We have office dogs.
Finnigan is my almost 6-year-old 5-pound Yorkie who comes to work with me every day and Rocco is Connie’s, our Office Admin’s 3-year-old 7-pound Yorkie who comes to work with her. They make the workday more pleasant when it gets stressful, and if you have a few too many pieces of meat on your plate at lunch…well they are happy to help you out with keeping your calorie count in check! (Which could explain their little plumpness, but hey, we won’t tell secrets.)
Dogs are so helpful and can be so useful. Paws With A Cause trains hearing dogs for Deaf people, people with a disability, and nonverbal people. You can reach their website here for more information.
Just about everyone knows what a seeing-eye dog is, but did you know they have hearing ear dogs? These dogs have the same rights as other service dogs, and they assist a person with knowing what is going on around them. They alert the Deaf or hard of hearing person to what is going on such as a doorbell going off or an alarm, someone trying to get their attention, or a baby crying.
When I was in college, I had a professor who had a dog that was trained as a leader dog and a hearing-ear dog. When we were in class, she placed the dog in a room with her baby, and when the baby cried the dog barked and came and got her. The dog took her to the room where the baby was.
Paws With A Cause also trains dogs to work with people who have seizure disorders. The dogs alert the person when they are about to have a seizure so that they can go to an area where they are safe, or sit down.
These dogs can be trained to understand Sign Language and are trained to work with each specific Individual. Each person has different needs and life expectations so each dog has to be trained for each person. It can take up to two years once you get on the waitlist for a dog and it takes three to six months of training after you have been matched with a dog.
What’s important to remember is that these dogs are also trained like leader dogs. If you see a dog in training with a harness that says “Paws With A Cause”, ask the person if you may pet the dog before you just reach down and treat the dog as a pet. It may actually be working or training and the last thing you want to do is distract them.
Additionally, these dogs are allowed to be in all places of public accommodation: restaurants, airplanes, hotels, stores, and theaters. You cannot charge more for them and you must allow them to be with their person. They are assisting someone and doing a job.
We love our little guys in our office and if they don’t come in our days aren't the same. When Finnigan comes in with me in the morning all I hear is, “Finnigan!” And he runs from office to office saying “Good Morning” to everyone. Dogs, pets really, make such a difference in our lives. Paws With A Cause makes such a difference in the lives of so many. If you didn’t know about them before, you now know about this non-profit organization.
We share fun information about Finnigan and Rocco on our social media. Rocco loves to wear clothes (Finnigan hates to wear clothes, we affectionately call him a nudist). We have a special Facebook and Instagram posting called “Rocco’s Closet” where we showcase his wardrobe and cute pictures. You have to check us out if you like puppies, that’s what our guys look like since they are so small.
So, remember, allow working dogs to work. They get time off and lots of love from their owners, don’t worry. If you need assistance, check out Paws With A Cause.
Check us out on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Finnigan and Rocco! Give your dogs a hug and cuddle from us!
