Tomorrow, many will celebrate “Take Your Dog to Work Day” with a day at the office. For my dogs, Amber and Krissy, however, the day holds no particular distinction since they come to work with me every day. True, I own my own business and our workplace is small, so it is easy to accommodate them. Still, as an employer, I find that having my dogs in the workplace is beneficial for everyone for a number of reasons:

1. Dogs teach us to give every task our best effort. Whether my dogs are chewing a bone, chasing a ball or pulling apart a new toy to get the squeaker, they go after it with gusto. It’s just another way of demonstrating that old adage: “Any job worth doing is a job worth doing well.” Maybe that’s where they get the phrase “Work like a dog!”

2. Dogs reduce stress. A lot of stress is relieved just by taking a moment to scratch the ears or belly of a canine co-worker. Even if you’re having a tough time solving a problem, your dog will tell you you’re the greatest person in the world every time you look at her. In fact, studies have proven that petting a dog can help lower blood pressure-though I don’t know who gets more benefit you or the dog.

3. Dogs can help us look at things in an unusual way. When we’re trying to solve a problem, it is easy to fall into similar patterns. This is where it is comfortable for us as humans. Yet, we only have to glance at Krissy who has undoubtedly fallen asleep in some unusually contorted position that reminds us that there are many ways to look at a problem and comfort is just a matter of interpretation.

4. Dogs motivate us to stretch. In this computer age of information overload, it is easy to sit staring at the computer for hours without moving. Prolonged periods of time writing, reading or researching can put stress on the lumbar region of the back as well as the neck and shoulders. Dogs don’t remain in one position for too long and whenever they get up from a resting position, they stretch first. Daily stretching can provide a lot of physical and mental health benefits including keeping us younger.

5. Dogs remind us that work is more fun when we do it together. Sure there are vendors to bark at, issues to lick and client demands gnawing at us, but all seems doable when we collaborate. In the company of dogs, all things are possible.

6. Dogs encourage laughter. Dogs are naturally spontaneous and playful and they do smile and laugh. (Really!) Whenever Amber or Krissy hears one of us laughing, they love to be a part of it. Amber will throw her bone in the air and Krissy will roll on her back and grin. They don’t let us get too serious, prompt us to take play breaks and generally just make the workplace a more joyful place to be.

7. Dogs make us feel safe. Whether or not we actually are safer .is beside the point. The reality is that my dogs would rather lick someone to death than to bite their butts, but to the unwelcome solicitor we do nothing to discourage their image as ferocious beasts. “NO, WE DO NOT WANT YOUR BULK CANDY, SPA DISCOUNTS, OR YOUR COPIER, CLEANING OR INSURANCE COST COMPARISONS. GRRRR!!!!

8. Dogs can help us stay in the moment. Oil in the Gulf, job layoffs down the street, assistant out with the flu on day of the big presentation-there are plenty of things to worry about in business-but dogs will keep you grounded. There’s nothing to worry about except what’s right in front of you. All you have to do is take some time to chew it over.

Let’s face it—when you’re in business, there are some days we feel like the dog and sometimes we feel like the hydrant. We’re just glad we have always have the benefit of the doubt from our canine companions.

The opening line in Christopher Plummer’s recent autobiography is “I was brought up by an Airedale” and I’m thinking of that today as I prepare to celebrate my son’s graduation from high school. Our dogs have been pervasive in Andrew’s life–he has quietly shared ice cream with Bernie; happily blown bubbles with Max; patiently pulled prickers from Amber’s fur and laughed as he and Krissy play chase around the house and yard.  Andrew has grown into a smart, funny and caring young man and I think our dogs have had a paw in teaching him as much as my husband and I have.  In honor of Andrew’s graduation, today’s Life to the MAX Pose of the Week is one of my favorite photos of Andrew and Max, which is also featured in the dedication of our book.  If Max were here today, I think this is what he would say to Andrew.

Bernie, Max, Amber and Krissy–I think we did good!

This week’s Pose of the Week is of my friend’s Airedale tripod, Nina, who epitomizes the Life to the MAX attitude.  Since having her leg removed a few years ago after what they thought at the time was cancer in the bone, Nina has not lost a step. In fact, the way she stands, walks and engages in life, you almost have to look twice to realize her front limb isn’t there. Nina could have whined, sulked and withdrawn from life, but to her, nothing was missing from her life–she had love, family and a warm place to sleep. According to Mark, Nina never stopped being happy, active and just as mischievous as usual.  A little disability is not going to stop her!

As humans, we can all learn something from Nina.  Like Nina, we all endure some wounds, losses or setbacks during our lives, but we can choose to blame our bad luck or bless the event that made us stronger.  Nina is leading the way. Now we just need to have enough sense to follow.

Send us your funny, cute or inspirational dog photos for your chance to win a free copy of our book and remember we are now in the process of collecting stories for our sequel.  If you have a story about the lesson you learned from the Max dog in your life, please send it to us or submit it online.

This week’s Life to the Max Pose of the Week comes again from Susan Widmar of her Airedale puppy, Dudley.  This adorable photo caught Dudley’s Dad peeking at him through the laundry chute. No doubt for Dudley, this phenomenon was met with a mixture delight upon seeing Dad and bewilderment at how he came to fit in that little door!

Join the fun! Send us your cute, funny dog photos for your chance to win a free copy of our book.  Also, we are beginning to collect stories for our sequel, so if you have an inspiring story about a dog named Max, please feel free to submit it online.

Next month, my son graduates from high school and in preparation of celebrating this milestone, I have been going through a lot of the pictures we have accumulated over the years. One of the things that has struck me as I review these images (other than “What was I thinking with some of those hairstyles and glasses?!”) is how much wonder babies have at discovering the world and how much excitement they exude at mastering even the simplest tasks. Like when Andrew discovered that Bernie made a good pillow.

Or how happy he was to be at the same level as the dogs in his dinosaur walker.

Or how content he was just to share a bit of ice cream with his buddy, Bernie.

As adults, we often let daily stress, thoughts of past difficulties or projections of future problems mask that child-like wonder of enjoying the little triumphs that are a presented to us each day. Though it’s often hard to stay in the moment, if we remembered-even for a few minutes-to act a little more like babies and puppies, we’d have a lot more gratitude and fun to share with each other.

That’s what I thought about when I saw this picture of Dudley that was sent to me by his mom, Susan Widmar.

Even when we get older, there are new worlds to explore and moments that make you say, “AWWWW!”  And when you do, you know you’re living Life to the MAX!

Do you ever wonder who you can turn to for good marketing advice? I think the answer may be lying at your feet. Your dog is probably one of the best examples of what it takes to market effectively. Take our Airedale, Krissy, for example. She and Amber come to the office with us every day. After they have greeted everyone, Krissy begins her marketing campaign to be taken for a walk. What makes her an effective marketer?

1) She knows her target market. She knows who feeds her, takes her for a walk and plays ball with her. She is not going to waste time pursuing anyone who hasn’t scratched her belly or given her a Greenie. She makes a beeline directly to my office and jumps on my lap to get my attention.

2) She has developed her core message. For any given situation, she knows the exact doleful face, the slight whimper or persistent paw that will get the just response she wants and she keeps it up persistently until she gets the desired reaction.

3) She uses a good marketing mix. Krissy doesn’t rely on just one tactic to attract attention. If I don’t respond to the lap jumping, she barks and then gets Amber to bark.

This is the basic premise of social marketing. You tweet; someone retweets.

If that doesn’t work, she takes my hand in her mouth and pulls me toward the door.

This is called direct response marketing.

If that doesn’t work, she runs to my assistant and jumps on her chair.

This is called influencer marketing.

And if her wishes are STILL ignored, she will lay by the window and sigh loudly and forlornly.

A good example of stealth marketing.

In the end, she usually gets the walk she’s been lobbying for which just proves you have to use a variety of tactics to achieve success.

These are just a few of the marketing lessons you can learn from dogs and it is the basis for my presentation, Marketing to the MAX: What My Dogs Taught Me About Marketing My Book. Please join me at my next presentation Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 5:30 pm at the monthly meeting of the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers at the Scottsdale Marriott Suites Old Town, 7325 East Third Avenue, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. You’ll see that much of marketing just takes dogged determination!

Last week was National Puppy Day and we asked our followers to send us pictures of their dogs when they were pups to celebrate.  Sue Shannon sent this adorable photo of little Elli giving this cat an earful!

Note the guilty look on her face!  Good thing that cat wasn’t real or Elli might have found out what happens when a cat gets ear-itated!  Share your cutest, awww-inspiring puppy photos with us and you could win a copy of our book!  Send to max at nicecreative dot com.  Have a GREAT day!