What Kinds of Jobs Would Allow You to Bring Your Dog to Work?

While dogs can help reduce stress, they cannot assist in getting those office reports done.
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Dogs seem to combine stress-reducing super powers with remarkable interpersonal skills. These traits make them ideal office companions, or so one would think. Unfortunately, despite their positive attributes, our pooches have not been welcomed to the office by many companies. Thankfully there are some bright spots. A few companies see the positive aspects of dogs in the workplace and allow their employees free rein. If your company does not currently have a pet policy, perhaps you could try slowly introducing your boss to the idea. June 21, which is Take Your Dog to Work Day in the U.S., could serve as a starting point.

Nonprofit Jobs

    Nonprofit companies typically do not offer their employees too many perks or benefits due to the fact that their efforts are focused on making the world a better place. One free benefit that they can offer is the option for employees to bring their dogs to work. The American Hiking Society in Maryland and the Nature Conservancy in Ohio both allow workers to bring their best friends with them to spend the day. In 2007, the Humane Society also began letting its employees bring their dogs to work. This was after they spent four years researching and compiling an exhaustive list of guidelines for pet owners. All of that work was worth it since no pet has been asked to leave work early.

Pet-Related Jobs

    Companies that provide dog-related products often have pet-friendly offices. Case in point, Proctor and Gamble’s Pet Care division. Employees in this division bring their pets into the office every day. They’ve even gone so far as to set up a vice-president of canine communications position, staffed by a canine of course. Pet Plan, a pet insurance company also runs a dog-friendly workplace. Jobs at these types of companies usually require business, finance, accounting or marketing degrees. The job search engine, Simply Hired, allows users to customize their searches for dog-friendly companies.

Marketing Jobs

    Having a dog around helps get the creative juices flowing, it seems. Marketing companies have jumped on the doggy bandwagon with many marketing firms allowing employees to bring dogs to work. This could be because marketing and advertising jobs carry a lot of stress and employers are looking for anything that reduces the anxiety. Whatever the reason, if you are a recent marketing graduate with a dog in tow, you and Fido may be in luck. Marketing firms such as G5 in Oregon, Cronin and Company in Connecticut and Extrovertic in New York all allow their staff to bring pets to the office.

Technology Jobs

    Silicon Valley companies often give their employees a lot of freedoms in the office place. Allowing dogs in to the workplace is no exception. Retail Internet giant Amazon adopts a dog-friendly atmosphere for office employees, as does Autodesk. Google offers employees the option of bringing dogs in as well. These types of jobs tend to be technical in nature, so if you are looking to work at these or other technology companies, either you or Fido need to have a computer science degree. There are business roles at these companies as well, so if accounting is more your thing, there is still hope.

Other Dog-Friendly Jobs

    Companies that help people become better versions of themselves also like to extend that service to their employees with pooches. For example, the fitness equipment company TRX is dog friendly, as is sports bar maker Cliff Bar and Company. Toy makers such as Build-a-Bear Workshop and Klutz also see the appeal in letting employees bring dogs to work. Working for self-described hippies may also net you doggy workplace benefits. It works for the employees of Ben and Jerry’s in Vermont.

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