The Office – Canine Edition

Here’s a great story of how great it is to have me (and your canine pals) in the office with you.  Enjoy…

Ron Ostlund keeps a bag of potato chips in one of his desk drawers at his office at Riviera Pools. He stashes a jar of cashews there, too.

The snacks aren’t for him. They’re for the dogs roaming his office.

On any given day, the pool company’s corporate office is jingling with the sound of dog collars from as many as eight pooches. The pups greet visitors at the front door. They stroll into and out of meetings. They beg for snacks, bark for attention and have free rein over desks, couches and chairs.

“They’re spoiled rotten,” Ostlund said, as he offered cashews to Jack, Panda and Riley, who patiently waited on all fours for a treat. “I’ve created monsters here.”

It may sound disruptive or just plain crazy to allow dogs in the office, but Ostlund’s company is among the nearly one in five that allows employees to bring pets to work, according to a 2008 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Almost a quarter of working Americans believe pets should be allowed in the workplace, the survey found.

Bob Vetere, APPMA president, said companies are now more open to pets in the workplace. He understands why.

“If people have their pets there, they tend to be calmer and more productive,” Vetere said. “It just appears people are not worried that they have to run home at lunchtime and feed Fluffy.”

Janice Meyer brings her German shepherd-mix, Lola, to work everyday at Split Engineering in Tucson. Lola roams the office, barks at visitors and accompanies Meyer as she picks up her children after work. Meyer knows she has it good. She doesn’t have to worry about racing home for Lola’s potty breaks.

“She’s spoiled rotten,” Meyer said. “It would be a long day to be home by herself.”

Vetere said people are growing more concerned about pets’ well-being while they’re at work. Some have installed Web cams so they can keep an eye on Fido. Others are equipping their pets’ collars with speakers, so they can whisper sweet nothings from their cellphones or offer reprimands if the animals are getting into trouble.

Dogfriendly.com, which tracks pet-friendly companies hotels and restaurants, lists eight other Arizona companies as being dog-friendly. There may be more, since businesses must list themselves on the site.

Vetere said allowing animals to snooze under the desk or mingle in meetings puts an owner’s mind at ease.

But “if you get to the point where you’re allowing more dogs than people, that becomes one thing,” he said. “For the most part, this could be a positive workplace move.”

Ostlund agrees. His business has been dog-friendly since it began in his living room in 1996. That casual workplace grew into 15 Valley offices, many of which are also dog-friendly.

At a time when the pool industry has taken somewhat of a dive, Ostlund said Riviera’s business is up 13 percent. He can’t give all the credit to the dogs, but they get some. Ostlund said he has had clients choose his company because of the dogs. Others pop by just to see the pooches.

Horse Cut Off at Bar

I love a good pint of beer.  My personal preference is a Blue Moon with an orange wedge. I know, it makes it sound like I’m a fru fru dog, but I assure you I am not.  You see, the increased intake of vitamin C is an immune system booster that provides me extra anti-oxidant protection. Who am I to say no to a healthy cocktail served in a pint glass?

Admittedly, I’ve been known to wake up in the morning with a dog, usually a heavy one, sleeping next to me. What can I say, that’s just collateral damage to my healthy ways.

I’m sure it’s no different for Peggy the horse, or used to be before she was kicked out of her local watering pub.

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Dog Plays With Food

 Your owner is lazy, the cat is stupid and the gerbils are inaccessible in their cage.  So, sometimes you don’t have a choice about who you play with. That’s the only explanation I can come up with as to why a dog would play with a bird.

OK, it’s a big bird (no not Big Bird) but still, no self respecting dog plays with feathery animals.

That’s what God made cats for.

If you can’t see the video in you RSS feed, click here.

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Gorillas Run Wild In London

I love bananas, especially when they’re dipped in peanut butter. So does my father, that’s why I follow him downstairs in the middle of the night when he pulls out his favorite treat. There, in the darkness, we enjoy what gorillas worldwide take for granted, a potassium boost in the form of a hot dog shaped balloon. Ahh to be a gorilla.

Well it turns out a bunch of folks in the UK decided to become gorillas for a good cause, and not for a selfish one like the one described above.  Check it out. Read more

Terminator Allows Sara Connor’s Dog In Front Seat

Nice move by the Terminator to allow my canine brethren to crawl around the inside of a car’s cabin without restraints.

It’s a positive step towards gaining equality but let’s be real, that ain’t gonna happen until I get my hands on a phased-plasma rifle in the forty watt range.

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Kiwi Saved By Pair of Dogs

Birchville resident Linda Fowler and her hairy heroes were flown to Christchurch to pick up the award on Friday at the New Zealand Kennel Club’s national dog show.The dogs saved the life of a woman who had spent a night lying semi-conscious on rocks after she slipped and fell below the Bridge Rd reservoir, north of Upper Hutt, in March.

No word on the amount of alcohol she had to drink.  Just kidding folks…read the whole story here at Stuff…or just read on.

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Police Detonate Dachshunds to Oblivion

What is the world coming to? Really. I have to ask that question because I just came across this disturbing article about Philadelphia police blowing up a bunch of dachshunds. Their crime? Loitering near Citizens Park, where the Phillies play.

I feel the need to get the message out and urge you to do the same. Remember the dire warnings in the old saying, “First they came for the dachshunds and I said nothing, then they came for poodles and I said nothing…” you know the rest. If not, then you’ve been too busy licking yourself, which is quite understandable.

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Hawk Attacks Puppet-Needs Glasses

I think the world is coming to an end. No really, I do. That’s the only way I can explain the following story about a hawk attacking a bird. Not just any bird, but a puppet shaped bird.

I thought hawks had great eyesight. Apparently not, or maybe this bird just has a fetish for birds with human hands stuck in them . Anyway, here’s the story.

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Play Date-Huskies and Polar Bears

Regular visitors to this blog know that I’m a lover not a fighter. That’s why I feel all warm inside when I watch this video of Alaskan huskies playing around with polar bears. This is the type of global warming we should all embrace.

 

 

If you can’t see the video, then click here.

Donkey Laughs Ass Off at Human

We all know that, as dogs, we have a sense of humor unrivaled by any species. How else to account for living with humans all these years.  Well it turns out donkeys like a good gag now and again, too.

Check out this series of photos of a cow jumping over, not the moon, but an old Bulgarian woman. Then take note of the donkey’s reaction.

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