The Dog Days of Summer at BBD

Summer is coming to an end (seriously, tomorrow is September 1st — when did that happen?) and with summer’s end comes the end of our “dog days of summer”.

What is that, you ask? Well, summer is meant to be a time for fun in the sun — rest, relaxation and of course meeting new people (preferably at the beach). But here at BBD, we believe that experience should never be limited to you alone, it should be shared with your pup! During the summer months, we encourage employees to sign up and bring in their pup for a day of work. It’s always a great day when on Friday’s your best pal gets to come to work with you.

But these days are not just about fun. Bringing pets to work has actually been proven to increase productivity, employee engagement and general happiness. Great for employees and great for employers! And the reason for all this is fluffy and adorable? Sign me up!

In fact — I did sign up. That’s my golden retriever down there in the bottom right, Charlie! It was a great experience for us both, and one I hope to repeat. I was a little nervous about bringing her in — not because she’d be loud or a nuisance, but because she’s a little bit shy and anxious at first, but she warmed up to everyone very quickly! I was concerned that I might not be able to focus on my work as much (I’ve been prone to helicopter parenting in the past), but that wasn’t so. Charlie was free to wander the office and sniff things, explore every nook and cranny. And about half way through the day she just lay down underneath my chair, exhausted.

It’s hard work being a pup!

All in all, it was a great experience for both of us. Charlie got to meet some new people (which I think helped her a bit with her shyness) and I got to hang out with my dog all day long. It was awesome, and I encourage everyone at BBD to take advantage of this perk!

We’ll be hosting puppers until the end of September when, regrettably, summer must indeed come to an end. Everything is all booked up, but I have a funny feeling that we would be OK with extending the length of time our furry friends can visit us. Who could say no to those faces?

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