Squeaky toys in the workplace

My earlier blog on telephone etiquette apparently fell on deaf ears in the dog world.  Lots of barking and carrying on  while on the phone several times this week.  Not from me…the dogs.   I’ve also had to stifle a giggle as my customers were dealing with barking too.

It’s been so hot out,I really can’t blame them.  Dogs across America are experiencing severe cabin fever as the temperatures soar.  This leads to chaos and anarchy in their napping schedule – you can only sleep so much before the urge to chase a ball takes over.

To take out their frustration,I’ve noticed an increase in interest in toys that have long sat at the bottom of their toy bins.  The squeakier the toy,  the more it holds their interest.   To make their point,  they like to share the ‘squeak’ with me in my office,especially when I am on the phone.  This can be detracting when you are trying to appear professional and mature.

Would a potential investor think less of your management team if they knew that a squeaky pacifier is necessary to satisfy an oral fixation for your Director of Security?  Could you suppress sheer embarrassment by asking “Pardon me,but could you repeat that?  The squeaking drowned out your last sentence.”     How many of you have flailed your arms in the air in a desperate attempt to make them stop while trying to carry on a normal conversation?  Do dogs understand arm flailing?  No,to them it says “Oh boy,she’s getting ready to throw this for me”.

Don’t try to get into a tug of war in trying to remove the offending object – it will just bring it closer to your phone.   Instead,here are a couple of suggestions:

-          Ban all squeaky toys from the office (Yeah,good luck with this)

-          Keep a supply of treats within reach.  Toss treat across the office and scoop up the squeaker he goes for it.

-          Close your office door when taking important calls – scratching on the door,while more expensive to repair,is less noisy than squeaky toys

-          Preface all calls with “Your call is important to us but we may experience some auditory difficulties.

-          Ignore it and state “Squeaking,what squeaking?”

Feel free to share about your own Squeak-a-holics here or on our facebook page.