As a lifelong dog lover and the CEO of Dogtopia, I completely understand the joy of having your furry family member by your side throughout the day. Dog-friendly workplaces sound great in theory, but the reality is that many offices aren’t equipped to accommodate multiple dogs and don’t provide the mental and physical activity dogs need for a long, healthy life. And despite best efforts by a talented HR team to orchestrate dogs in the office, there are elements of dog ownership and dog behavior that ultimately cause distractions in the workplace.

Here are a few of the reasons why a dog-friendly workplace isn’t the best for dogs or their parents, and a solution employers should opt for instead:

Offices aren’t designed for dogs.

Most workplaces are designed for productivity and focus, not tail wags and play sessions. The sight, sounds and bustle of an office can be overwhelming for many dogs, especially those dogs who haven’t been exposed to many people or dogs. Phones ringing, printers, new people, office snacks and new smells can be triggering for dogs, which could lead to mischief, dogs acting out, or causing distractions for the parent or others around them. And to keep things as safe as possible, all dogs visiting the office and interacting with other dogs should be up to date on vaccinations, is that something your team wants to collect and manage?

Socialization requires supervision.

Even dogs who are extremely social need supervision, as you never know what could cause a dog to become overstimulated and act out. Plus, employees aren’t trained in dog body language and won’t know when to intervene to prevent a situation from escalating. Just like humans, dogs have different personalities, preferences, play styles and boundaries which should be closely monitored when interacting in a new environment.