An Ode to Office Companions

When Derek Atchley and his wife started their sign business in 2006, they had a stay-at-home pup they brought to work occasionally. They decided that after the 14-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback had passed they would always bring their companions to the office — “making sure to keep them away from the print and finishing equipment, of course!” he adds.

The Atchleys’ first office dog was Norman, a South African mastiff of Boerboel breed training to become a therapy dog. Every day he came to play with the staff and clients, lie out in the sun behind the building and go on walks with the shop’s employees. Two years later, the Atchleys gave Norman a companion: a female ridgeback named Georgia who immediately took to her duties as an office dog.

“She loved all her human playmates, most of all Norman!” Derek says. “From 2015 on, we were a ‘dog shop’ and never looked back.”

Atchley Graphics (Columbus, OH) is not the only dog signshop out there. Across the country in Brighton, CO, Dawn Homa of Signarama Brighton recalls the day when her eight-year-old labrador Maggie was wandering free through the office.

“A customer walked in and Maggie walked up to her, as she normally did, to say hello,” Homa says. “The woman almost fainted. She panicked and ran out of the office. I was really concerned that we were going to need to call the paramedics.”

A self-proclaimed lifelong, card-holding dog advocate, Homa set a new policy that dogs needed to be in offices, under or near desks and not allowed to roam. The shop had five dogs at work at one point, Homa says, but the environment was calm as the dogs were just happy to be near people.

Employee and customer benefits to shop pets

Just as new hires at Atchley Graphics loved the office dogs right away and their presence made tough days better, Homa found that dogs helped with employee interactions and reduced stress.

“Something as simple as dog-related conversations can create bonds with each other and open up communications. The better communication, the better the projects went. So dogs in the work environment helped us bridge the communication gap,” Homa explains.

The effect reached beyond dog owners. When Homa was out of the office for extended periods, the staff would take her dogs for walks or bring them over to their desks, giving themselves a much needed break. Having the dogs around also opened up new discussions and allowed the shop to get to know customers on a more personal level.

“Not a day goes by that we don’t absolutely love having these fur babies with us. They make each day something different and fun,” Derek says of the Atchley dogs. “They say dogs are the most happy when they have their people around them. Our tribe, here at Atchley Graphics, was their tribe.”

But nothing lasts forever. The Atchleys had to say goodbye to Norman recently — “he topped out at 192 lbs. and was as gentle and sweet as he was huge,” Derek says — while in Colorado, Maggie passed and Homa’s other dogs did not enjoy being at the office.

These sign owners did not let grief overwhelm their love for furry companions, however. As a volunteer for HoBo Care Boxer Rescue and now known as the ‘lady with the dogs,’ Homa soon brought to her shop the dog she was fostering, which would help the dog socialize, overcome separation anxiety and let customers know that they have a dog available for adoption.

The Atchleys will also look toward a new ‘fur baby’ to help with their and Georgia’s grieving. “I could never foresee being in a workplace that was without the energy, distraction and companionship of dogs,” Derek says.

Homa recommends having pets in the workplace, with rules that work for the shop’s environment. Barking and growling at customers should be quickly controlled, and whether the dog can wander free is up to the owner, but having a place to contain the dog if necessary would be a good idea.

“I think they give us way more than we can ever give them back,” Derek remarks of the shop pets, “but in the end it’s a great relationship and I know we are better people for having them here in our lives.”