Normally, lying down on the job is a bad thing, but for Sadie, one of thousands of animals in the United States who go to work with their owners, it's a sign of good behavior.
Every day for 13 years, the black spaniel mix has tagged along with Wendy and David Wheeler to their store, New Moon Gallery, where she spends most of her time relaxing in her "office," a black sleeping bag under the CD rack.
According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 75 million Americans believe pets in the workplace make people happier.
In March, Sadie passed down the duty of being playful and energetic to the Wheelers' newest addition, 9-month-old Max; but both dogs continue to serve an important role in the business, Wendy Wheeler said.
"I would be sad if I thought I couldn't bring my pet to work right now because I've gotten so used to it," she said. "It's not just about having a pet. It really helps you to feel good some days when you need a soft hug."
'Furry Handcuffs'
The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association reports that 17 percent of respondents in a 2008 national poll said their offices allowed pets.
Along with San Diego-based dog trainer Liz Palika, Jennifer Fearing co-wrote "Dogs at Work: A Practical Guide To Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces," based on her experience developing a pet-friendly office policy at the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the Humane Society of the United States.
Fearing, who serves as the Humane Society's California state director, said that since the policy went into effect in 2007, 50 of the building's 300 employees regularly bring their dogs to work.
The goal was to free employees of the guilt 75 percent of Americans report feeling at leaving their dogs at home alone and allow them to concentrate on their work, Fearing said.
In addition to reduced absenteeism, increased interaction among co-workers and a generally lowered stress level, the pet-friendly policy has attracted new employees and lengthened the tenures of existing employees, Fearing said.
"I call them the furry handcuffs, instead of the golden handcuffs," she said, laughing. "Once you get used to having your dog with you at work, it's really a benefit you are loathe to give up."
Besides the improvements to morale, employees of pet-friendly businesses said, pets can end up playing an active role in the workplace.
Most locations of the national Wild Birds Unlimited franchise keep an in-store dog or cat for to protect their stores of bird seed from pests.
Franchisee Diane Whitman said that since relocating three years ago to East Brainerd Road, her store has been rodent-free, thanks to a tortoiseshell cat named Ginger, the latest in a line of feline guards for her seeds.
"(Ginger) is the manager in charge of rodent control," Whitman said. "She honestly has a real purpose. She's an important part of the business."
Ever since he opened Winder Binder Gallery of Folk Art 16 years ago, David Smotherman said, keeping dogs around has helped make his store feel more inviting.
Smotherman said pet friendliness isn't a one-size-fits-all policy. Having his two dogs, Abby and Ella, might not work in a mainstream retail store, but for a quirky shop like Winder Binder, they're a perfect fit, he said.
"They have a better following than I have in the store," Smotherman said, laughing. "With the dogs, you really feel at home.
"Anything we can do to make people feel relaxed and comfortable keeps them in the store longer, and the longer they're in here, the more likely they are to buy something."
cubicles as kennels
There are many corporations that have pet-friendly policies. Most companies that welcome pets are smaller, but larger corporations such as Google and Amazon are also pet-friendly and proud of it, Fearing said.
"The reason we wrote the book was to make it abundantly clear that this was something that could work on a large scale," she said. "In fact, cubicles bear a strong resemblance to kennels. Dogs probably adapt better than we do to a cubicle environment."
Most of the common complaints against introducing pets into a large-scale operation - litigation due to aggressive animals, allergies, sanitation and employees with fears of dogs - can be mitigated with proper planning, Fearing said.
During the year before dogs took up residence cubicles, Fearing said, the Humane Society formed a committee of employees who were for, against and ambivalent toward pets to craft a policy everyone could agree on.
To work effectively, pet policies need to place human employees first, Fearing said.
"There are clearly ways to set it up so that it works out for everyone," she said. "If it gets in a situation where an employee feels their comfort level or ability to get there job done is impeded, that's not good."
part of the crowd
At stores where pets are well-behaved and unobtrusive they can become part of a business's identity.
For the last three years, Katye Hunt has brought along her 15-year-old chow mix, Rachel, to her office at the processing center for Southern Adventist University.
Hunt also plays the organ every Sunday at Resurrection Lutheran Church, and until last year, she would leave Rachel in the car during the service. On a particularly cold Sunday morning, however, one of the parishioners invited Rachel inside, Hunt said.
Since then, she has become a fixture of the service, with her leash tucked under the leg of the organ's bench, but Hunt said she never takes it for granted that Rachel is welcome.
"Some people don't like animals, and I realize that, so I don't want to force her on anybody," Hunt said.
Once an animal becomes an accepted part of the workplace, however, its absence can be keenly felt.
Chattanooga Zoo executive director Darde Long's dogs, Nubzie and Sunny, were a common sight at the zoo for years. Nubzie, a Great Dane mix, would serve as Long's late-night escort and accompanied her and her husband when they investigated alarms at the zoo.
Earlier this year, however, Nubzie was forced to stay home after biting a member of the zoo's cleaning crew.
For the first time in 25 years, Long is now working without a pet by her side.
"Now that they're not here, it doesn't feel like the same place," Long said. "I just think its healthier environment with them around."