Here at K9 Natural, the office dogs are an integral part of our family. When you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed or need a quick break, there’s just something about a few pats, a tummy rub and those eyes telling you you’re the best thing in the world right now. With around five ‘regular employees’ of the four legged variety each day and fifteen ‘part timers’, office morale is high.

Meet the pack

The original office doggo is Kevin the Golden Retriever. At the ripe old age of eight, he’s been with us since his puppy days and has been promoted to a management role. Always smiling and up for a tummy rub, he’s the face of K9 Natural.

And then there’s his neighbour Scout, the Labradoodle. The troublemaker of the pack, Scout takes the cake for the most emergency vet trips after devouring something he shouldn’t have. Undies, socks, toys… nothing is off his limit.

Marty the black Cavoodle will sadly soon be moving up to the North Island when his parent relocate. But after playing the all-important role as office guard dog over the last few years, we thought he deserved a special mention. And we’ve always appreciated his enthusiasm for Mondays.

Across the office from Marty is Maxymoo the Hunterway X, who sits in the marketing department. Max is the office sweetheart. He’s an old soul and has many talents including singing on demand, hugging, and nailing a game of fetch (even if his hips tell him otherwise).

The newest addition to the pack is Leo the golden Cocker Spaniel, who’s also a marketeer. Leo is still finding his feet, but Max has taken the role of ‘big brother’ and is showing him the ropes around the office.

Keen to give it a go?

It’s becoming more and more popular to have dogs at work, with employers seeing the benefits for team culture. And as well as reducing employee stress, office time gives pups a great chance to socialise.

If you’re thinking about bringing yours in to be a part-time colleague, here’s a few tips to make the adjustment easy.

• Have a crate/bed or safe space for your dog to sleep.
• A fresh bowl of water or a toy to keep them just as busy as their human.
• Don’t give in to the whining on their first few days in the new environment. They’ll soon learn that work time isn’t play time!
• Just like kids and school visits, start by easing in a few hours at a time to introduce them to the new environment.
• Make sure you take them out for regular fresh air and toilet breaks, and have a toy on hand to burn their extra energy.
• Introduce them to the other office dogs slowly so they don’t get overwhelmed. And as long as they behave, it’s okay if they’re not best friends with every dog!
• Keep them on a lead when walking them in or out of the office, so you don’t go distracting your colleagues too much or disrupt other dogs.
• Take them for a walk at lunch time, great for your dog and great for YOU.

Having dogs at work is a privilege and we know that for a lot of workplaces, it’s just not practical. We’re lucky to work in a place where the pooches in our lives can be our colleagues too. And we reckon we do our best work when the dogs are around! Although it’s not always perfect (afternoon zoomies around the office, unexpected barking that gives you the fright of your life, sloppy kisses, the occasional accident…) we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with the antics of our K9 Natural office dogs.