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Is Your Office Celebrating TYDTW Day?

PetSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:04 -0700

Happy National Take Your Dog to Work Day! Celebrated the first Friday after Father's Day each year, is your office in on the action?

Five Things To Do Before Celebrating TYDTWD

PetSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:20:02 -0700

Tomorrow is Take Your Dog to Work Day - will your pups accompany you to the office? Whether it's just for an hour, the whole day, or every week, check out my five tips to remember before letting a four-legged friend into a place with your two-legged ones.
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Do Tell: Would You Bring Your Pet to Work?

PetSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:00:24 -0700

I've shared my tips for tomorrow's big day – if you could bring a pet to work, would you? Those of you who have, or work in a dog-friendly spot, share your stories and experiences – the funnier, the better!

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Don't Forget This If You're Bringing a Pet to Work . . .

PetSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:10:28 -0700

In honor of Take Your Dog to Work Day and, for those of you participating in this holiday or lucky enough to bring your pooches to work every day, I've got a couple tips for making their office visits go swimmingly.

Puppy Proof the Place Nothing sours the experience like something unexpected . . . and bad. Make sure you keep trash and food out of the way of your pup and ask others to do the same. Check around for wires, poisonous plants, and anything else you think they can get their noses into.

See the four remaining tips when you read more.

Prep Your Pooch Make sure your pup is up-to-date on all those important vaccines and has a clean bill of health. It's a big day so give him a bath, special grooming treatment, or new collar so he looks spiffy.
Pack a Doggie Bag Let your doggie feel at home by bringing along a travel pack with toys, treats, food, and some pet-friendly cleanser . . . in case of accidents. It doesn't hurt to include a pet first-aid kit, too!
Pick Feeding Times and Safe Spots Choose a time to feed a pet to result in potty breaks at convenient times. If this is a one-time deal, I'll bet there will be co-workers lining up to take him out to do his business . . . if only to stretch their legs! Also, on the reverse, be mindful that not everyone loves your pets as much as you to do – keep an eye on him so he's not being a pest. You can even bring his crate into the office if he travels that way to work – he'll feel right at home in no time!
Plan Your Grand Exit If it's his first day on the job, make sure he seems content. If at any time he looks stressed, fearful, or is misbehaving, have a backup plan to get him home. Make sure you know what he's up to – and what he can handle in terms of noise, strangers, and distractions – and that you plan accordingly for any lunch/ coffee breaks. Having him half the day works, too!

As always, well-trained and socialized pups do best. Refresh your memory on my quick training tips and have a fabulous day!

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The Bark's Top Four Dog-Friendly Workplaces

PetSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:30:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of The Bark magazine, not only because it's based here on the West Coast, but they consistently report great info and news for dogs and their owners. In this month's issue – just in time for Take Your Dog to Work Day coming up on June 20 – Bark dug into the nation's most pet-friendly workplaces and came up with their top four faves. Not only does this story have me wanting to make a little space for North by my desk here at Sugar HQ, but it also has me saying "Awww!" since you know that both owners and pets have a blast at work every day!

Amazon: Anywhere from 24 to 36 dogs come to work daily at the Seattle, WA, headquarters. Owners must first register their pups and agree to rules like keeping vaccines up to date and staying on a leash - unless they're in their office, of course.
Healthwise: This Boise, ID, company that employs around 200 people have welcomed pets in the office since day one in 1975. Doggies must adhere to a "three-strikes" rule, ensuring that problem pooches get adequate warning before being booted. But with the miles of hiking trails that surround the complex, the pups seem to be too content (or just too tired) to cause trouble.

To see the remaining two dog-loving companies, just read more.

Replacements, LTD: You would think that a 12,000-square-foot warehouse containing tons of china, crystal, and collectibles would be no place for dogs, but Replacements' founder, Bob Page, begs to differ. With people coming into the showroom just to visit the dogs, it must be good for business! Bob makes sure that his employees' pets' behavior remains their responsibility by recommending training for naughty doggies, then allowing them back to the office in three months. Kind of like dog probation, right?
Ben & Jerry's: The ice cream giant's headquarters in South Burlington, VT knows their 15 office dogs by name, and often introduces them to touring guests right alongside the employees. The dog-friendly environment is so therapeutic, that one Ben & Jerry's employee who was afraid of dogs before starting, has since become a dog lover and adopted two golden retrievers of her own!

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Is Your Office Celebrating TYDTWDay?

PetSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:00:02 -0700

In addition to being North's birthday today, it's also the 10th celebration of TYDTWDay (Take Your Dog to Work Day, that is). Is your office in on the action?

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Chip In For Mother's Day!

PetSugar — Sun, 10 May 2009 03:00:11 -0700

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms of kiddies both human and furry! Since I'm no stranger to treating myself to a lil something extra for my year of hard work caring for North, I've got some ways you can treat the pet parenting pals of your own.

Stop by. Most dog owners would love to pass the leash off to a friend for QT walktime, so just ask - even if they say no, you can be the pet's indoor BFF for a couple hours instead.

Get two more ideas when you read more.

Pitch in. If you've got a sig-o who usually does the early a.m. or late p.m. doodie duty, offer to take it over for the day (or the whole week if you're generous).

Bring snacks. The way to any tummy and many hearts is through the mouth - save mom's time and bake up snacks for a furry friend (and maybe for the humans, too).

Now chime in with your own ideas in the comments below.

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To the Rescue: Earthquake Safety For Pets

PetSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:50:01 -0700

This morning, many of us felt a small earthquake here in San Francisco . . . yikes. While it's scary for everyone involved, the pet owners at Sugar HQ began wondering about furry friends back at home. First off, even though there are no guarantees, I get extra peace of mind by having a decal with my pet's name and my phone number on my door in case of emergency personnel – the ASPCA will send you a safety pack for free by simply requesting this online.

Check crate placement. If you crate a pet, make sure you position it far away from windows and any shelving with large objects that could topple or break. (North's crate is under my solid wood desk.)
Put a backup plan in place. Both my dog walkers and a pal who live nearby have keys to my apartment. If you work far from home, it's a good idea to make sure someone close by has easy access to a pet in case of a disaster.
Have leashes/crates ready. Even if your pet roams free during the day, have a travel crate on hand in case you need to leave suddenly. Kitties can get very spooked (and harder to catch) so make sure you have a way to secure a feline if you need to evacuate. Also, if taking an animal out of a crate, have the leash ready to immediately snap because even the calmest, well-trained pet can get spooked and get hurt with any broken items around the home.

PS, don't ever leave a pet at home – if you're evacuating, take your furry friend with you!

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I Need Your Help . . . How to Refresh a Pooch Without a Bath?

PetSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:30:08 -0700

You're a good dog, Charlie Brown . . . but, unfortunately, you're also a stinky one! TeamSugar user Megbucks3 needs some help with this pooch. She writes:

This weekend we are driving from Atlanta to Columbus with our 10-month-old Cocker Spaniel. It's about a 10-hour drive – we're not leaving until after work, so during the day I am taking Charlie to Doggie Day Camp to hopefully exhaust him. The Doggie Day Camp offers grooming and I really wanted to have him get a bath so he smells good in the car, but then he would lose three hours of playtime.

I am picking up Charlie on my way out of town and won't have time to take him home to bathe him and I'm worried he'll be stinky after camp even if I bathe him the night before. I'm wondering if you have any suggestions of products that give instant baths, or if any instant-spray cologne works? I think on this trip an exhausted dog is better than a fruity smelling dog!

Now North has these cleansing cloths for his muddy paws but he doesn't tend to get that stinky – can any of you recommend products or tips for this situation?

Got the Day Off? Get Out With Your Pup!

PetSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:30:44 -0700

It's Memorial Day and I'm using today to take an extra long walk with my Boston. He's a fairly energetic dog who can walk quite quickly (as long as it's not too hot), and we're gonna go on a street roaming adventure! I know some of you have big dogs and others have little ones, so everyone's speed needs will be different. The latest issue of Self magazine provided a couple tempo tips that I wanted to pass along:

Stroll: 3 mph Breeds including French Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels do well at a leisurely tempo like this.
Brisk Walk: 3.5 mph Higher energy small dogs can benefit from this speed, like Miniature Poodles and Yorkshire Terriers, for example.
Jog: 5 mph Golden Retrievers and Jack Russells have lots of energy . . . best burned off at a quick pace!

Now see my advice when you read more.

When taking to the streets with your pups:

Make sure you walk at an appropriate tempo! If your pet is huffing, wheezing, or trying to stop, he may be trying to tell you something – you both can slow down and smell the roses.
If your dog is tugging and pulling the leash, he may not be acting naughty, he could just need more exercise. Walking quickly, or even jogging, with higher energy breeds can help them work off steam and (hopefully) be a bit calmer when it's rest time!
Some pooches, North included, enjoy mixing it up. Try walking quickly for part of the time, and more of a stroll for the rest. This allows doggies, and you, to burn off a tad more calories, but not come home totally pooped. I like to walk on a street busy with people, then duck onto side streets for this purpose. On the busy streets, we have to navigate the crowd and my dog wants to sniff "hi," but, on those quiet streets, he's ready to pick up the pace!

As always, if it's hot where you are, carry water and take breaks on any long walks. Getting fit should be fun for you both!

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