A warm welcome is always assured for four-legged friends at the Fish4Dogs office, where bringing your dog to work is actively encouraged.
However, a new member of the Fish4Dogs family, rescue dog Tato, needed a little more ‘TLC’ to find his feet in the workplace. 
Eight-year old Beagle Tato, was taken on by Technical Manager Annabel Battersby and struggling to come to terms with life ‘outside the pack’, having spent most of his life as a hunt dog.
Annabel, an experienced dog owner, knew that he would struggle to cope with isolation while she was at work, but equally, Tato was unused to spending time inside a building, having previously being housed in an outdoor kennel.
Having consulted colleagues and pet psychologists she devised a plan with office ‘DogMother’ Jo little, to gently integrate Tato into the office and encourage him to socialise with other dogs and humans.
They prepared a den for Tato – a place where he could go to feel secure, reassured and take ‘time out’ when he needed to get away from the crowds. Colleagues have adapted their behaviour to appear non-threatening – particularly men which he saw as ‘authority figures’ – and they will drop their gaze or turn away to make him feel less anxious.
He has even found a surrogate mum in Product Portfolio Manager Karen Hubbard, who joined the team earlier this year, and shares the same workspace with Annabel.
Karen said: “When I first meant Tato he was very fearful of me. I had little experience with dogs, but with coaching from Annabel, Tato has slowly built his confidence in me and we have bonded well. I was delighted to house sit for Tato recently and he now greets me every day in the office with a waggy tail and he seems much happier in his new surroundings.”
DogMother and Fish4Dogs Head of Marketing, Jo Little said: “We are all invested in Tato’s journey. He is fast becoming a much happier dog and we are delighted to witness and support his progress.”
For further information on Fish4Dogs products you can visit www.fish4dogs.com
