Top Tips For Bring Your Dog To Work Day 2022 | June 24th 2022

The best working day is almost upon us again (get it in your diary)! And after a couple of years where everyday has been bring your dog to work day (one of the upsides of working from home in our biased opinion), we can’t be the only ones who are excited at the prospect of offices up and down the country welcoming four legged friends into the building (and yes, seeing their pudgy faces all over our social media channels too!). 

The initiative was established in 2014 as a nationwide event to raise money for charities dedicated to making a difference to the welfare of animals. And not only does the event ‘do good’, it makes us feel good too. Spending time with our furry friends lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol in our blood, as well as boosting feel good endorphins, releasing those always appreciated happy hormones. So get ready for cheek ache and belly laughs all round! 

If you’re thinking about taking part in Bring Your Dog To Work Day 2022, firstly great decision! Secondly, take a look at our top tips to help the day run smoothly.

Top tips for Bring Your Dog To Work Day 2022

1. Set your criteria

How many dogs will be allowed in to the office on the day? Will it be open to all employees? Can every department get involved? Is anywhere off limit to dogs (consider this carefully when thinking about people who may be nervous of, or allergic to, dogs)? Get down your criteria right from the start and stick to it. 

Dogs in the office have been shown to increase productivity but even we admit that large numbers of excitable dogs who aren’t used to being in the office environment might make the productivity dial turn the other way. So think about the logistics.

2. Make employee ‘pet parents’ accountable

If they’re honest with themselves, all pet parents know whether their dog is likely to settle into the hum of the office, or if it will all be a bit too much for them. To get people thinking about this before emotions kick in and rational thought goes out the window, it is a good idea to ask them to complete a short behaviour questionnaire (you can find one in our office dog toolkit here as an example). 

You may also want to draft a short policy for the day; think about break allowances, include room restrictions and anything else specific to your office.

3. Dog proof your office

Whether it’s portable electrical equipment laying around on the floor, food in opens bins or potentially toxic office treats on that dog accessible table, it’s essential to think about any doggy related hazards there might be. Move the portable equipment high up, put lids on your bins (or specified bins for food) and don’t leave food laying around on this magical day! For more ways to dog proof your office, take a look at our toolkit.

4. Promote it

We work with many organisations who are looking for ways to encourage staff to return to the office. And welcoming dogs in to the workplace is a guaranteed winner every time! If you want to see your car park at pre-covid levels, be sure to promote the fact that you’re taking part in Bring Your Dog To Work Day. Email comms, posters, tickertapes, intranet posts, social media posts, competitions. Use every communications channel you have!

5. Make sure everyone can get involved

It might not be possible for every department to bring their dogs into the office, or for every person to bring their dog in. And of course, not everyone will have a dog in the first place. But that doesn’t mean they have to miss out. And when it comes to the question around whether they want dogs or no dogs, we’re pretty sure it will be the former! Think about how people can get involved regardless of whether they can bring a dog to work with them. Can you do group walks at lunchtime with the doggy parents and others from across the office (oh hello new connections!)? Can departments who can’t bring dogs in do a walk round to meet the temporary residents (and yes, take a few selfies to promote how amazing your business is at the same time!)?

Bring Your Dog To Work Day continues to get bigger as more and more organisations recognise the incredible impact our four legged friends have on our health and wellbeing. If you’re keen to get involved but aren’t 100% sure about what’s involved, Moment to Paws has two extra options:

1. If you are based in Yorkshire, we have some great offers throughout the month of June on our dog therapy workplace wellbeing events. We will take care of absolutely everything so that you can get involved in the day, without any of the work! Take a look at our wellbeing events here.
2. Download our dog friendly office toolkit here. Containing everything you need to safely and efficiently welcome dogs into your office. 

Are you getting involved in Bring Your Dog To Work Day 2022? We’d love to promote your business! Contact us here to let us know.