Barnie the dog had a brief mention in my last posting, and here he is doing a canine impression of Superman!
He features in this update because I’ve just started a new blog Bring Your Dog To Work In Suffolk
Why?!
Having spent the last couple of months having a thoroughly good clear out and taking stock, it seems that early retirement is a little way away just yet, and it might be time for a new challenge!
So I started thinking about what else I could add to my existing portfolio career and the biggest limiting factor appears to be the quality of life of Barnie the dog, and indirectly my own.
In a classic piece of role reversal, I promised my mum, when she came to live with me (see below), that we would have a dog. And in a classic example of what you should not do when getting one, though it turned out well, I took the first dog I saw. I was lucky I suppose, particularly as Barnie had been picked up as a stray in Wakefield, was shipped down to Suffolk, spent three months in RSPCA kennels and did not give much away when we first met – the smells on the walk were far more interesting than me. I was looking for a female, Spaniel type, aged up to three, and I came away with a male, Staffy type, aged “about five”. However he was the right size and the RSPCA chap that looked after him said he had a good character and indeed he has!
Now he’s about nine and has been an angel since day one though I have to admit I was quite bossy to start with! He comes just about everywhere with me, including abroad in the campervan, under the table for pub lunches when allowed, and to work meetings whenever possible. I have a home office and he’s used to printers, phones, shredders and plenty of visitors. In other people’s offices he will say hello if they want to, or simply settle down quietly in the corner or under a desk. No one would know he’s there unless they want a little “pat dog” therapy in which case he’s only too willing to oblige.
The point is, I worked pretty hard, when I first got him, to make sure he knew how to behave in most circumstances – no jumping up (on people or furniture), no begging, understanding the words “bed”, “sit” and “down”, etc. The result is that I got what I was aiming for – a go anywhere dog – which means he can spend most of the time with me and I can relax when I’m “in company” with him.
However, whilst most of the clients, customers and contacts who know me have been only too happy to accept that Barnie is part of the package I provide, and whilst a lot of my work is done from home or travelling around, it’s a challenge to find new workplaces where I could even contemplate asking to bring a well behaved dog with me. It still seems like a huge deal and I’d like it to be easier.
Yes, some people don’t like dogs, or are afraid of or allergic to them. Yes, there are quite understandable health, safety and other reasons why certain places are not appropriate for dogs. Similarly, there are certain dogs, or more accurately owners, who are not suitable ambassadors for more dogs in the workplace. However we have forgotten the roots of man’s relationship with dogs, if all we want from them is a warm welcome when we come home in the evening and an accessory for a Sunday afternoon stroll. And if all we can offer them is at least eight hours on their own every working day then I don’t think we’re being very kind or fair.
Consequently, for a responsible dog owner, in most circumstances, the only option is to find whatever work is available that does not require going to someone else’s business premises very often, and/or very long, and that seems a waste for everyone.
So, as I considered my options, I decide I would try and enhance them by researching the “bring your dog to work” options available in Suffolk, and the best way I know of aiding a research project like this is starting a blog!
The dream is an ever increasing number of business premises with signs that say “well behaved dogs welcome here”!
