How to Dogify Your Workplace

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In these days of long hours, office politics, and ever-decreasing budgets, you need to keep a positive attitude to be successful (and stay sane!) in the workplace. Your dog, according to the American Heart Association, “may be associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels [… and] can have a positive effect on the body’s reaction to stress.” And there are countless studies that show that dogs make you happier. If you can’t bring your dog to work to keep your body and mind healthy, do the next best thing — dogify your workspace!

I’m always on the lookout for doggie office supplies, because reminders of my fur babies keep me calm yet energized. If all you have is a photo of you and your pup snuggling on the couch, you really need to step up your dog decorating game at the office! Here are some ideas to get you started toward a more calming, doggie-filled work environment.

Lhasa Apso table lamp

Stephanie Brown, managing editor of our sister site, Petcha, has a dog-centric workspace.

If you have a less common breed, like the Lhasa Apso, it will be more difficult to find breed-specific items for your workspace (you’re in luck with this lamp, though!). If you have a Dachshund, Bulldog, Boston, or Frenchie, it will be much easier for you.

The Lhasa Apso table lamp is available at Lamps Plus for $30.

Dachshund letter organizer

Would you rather have a pile of mail on your desk or a cute Dachshund to hold it neatly for you? An added bonus: Stick a pen in the Doxie’s behind, and you’ll never again have to search for something to write with during a phone call.

Buy it on Amazon for $11.

Bully breed & tricks mugs

This bully breed mug is definitely a conversation starter! I mean, how many other mugs have a tail and feet? The dog tricks mug is adorable by itself but even better for pet parents with both dogs and cats.

Find these and the matching cat tricks mug by Fishs Eddy at Nordstrom for $15.95 to $16.50.

Bull Terrier clock

It’s almost 5 p.m.! As you watch those last seconds tick by on your Bull Terrier face clock, you know you’re that much closer to the best part of the day — the moment you walk in your door and see your best friend wagging her tail.

Always know how much longer until you see your pooch with the Bull Terrier face clock from Sol Pixie Dust on Etsy for $25.

Frenchie tape dispenser

This French Bulldog tape dispenser will satisfy your doggie decorating theme and also be super trendy (check out all the gold spray-painted office supplies on Pinterest). Spray-paint your stapler to match!

Find it at Target for $12.99.

Boston bookends

Yes, you could use those industrial metal bookends that were in your cube on your first day (blah), but if you want bookends with pizzazz, go doggie! Bostons are always wearing tuxedos, due to their classy black-and-white fur pattern, but these extra-fancy pups are also donning red jackets and bow ties.

These bookends by Bellaa are sold on Amazon for $25.

Poker poster

Luckily for lovers of all things kitsch, there are quite a few Dogs Playing Poker posters to choose from. C. M. Coolidge created a series of 16 oil paintings depicting dogs playing poker (and sometimes doing other equally absurd stuff) in the early 1900s. In this one, a Bulldog is throwing some serious shade at a Saint Bernard.

Pick your poster at Amazon for about $9.

Comfy pet bed

More and more companies are becoming pet-friendly (hooray!). If you can bring Fido to work with you, keep a fashionable and comfortable pet bed for him to chill out on. If HR won’t let you bring your canine coworker, get a dog bed anyway! Order a Great Dane-sized one and take a power nap under your desk.

The Burnt Orange Chevron Round Pet Bed by Majestic Pet ranges from $89 for a small to $139 for a large
at majesticpet.com. A medium bed, $119, is pictured.

Vintage calendar

OK, we get it. You may work in an environment where giant Dogs Playing Poker posters will earn you a “crazy dog person” reputation. Subtle dog items, like this freestanding 2016 Vintage Dogs Calendar by Cavallini Papers & Co., are right for you. A touch of dog here and there will make you happy when you see it, discerning coworkers and clients will appreciate it, and non-dog people probably won’t even notice.

Cavallini Papers & Co. desk calendars run around $13.

Make your own to-do list!

Save paper by writing out your priority to-do items on this decorative DIY. You’ll need:

• An 8×10 picture frame. Choose one with a flatter frame. It will be easier to write on.
• A dog printout. Find an image to print out, making sure there’s enough white space at the bottom to write your list on. You’ll have to cut an 8×11 paper down so it will fit in the frame.
• A dry-erase marker and eraser. A dry-erase marker with an eraser-tipped cap makes writing and erasing easy.

Just write your list on the frame’s glass, and you’re done!

Did you dogify your workspace? Show us in the comments!

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