One of the best perks of my job is that I can occasionally bring one of my French Bulldogs to work with me.

Whenever people find out I work at a dog-friendly university, they always ask the same question:

“Do your dogs come to work with you?”

The answer is yes…

But only one at a time.

When I first tried bringing Zeus and Electra together, I thought they would keep each other entertained while I worked.

I was very, very wrong.

My First Attempt

The first time I brought them both to work, I set up two kennels beside my desk.

I pictured two quiet Frenchies peacefully relaxing while I answered emails.

Reality looked a little different.

Within minutes, I realized Zeus and Electra had completely different ideas about office life.

Meet My Coworkers

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’ve probably met both of these people.

Zeus – The “All Business” Coworker

Every office has that one coworker who shows up early, grabs their coffee, quietly gets to work, and doesn’t bother anyone.

That’s Zeus.

He walks into the office, checks that everything seems okay, climbs into his kennel, and gets comfortable.

He’s perfectly happy sitting beside me while I work.

Honestly, I think he believes his job title is Office Supervisor.

He keeps an eye on everyone but rarely gets involved.

To help him settle in, I keep a small pop-up camping kennel under my desk. It’s become one of my favorite purchases because it gives him a quiet, familiar place to relax.

I also bring his Pupsicle loaded with a frozen calming treat.

That keeps him busy for about thirty minutes—just long enough to realize the office isn’t so scary.

Once he’s finished…

He’s asleep.

Electra – The Coworker Who Never Leaves Your Office

Then there’s Electra.

Every office has that coworker who stops by to say good morning…

…and forty-five minutes later you’re still trying to end the conversation.

That’s Electra.

The second she realizes she’s allowed out of her kennel, she has one goal:

Meet everyone.

Students.

Faculty.

Staff.

Visitors.

The mail carrier.

If someone walks past my office, Electra assumes they’re obviously there to visit her.

Treats?

Not interested.

Toys?

No thanks.

She’d choose people over snacks every single time.

Because she gets so excited meeting everyone, she also has a habit of doing a little excited pee.

To avoid surprises around the office, she wears a diaper whenever she’s wandering the halls.

It’s not glamorous…

But it works.

Every Dog Gets Their Own Routine

One thing Zeus and Electra have taught me is that even two dogs of the same breed can have completely different needs.

Every workday starts the same way.

Before we head into the office, we take a walk around campus.

It’s a chance to:

• Go potty
• Explore the surroundings
• Burn off some excitement
• Start the day on a calm note

After that…

Their routines couldn’t be more different.

Zeus’s Workday

Zeus likes a longer walk—usually around thirty minutes.

Once that’s done, he’s happy to spend most of the day relaxing beside me.

He also absolutely loves riding the elevator.

The stairs?

Those are someone else’s problem.

Electra’s Workday

Electra only needs about a fifteen-minute walk.

But unlike Zeus…

She’s ready for another walk by mid-morning.

Then another one later in the afternoon.

She’s always hoping someone new will stop by to give her attention.

Thankfully, I work at a very dog-friendly university, so she gets plenty of visitors throughout the day.

Honestly…

I think she believes she’s part of the admissions team.

One Training Tool That Works for Us

Whenever either dog comes to work with me, they also wear an e-collar.

I know e-collars can be a controversial topic, and I completely understand that they aren’t the right choice for every owner or every dog.

For Zeus and Electra, though, it’s become one of the training tools we trust.

It gives me a way to reinforce commands and safely redirect their attention when they’re distracted in a busy environment like campus.

Like any training tool, it’s only effective when it’s used responsibly and as part of consistent training.

I’ll be writing a much more detailed article about how we use e-collars in the future, because I know there are a lot of questions and opinions surrounding them.

Bringing One Dog Changed Everything

After a few trial-and-error workdays, I realized something.

Bringing both dogs wasn’t fair to me…

Or to them.

Now they take turns coming to work.

Each dog gets one-on-one time with me.

The office stays calmer.

And everyone—including Zeus and Electra—has a much better day.

🐾 Frenchie Tip

If your workplace allows dogs, don’t assume they’ll instantly know how to behave in an office.

Start with short visits, bring something familiar like a kennel or bed, and remember that every Frenchie has a different personality.

What helps Zeus relax may do absolutely nothing for Electra—and that’s perfectly okay.

💬 What about your Frenchie?

If your workplace allowed dogs, which coworker would your Frenchie be?

🐾 The quiet employee who just wants to do their job like Zeus?

❤️ Or the social butterfly who spends the entire day visiting everyone’s office like Electra?

I’d love to hear about your office “coworkers” in the comments.