THE DOGS BRINGING JOY AND COMFORT TO WORKPLACES ACROSS AUSTRALIA

While workplace dogs have been shown to reduce stress and improve people’s job satisfaction, there can be a lot of pushback from employers – often for good reason.

But when we asked you to tell us about your experiences of bringing your dogs to work, we heard about all sorts of dog-friendly arrangements in offices, warehouses and farms.

Here are your stories about bringing your dog to work and how you made it work for everyone.

Milo brings joy to an archaeologist’s office

Milo is a four-year-old border collie who comes to work with Morgan Wilcox, an archaeologist in Newcastle.

When she was applying for her job, Morgan mentioned that she’d brought Milo to work in her previous role – and her employer was on board from the start.

To make sure no-one had any issues – whether allergies or anything else -Morgan sent around an email to the staff and put a box in the office so people could leave anonymous feedback.

“All it needed was one person to say, ‘No, I’m not comfortable with that,’ and it wouldn’t have happened,” she says.

But no complaints came, and Milo quickly settled into office life. He’s not at work every day but when he’s around, he’ll do the rounds to make sure everyone knows he’s there.

“He’s got that therapy dog ability to be very calm. He picks the person he can tell needs a bit of extra comfort,” Morgan says.

“The vibe in the office is different when he’s around – everyone’s just a bit more relaxed and playful.”

Milo recently won a staff award – complete with a hamper of dog treats and toys – and has even been given a title: director of workplace morale.

Gordie, the warehouse dog of Adelaide

Gordie is an eight-year-old Labrador who comes into work with Craig, who works in a warehouse in west Adelaide.

“Gordie is my unofficial assistance dog – just having him is a comfort. I think if more people could have them in the workplace – I know it’s not always practical – but I think it’s great,” he says.

“That unconditional love – they’re just there for you. You treat them well, and they’re the best things.”

Craig just brought Gordie to work with him one day, his manager didn’t bat an eyelid, and the rest is history. Gordie knows the customers and the staff and, like many dogs, he has his favourites.

And when Craig is videoconferencing with his colleagues in Sydney, Gordie’s often the star of the show.

Buddy, the working dog who can do anything

Buddy is a purebred kelpie who lives and works on a sheep and cattle farm at Penshurst in South West Victoria.

“He’s not the prettiest kelpie, but he’ll work for anybody and there’s nothing he can’t do. He’s a great dog with a great attitude,” says Mandy Straw, his owner.

On hot days, after mustering lambs and cattle, Buddy likes to go for a swim in the stock trough. He also likes riding on the four-wheel motor bikes – but he’s not too keen on a recent change of routine.

“He’s having a learning curve, because we’re trying to teach him to ride on the back of the bike rather than on our laps,” Mandy says.

“We’re having a few discussions, and neither of us are winning.”

Why Graeme lets his staff bring their dogs to work

Graeme Olsen runs a motorcycle parts business in Western Australia where dogs are welcomed by everyone.

It works, he says, because everyone loves dogs.

“There’s about five of us, and we all love dogs,” he says.

He only has one rule: only one dog can be in the office at any one time.

I’ve just found it has a great effect on staff,” he says.

“What I’ve observed is that we can be at our desks and be typing away, and the dogs will just get up and wander around and say hello to everybody.

“Every time a customer comes in, the dogs walk straight up, wagging their tails. I can’t think of any customer who hasn’t smiled and sat down and patted the dog.”

His advice for other business owners? If it’s the right dog, and there’s no objections, it can be a good thing.

“The last thing you want is any kind of incident. It does have to be the right kind of dog,” he adds.