Delight is often found in the most surprising places. And in this one, we’ve found it on Flickr in a Group Pool called “Cats Love Eames!” — a cheerful collection of felines who’ve found refuge in a variety of classic, comfortable designs by Charles and Ray Eames. Check out a few that made us smile. Read more
Did a bark, woof, or ruff (or perhaps a coo from an excited coworker) fill the halls of your office last week? Friday, June 22, was Take Your Dog to Work Day, a day dedicated to bringing man’s best friend into the workspace. This 14th annual canine celebration helped promote pet adoption, as well as the benefits of having Fido at work — which, according to recent research from Virginia Commonwealth University, include reducing stress and making the job more satisfying.
Companies like Amazon, Google, P&G Pet Care, Clif Bar & Company, and Ben & Jerry’s already have open-dog policies. What about your place of business? Would you welcome a dog in your workplace? Why or why not?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section. And in the meantime, take a look at a few furry friends that made it into the office on Friday. Read more
UK photographer Will Robson-Scott‘s latest work, called In Dogs We Trust, concentrates on canines and their owners. While Robson-Scott was interested in exploring the affinity owner’s have with their dogs I was drawn to the series because many of the shots cover people in their home offices. It’s well worth a look – if not for the interesting workspaces then for the wonderful dogs.
Meet Tom. He’s our 6-month-old Maine Coon mix and the latest addition to the Lifework team. I’m blaming all typos on him from this moment forward.
Illustrator Jordan Awan sent these pics of his sleek black cat named Nei-nei Noguchi. I want to see more so I’ve asked Jordan to send us some shots of his studio. His work has appeared in the New Yorker and McSweeney’s (to name a few) – you can check it out here. And below – an illo by Jordan of Nei-nei reclining on an Eames chair.
Home office that is. Our family is considering a pet. Since I work from home now it seems a perfect time to take the plunge. The kids are certainly old enough and the house is big enough. But the landlord has said no to a dog. They finally agreed to a cat. Do you share a home office with a pet? Send me you pics and help me get inspired (cerentha_harris@hermanmiller.com). We aren’t sure what kind of cat to get and will more than likely end up at a shelter but in the meantime I’d love to see who sleeps on your keyboard! I came across the tabby above on Lyra – a blog devoted to Lyra the cat.
Whether you’re working from an office or from home, stress is a part of work. We manage it by eating right, exercising, and owning a dog. Yes, having a dog can reduce stress—but only until the dog starts barking during an important call, causing your blood pressure to shoot through the roof.
Here are a few things to try if you have an excessively barky dog. If the dog is yours, it is possible to train it not to bark, but it’s going to take some dedicated time. Consider how much time it took you to potty train a child. That’s the kind of dedicated time we’re talking about here.
Another option is the bark collar, which come in several varieties. There are ones that emit a high frequency sound dogs don’t like (effective only about 50% of the time), ones that shock the dog (not recommended for obvious reasons), and ones that release a puff of citronella, which is effective about nine out of ten times.
If the dog is your neighbor’s and you’ve already talked to the owner but the situation hasn’t changed, consider posting a video of the offending dog in all its barking glory on YouTube’s Barking Dog Video Group. The folks at barkingdogs.net say people have reported that “their recalcitrant neighbors finally quieted their habitually barking dogs after they learned that YouTube featured footage that showed the animal barking disruptively.” It’s unclear whether it’s because they are ashamed or because it finally forces them to see the problem with some objectivity.