In case you didn't already know, this Friday, June 20th, is National Take Your Dog to Work Day.
When this national day of celebrating doggieness was first initiated, a lot of people thought it would just go away. Instead, it's gotten bigger every year, and some companies now actually make every day Take Your Dog to Work Day, in acknowledgment of the general calming effect of having well-behaved dogs in the office. A few studies have even been done, showing that offices with canines in the cubicles have higher productivity and lower stress than dogless offices.
I'm fortunate, in that as I work at home, I don't have to take myself or my dog to an office, other than the one on my ground floor. And I'm glad he's here, especially when it's a day full of rejection notices from publishers ("It's a really terrific idea, but it's not right for us"), demands for faster turnarounds, or lack of return calls in response to queries about overdue payments.
Nestle is an extremely good office dog. He knows that I will be here working at my desk until 2 pm. That is the magical doggie hour, when we go out for a walk, or to run errands and a walk, or sometimes, joy of joy, for a canine social hour with friends. He only asks for an occasional scratch until that magic hour, or perhaps some human help with a problem such as what to do about the raccoon on the roof of the lawnmower shed.
I don't have to worry much about being the only human here, because Nestle and his housemate Diamond alert any approaching strangers that there are canines on duty, ready to protect and defend. There have been a rash of daylight burglaries in the area, but I doubt that anyone greeted by a cacophony of barking would proceed with breaking in. . . there are lots of other houses without dogs, so why risk a confrontation.
But more than security, he is a warm fuzzy always eager to listen presence in what would otherwise be a quiet, lonely house.
So I celebrate Take Your Dog to Work Day, and feel a twinge of sorrow for those for whom this really is a once-a-year event.
Showing posts with label canine companionship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label canine companionship. Show all posts
Jun 18, 2008
Apr 22, 2008
An Earth Day Celebration of Dogs
There's always a lot to put your mind to on Earth Day . . . or any other day, for that matter. But as this blog is about dogs, I'd like to reflect on what our world might be like if the canine species were to suddenly disappear.
In large parts of the third world, where dogs are not family pets as we know them, but are part of village life, conditions would deteriorate rapidly. Dogs are a necessary part of keeping the village clean and livable, clean-up crews on four legs. So disease and death would likely increase. Also, in many of these societies, dogs are treasured hunting companions, so the supply of food would also likely suffer.
But those places are far away in other lands. So perhaps some thoughts closer to home. . .
Humans have not yet been able to construct a smelling device as efficient as a dog's nose, so all those searches for explosives, drugs, contraband, and fleeing suspects would be rendered much less efficient. Lost people, avalanche victims, and potential survivors of natural disasters would stand less chance of being located and rescued in time.
The blind and the disabled would lose one of their best assistance devices, as well as a huge measure of companionship.
The emerging "one world" aspect of medicine and research would suffer a huge setback. Dogs are a natural subject for medical research, and I don't mean as lab rats. They suffer many of the same diseases as humans and share our environment intimately, so advances in canine medicine often lead to similar advances in human medicine.
Farmers and ranchers would lose one of their most able employees. Who else is going to be so efficient at controlling a flock of geese in a yard or an enormous herd of sheep spread across miles of grazing land?
A whole industry would disappear. Dog trainers, groomers, dog show judges, dog writers would all be summarily out of work.
But most of all, the world would be a much lonelier place. Studies have shown that talking to a loved one (of the human variety) increases blood pressure, whereas taling to or petting a dog, even one you don't know, lowers blood pressure. But we don't need studies to know how good dogs are for us.
So on this Earth Day, I pledge to continue my recycling as usual, to try even harder to remember my cloth bags when I go shopping, to celebrate my new-this-year photovoltaic panels, to drive my Prius proudly. . . and to cherish my canine friends even more.
In large parts of the third world, where dogs are not family pets as we know them, but are part of village life, conditions would deteriorate rapidly. Dogs are a necessary part of keeping the village clean and livable, clean-up crews on four legs. So disease and death would likely increase. Also, in many of these societies, dogs are treasured hunting companions, so the supply of food would also likely suffer.
But those places are far away in other lands. So perhaps some thoughts closer to home. . .
Humans have not yet been able to construct a smelling device as efficient as a dog's nose, so all those searches for explosives, drugs, contraband, and fleeing suspects would be rendered much less efficient. Lost people, avalanche victims, and potential survivors of natural disasters would stand less chance of being located and rescued in time.
The blind and the disabled would lose one of their best assistance devices, as well as a huge measure of companionship.
The emerging "one world" aspect of medicine and research would suffer a huge setback. Dogs are a natural subject for medical research, and I don't mean as lab rats. They suffer many of the same diseases as humans and share our environment intimately, so advances in canine medicine often lead to similar advances in human medicine.
Farmers and ranchers would lose one of their most able employees. Who else is going to be so efficient at controlling a flock of geese in a yard or an enormous herd of sheep spread across miles of grazing land?
A whole industry would disappear. Dog trainers, groomers, dog show judges, dog writers would all be summarily out of work.
But most of all, the world would be a much lonelier place. Studies have shown that talking to a loved one (of the human variety) increases blood pressure, whereas taling to or petting a dog, even one you don't know, lowers blood pressure. But we don't need studies to know how good dogs are for us.
So on this Earth Day, I pledge to continue my recycling as usual, to try even harder to remember my cloth bags when I go shopping, to celebrate my new-this-year photovoltaic panels, to drive my Prius proudly. . . and to cherish my canine friends even more.
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