From Shanghai to Nashville, the Year of the Dog is already in full effect at the pup-ready workspaces of WeWork. On Instagram, #dogsofwework has nearly 5,000 posts, and when WeWork brought its dog-friendly workspaces to Japan—a market with more pets than children—it made headline news in Bloomberg. (Thinking about starting dog-friendly policies in your spot? Here’s a ruff guide for that.)
Life’s a gas
Katy Conrad + Max
Location: WeWork HQ, New York City
Company: WeWork
What’s the best tip for bringing your dog to work? The best way to make sure your dog is comfortable at the office is to bring lots of treats, including treats to share. Just like us humans need a snack after a long day at the office, having a bag of treats helps make sure Max and his office puppy pals are all enjoying themselves, and able to get through the workday, too. A bunch of snuggles doesn’t hurt, either.
What’s your dog’s superpower? Besides being cute, his ability to end any meeting with his gas.
The office flirt
Fiona Webborn + Nug the Pug
Location: WeWork Spitalfields, London
Company: The Cotton Story
Why do you bring your canine friend to work? He’s so cute, why wouldn’t I want to spend all day with him? He’s been coming in to this dog-friendly London office since he was 10 weeks old and is now really confident and friendly around all sort of people and dogs of all sizes.
What’s important to know before bringing a dog to work? That everyone will forget you exist and forget your name because they now see you as “Nugget’s mum” or “the girl with the tiny pug.”
Everyone will forget you exist and forget your name because they now see you as ‘Nugget’s mum.’
Your dog as an emoji: 😘 Because he’s such a flirt with all the other dogs and members!
What’s your dog’s superpower? Being able to finish his lunch in under 10 seconds flat.
Will sprint for belly rubs
Teddy Connell + Scout
Location: WeWork Tower Place, Atlanta
Company: WeWork
What’s behind her name? Scout is a 6-year-old Blue-Heeler mix from Aberdeen, Mississippi. She’s named after Scout Finch [from To Kill A Mockingbird] and has become a part of the WeWork Tower Place community team.
What’s the best tip for bringing your dog to work? Pleasant interpersonal relationships seem to be the most reinforcing stimulus for a dog. After all, they are pack animals with complex social structures that eventually led to them synchronizing with human society. Always be watching for desirable behavior to positively reinforce your pup with, because they’ll always be watching you.
What’s your dog’s superpower? Asking for what she wants. She has been known to sprint towards members only to then slide on her side to stop perfectly in position for a belly rub.
Grumpy but loveable
Isabel Borst + Herby
Location: WeWork Hackescher Markt, Berlin
Company: WeWork
What’s the best tip for bringing your dog to work? Willingness to adapt is very important. The members love him, and he loves the attention he gets from them. There were moments, though, that I noticed he was getting quite stressed. I bring him to the office between two or three times per week, and I avoid bringing him if I know it will be a very busy day.
The fun part is that the members have also adapted to him. They know Herby doesn’t like hugs and clapping and that they shouldn’t feed him because he’s trying to lose some weight. At the end, the most important part is to respect his limits and make sure he is not disturbing anyone.
Your dog as an emoji: 😒 He’s both a grumpy man and a good pal.
What’s your dog’s superpower? Herby has the power of finding food in every bush. Normally he finds sandwiches, but last weekend he found a whole pizza.
Pastry bandit
Leah Gwin + Harper
Location: WeWork 901 Woodland, Nashville
Company: Inflammo
Why do you bring your dog to work? Instead of sitting at home bored all day, she’s able to come hang out with me, meet other dogs, and get loved on by WeWork members. I also—selfishly—love having her around because her bright, spunky spirit keeps me feeling positive, and she always finds things to do that make me laugh throughout the day.
What’s the best tip for adjusting to the office environment? Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. I have found this is the key to a well-behaved dog at work. Harper is a 1-year-old puppy, so she has a lot of fun energy. When I take her on runs or to the dog park before work, she cooperates way better. We also love taking walks during lunchtime or throwing the ball at the park nearby.
If your dog were an emoji, which would he/she be? 💃 Harper is always the life of the party.
What’s your dog’s superpower? Invisibility. She snuck upstairs at a friend’s house a few weeks ago without us seeing and ate 27 pastries.
Quiet cuddler
Bonnie Li + Captain
Location: WeWork Weihai Lu, Shanghai
Company: WeWork
Why do you bring your canine friend to work? We have a lot of dogs in our community, so Captain can make friends here. If one day I don’t bring him to work, lots of members ask me, “Where is Captain?”
How do you know if your dog is ready to be a WeWork dog? The dog should be quiet and under your control, and also less than 14 kilograms or 30 pounds.
Your dog as an emoji: 😳
What’s your dog’s superpower? Being friendly and not barking.
Vibe manager
Monica Limanto + Yoji Yoshimoto
Location: WeWork Pyrmont, Sydney
Company: Rufino
Why do you bring your canine friend to work? It makes the office a happier place. Dogs create instant good vibes.
What’s important to know before bringing a dog to work? Be respectful of the workplace and practice good manners by ensuring your dog is toilet trained, the office door is kept closed, and there is a dog bed, water, snacks, and toys for your pup to keep them occupied and comfortable during the day.
Your dog as an emoji: 💩
What’s your dog’s superpower? Making food disappear
Dog walker app trainer
Julia Graça Aranha + Lexa
Location: WeWork Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Company: WeWork
Why do you bring your canine friend to work? She makes everyone’s day better. Even though the Ipanema building has only been open for 10 days, Lexa has already become the mascot. We have a dog walking app in our building, GoDog, that uses her every day to train new dog walkers.
What’s important to know before bringing a dog to work? People will “borrow” your dog, so if yours goes missing, it’s probably in someone else’s office.
Must-have toy to keep your dog happy: Toy to chew on.
What’s your dog’s superpower? Help people lose their fear of dogs.
