I've only worked in one dog-friendly office building and I miss those days of having dogs (and sometimes my cats) around in the office. It always made the day a good one; if I ever needed a pick-me-up, I'd just go visit the pup, say hello, and feel so happy. Dogs in the office don't just make the mood lighter and friendlier, but can actually make employees more productive. Dog owners who can bring their dogs to work can stay later without worrying about their pet who may need a walk or food at a certain time. Sadly, not all offices are dog-friendly. Conversely, even if you work at a dog-friendly company, not all dogs should be brought the office. Here are a few things to consider before bringing your pooch to work.

Is your dog housebroken? If not, well that's a big strike against bringing your dog to work with you. Even if you think you can prevent your dog from doing his/her business indoors, if you're not 100% sure about it, why take that risk? Another thing to consider: if you trained your dog to be housebroken in a home with hardwood floors, carpet or rugs may cause problems. Make sure that your dog will not try to pee/poo on new surfaces before bringing your dog to the office.

Is your dog well behaved? Can you trust that your dog will not growl, bark, or bite your co-workers? If not, definitely do not bring your dog to work. A friend had a horror story of a former employer whose CEO had a dog that should have not been brought to work. For some reason, the dog had a negative reaction to African American/black people who were in the office, whether it be man or woman, employee or visitor to the office. This caused some very awkward situations, as one of the women working at the office was black and felt very unsafe being around the dog. The CEO was told about the situation, but was unbending about bringing his dog to work. Sadly, since he was the headcheese, it was a difficult situation to amend (Not sure if there's any legal way around it, though? Lawyers, you know of anything?) That is an extreme example, but a dog that is not well behaved should stay at home.

Is your dog overly dependent on having you around? Some dogs are super sweet and well-behaved as long as his/her owner is around, but will get whiny, vocal, and antsy whenever his/her owner is away. Clingy dogs probably shouldn't be brought to the office. If your dog is somewhat needy of having you around, but not too extreme, make sure to bring things that'll make your dog feel at home — like toys, blankets, bedding.

Are your co-workers OK with having a dog around? Even if your office has a dog-friendly policy, you should ask your co-workers, especially the ones you share a space with, if it's OK. Some people may be allergic to dogs or just not like having them in the office. Having your dog around may make you happier to be at work, but it could cause someone else to feel unsafe, sick, or too distracted.

Is your dog vaccinated? Some offices that allow dogs require that the pet have current vaccination, rabies, and other shots. Not all dog owners believe in vaccinating their pets, so this might be a deterrent from bringing your pet to work.

Does your dog smell bad? If you're going to bring your dog to work, make sure that he/she is well-groomed. Also, if your dog is prone to making stinky farts, you may want to reconsider subjecting your co-workers to that!

Does your dog get along with other dogs? If you work in a dog-friendly office, there's a good chance that another co-worker will bring his/her dog to work, too. Make sure that your dogs will get along. If they don't, either make sure they don't cross paths or alternate days that your dogs come to the office.

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