Workplaces Go To The Dogs (And Cats) Provided They’re Well Behaved, Pets Lower Stress For Workers, Customers

So you say you work like a dog, and your boss, all he does is throw you a bone.

Well woof, woof, woof.

At a handful of Walla Walla businesses, four-legged courtesy clerks show up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed each morning to greet customers. And all they ask for is a pat on the head and a regular ration of kibble.

Nobody counts the number of workplace pets in Walla Walla. At most business establishments, pets are not allowed for obvious reasons, said Gene Jenkins, a grain buyer at Walla Walla Grain Growers. For most, animals in the workplace seem as out of place as a pit bull in a china shop.

In addition, there are a few legal restrictions: Pot-bellied pigs are banned within the city limits under a zoning restriction that prohibits all swine, and animals are restricted in food service or food storage areas.

“Society in general has an understanding that animals are animals and they belong outside,” said Charlene Douglas, the assistant director of the People and Pets Partnership program within Washington State University’s Veterinary Science Department. “They are dirty and they bark and they scratch.”

But there are exceptions. Jenkins’ dog, Jessie, is one. The 5-year-old golden retriever has been a mainstay at the Walla Walla Grain Growers Feed Store since he was a pup.

“He’s grown up in the store,” manager Mike Klicker said. “He’s one of our employees, in essence.”

To be successful in the workplace, animals, like their human colleagues, must have people skills. Every day they interact with a variety of strangers, most of whom seek some sort of attention from the animal.

As Klicker describes it, Jessie has a lot of the traits of a good human employee: He shows up every day, keeps himself busy, doesn’t require much supervision and doesn’t wander off in the middle of the afternoon.

Colleen Fields, co-owner of Quality Lube Service, says cheerfulness is one of the strengths of George, an English springer spaniel who goes to work with her and her husband.

George is “just Mr. Friendly,” she said. “He entertains the customers, mostly.”

George has been good for business. He’s a great dog and everybody loves him, Fields said. “But I’m sure every pet owner would say that.”

Pets in the workplace have to be low-key, said Cathy Patlovich, the office manager at Associated Veterinary Clinic. “You’ve got to have something that’s mellow, even-tempered,” such as Mama Kitty, her office’s resident cat, she said. “You don’t want to have them biting and scratching people.”

And they have to be disciplined, Klicker said.

Jessie, for example, doesn’t stick his nose where it doesn’t belong. He stays away from the open bins of pet snacks and chew toys in the feed store, and he’s never tried to chew into sacks of dog food, Klicker said.

The different pets play similar roles at their various business places: They are greeters, friendly faces who recognize regular customers and are happy to see them.

There are some distinct personnel benefits to having on-the-job animals, maintains Douglas, who has brought her dog to her WSU office since he was a pup and who used to keep a cat at work.

Studies have shown that people who are around animals have lower blood pressures. No one’s sure why, she said. “If anyone could ever figure that one out, doctors would start prescribing animals instead of pills.”

But Douglas suspects it has to do with how animals relate to people: They’re non-judgmental and unconditionally accepting, something valuable in an environment where employees are constantly judged by both bosses and customers.

Taking a five-second break to pet a dog or cat can help a stressed-out worker relax, Douglas said. The reduced stress can help productivity.

And customers seem to relax and act more civilly around animals, she said. They’re less likely to swear or talk loudly.

“People tend to act as if they would if there’s a child in the room.”

The key is having a well-trained animal, one that’s quiet enough not to disrupt an office and friendly enough that “anyone can come in and the animal’s not going to rip them apart,” Douglas said.

Cats are good in that they are smaller, quieter and need less attention than dogs, Douglas said. But they are harder to train.