Taking your greyhound to work

[Olivia]

Hi guys!

First of all, I do not own a greyhound at the moment but getting one has been on my mind for some time. My grandparents own a small business and I work there full-time. As you can imagine, this would mean that the poor dog would spend at least 9 hours alone everyday which to me is not an option. My relatives are very supportive of me getting a dog and said that I'm more than welcome to bring her/him with me. There are two storeys - upstairs we talk to customers and work on our computers, downstairs we have a bathroom and a small kitchen plus we store there documents and some other stuff. The dog would be downstairs. We'd make a small cozy area for her/him and of course taking them outside several times a day isn't an issue at all.

Please tell me if you guys think this is a good idea.

[Time4ANap]

Greyhounds usually are going to want to be where you are. They can learn stairs, no problem. I haven't had a hound yet who like being left alone in another room or contained away from everyone else.  They are very social.  They may lay around all day doing nothing, but they want to do that near the people who are around. If they are going to be in a room behind a closed door, I can assure that it won't work. If the dog will be around people the whole time, it may be fine. 

If there are any exits where someone can open a door inadvertently, the dog can also get out and be gone before you know it. This is one of those things you have to be hyper-vigilant about since the dog can run 45 MPH and be long gone quickly. If there is a way to keep the dog secure  while you are distracted with work like installing a baby gate or two, installing a camera to monitor the area etc, you might have to consider making a few of these additions . 

Just be sure to consider the practical things about having a dog at your particular workplace. Plenty of people take their dogs to work, but each situation is different depenidng on the nature of the business and workplace. Good luck. 

[Jerilyn]

That sounds like a pretty good situation to bring a dog to work. But lots and lots of dogs spend all day home alone and are just fine too. You'll probably have to wait and see what works best for your particular dog.

[HeyRunDog]

It could work. Have a bed near to your desk and the dogs lead attached to it so it can't wander off out of the door without you. An older greyhound might be the sensible option as they are usually less active and be happier laying on their bed watching the office activity.

[longboyz100]

I think it is heavily dependant on the dog really, if you are rescuing you should be clear with the shelter this is your plan and they can try match you to an appropriate dog. 

My boy comes into the office most days,overall it works well - he has a quiet corner and loves the attention. While most of the time he just sleeps, a few times a day I have to leave him for meetings, this is fine if others are around but if no one is around (rare) he can get a little stressed and vocal. This could go away when he gets fully settled in. 

I will say this, while it's amazing to have your dog with you at work, it is another responsibility and can be quite stressful at times (depending on your work).  I will most likely leave my boy at home most days once we have a walker sorted. 

I will reiterate what others have said too, he wants to be around people and close to whats going on. 

 

 

[BatterseaBrindl]

I’d worry that he’d get out.  
It only takes a split second for a Greyhound to slip out a narrow opening and they’re gone. 
how many coworkers do you have and how many doors to the outside are there?

I’d insist in baby gates on all exits or an X Pen around my work area.

[Onyfalk]

My hound would find it very stressful to be tied to a desk in an open plan office. If there was a a comfy and secluded spot for her like a store room then she would likely slink there herself. 

There are no guarantees but I think you have a good chance getting this to work with a retired grey. I know some of my local group take their dogs to the office.

[Olivia]

She would have access to only one door to the outside that we barely use. We can also install a baby gate (as you have suggested) so that she is close to me and doesn't run away as soon as the front door opens. I work with three other people (the rest of the employees work in a different building).

[cleptogrey]

i took my first gh to work with me. i was working pt at a state park. she hung out in the office, with all of us and walked the trails w/ me, drove around in the electric mule or pick up truck for patrols. she was very easy going and just went with the flow. never had a problem w/ doors opening- what dog in their right mind would leave an office if there was an endless stash of milk bone biscuits? 

[Sniffy]

My previous Greyhound Twiggy came to work with me every day, and it worked out great. And this was at a larger office ~50 people.  I was mindful of co-workers who weren't big fans of dogs (in other words, weirdos ) and I tethered her to my desk.  This prevented her from following me all over the place.  She was able to get up, stretch, reach her water bowl and bed when I wasn't around -- which was never more than an hour or so.  I never took her to meetings/conference rooms etc. Others at desks nearby kept an eye on her as well.

Another advantage of this was being able to take her on midday walks (which she didn't even need--she slept ALL DAY the lazy loaf). but It was especially helpful on long work days--no stress about 'getting home in time' to take her on the evening walk.  Just grab the leash and walk go outside the office.

Different greys will act differently of course. I was lucky because Twiggy didn't bark, did not get nervous when I left the desk, etc.

It can be done. good luck!