The "Boss" Dogs

Don't get me wrong. I love dogs. Big ones, fluffy, ugly, wrinkled, whatever. I just feel that their place is not near a fax machine or inventory (especially if it's about to be counted for). Back in the 90's, when I was a career temp, I had an on-the-job experience that left something to be desired.

My bosses had sort of a hippie-ish vibe about themselves which seemed like it would make work more fun but eventually became the opposite. One of the factors was that there were not one, but two dogs that were treated like shareholders of the company.

One was a blond greyhound that was very energetic and noisy. When he wasn't whining for someone to take him for a walk, his barks could be heard a half-mile away. The other was a mohair-colored lab with a mellower demeanor - and belonged to the supervisor. Though both were very affectionate and non-threatening - even to strangers, I always felt that their presence was about as necessary as a water sandwich.

My bosses took great offense to anything that was not in praise of their pooches. Even tossing a Frisbee had to be done in a way that was not "cruel" or "insensitive". The canines were also allowed to walk around our desks as they pleased. This went overboard one morning when one of them was found sniffing and licking at my breakfast. When I gave him a soft tap on the head, his owner acted like he was going to file a restraining order - against me. The other once swallowed a whole rib bone and for the next couple of days, had extreme bladder problems.

Without going into who was right or wrong, this pretty much made the end of my time with this company, which officially closed its doors less than 18 months after they opened.

Every now and then, I try to put myself in their shoes to see if there were a more peaceful resolution and I still say that even one dog does not belong in any office - unless it is in someone's home and they work alone!