Having had dogs all my life, it has never been a difficult decision whether I should adopt a dog or otherwise. Loyal, protective, and always happy to see you, the dog has been a human companion for more than 18,000 years, making it one of the first domesticated animals in history.
My dog Morse is almost 13 years old and accompanies me almost everywhere, including my office. Morse is an ideal colleague because he has been given the task of motivating us all, and he does this in leaps and bounds. He’s energetic, percieves issues when any one of us are under the weather and has serious people skills. He loves coming to work and almost skips when I reach the office door, keen to greet us all and play. More firms are today allowing dogs (and other pets) in offices, including companies established in Malta. According to Stifel Equity Research, millennials will surpass baby boomers as the largest pet-owning generation in about three years, and will make up almost half of the workforce by 2020.
All dogs need a job that provides appropriate releases for their mental and physical energies. Even though we are not necessarily able to take our pet with us to the office, the simple act of teaching dogs fun, little skills gives them a sense of purpose, confidence and balance. Having job responsibilities provide mental stimulation, emotional stability, and better physical health for our dogs.
Channeling their mental, emotional, and physical energies into an activity we select, can prevent the dogs from misbehaviour. More times than not, the jobs our dogs come up with for themselves are not to our liking! Dog jobs in our home can be as simplistic or complex as is feasible for an individual dog. You will be amazed at the difference you will see in your dog when they have “purpose” beyond just living with you.
All dogs strive to please their owners!! Use this to your advantage by creating a job for your dog that allows them the opportunity to “please” you. Be creative and make sure your dog knows when they DO please you. Observing your dog for behaviors or activities that they do naturally or have developed on their own, and enjoy. Use those as a foundation to build on when designing a job for your dog. Some jobs should be a part of your daily routine as you interact with your dog. Other jobs will need to be “set up” by you.
Be creative and remember that the basic concept is to provide structure and purpose for your dog within your family and his “pack”.