docile or obedient enough to stay silent and immobile for at least eight hours a day; nor is this necessarily in their best interests. It’s hard enough for their masters to do without exercise and fresh air all day. Must they impose this on their pets as well?
There are exceptions to my no-pets rule, especially in schools and therapeutic environments where the presence of animals relaxes people, fosters conversation and even lowers heart rates, according to several good studies.
Clearly, being around animals can be good for your health and some of the evidence is intriguing. People who have been asked to gaze at a tropical fish tank for a few moments are less anxious while having a tooth extracted and are more comfortable afterwards, especially if they are prompted to imagine the aquarium during their dental procedure, according to a study by Purdue University animal ecologist Alan Beck and his colleagues.
Dr. Beck’s book, Between Pets and People, co-written with psychiatrist Aaron Katcher, outlines other physiological evidence of the benefits of having animals around. Pet owners have lower blood pressure than non-pet owners, lower cholesterol levels, and survive longer after heart attacks, although we don’t know why. It could be the exercise that comes along with regular dog walking, the salutary effect of having to take care of another creature, or the fact that pets are social lubricants - people meet other people through their dogs, so they feel less isolated.
While we can’t pinpoint the exact reason for all this animal-based good health, we do know that animals also foster language skills and well-being in children (along with liberally dousing them with dander and fur). Dr Beck also told me that animals are now common in 65 per cent of nursing homes, where they have been found to relax residents and staff alike. In fact, just patting an animal releases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that attenuates stress and depression.
Still, just because an activity is good for you doesn’t mean it should take place in the office. Drinking red wine is good for you, as is eating sardines, having sex, and doing the cardio workout on a treadmill. Should these activities be included in the standard office smorgasbord? Of course not.
The limits between work and home, as well as between humans and other animals, are blurring, to be sure, but it’s important to maintain some boundaries. This will become obvious to everyone if, rather than complaining, you suggest that, to be really fair, the office should be open to all pets.
When cats, gerbils and ferrets start to appear, the absurdity of the situation will become clear to the boss. He’s still the boss, after all, so he may bring his dog no matter what you say. But perhaps he’ll consider barring other dogs, or subsidizing doggie daycare if he wants his employees to be happy and on site at all hours. That way they won’t have to leave work to walk their dogs. And you won’t have to leave work to get your work done.
