Take Your Dog to Work Day

Do you hate having to leave your pooch at home when you're at the office? This Friday, thousands of employees around the country won't need to -- their workplaces will be participating in Take Your Dog to Work Day. The observance was started six years ago by Pet Sitters International (PSI) as a way to inspire people to adopt shelter animals. "We hope that by watching their co-workers interact with their pets, people will be encouraged to adopt one of their own," says PSI spokeswoman Sheila Smith. Last year, she adds, around 5,000 businesses across the country participated. Of course, as with any event, canine fetes take lots of work. Follow these tips to make yours a success.

1 Take a head count

Send an e-mail a few

days before the event, confirming the number of pups attending -- you don't want 20 showing up when you were expecting eight. Remind co-workers that their pets should be well groomed, spayed or

neutered, and well behaved around strangers, says Charlotte Reed,

author of the "Miss Fido Manners" column for Fido Friendly Magazine, a travel magazine for dogs. "After all," she says, "not everyone loves dogs. Some people will be doing work that day."

2 Set guidelines

The pooches -- and

their owners -- need

to know that it's not okay to use the conference room as a dog run. Smith

recommends deciding on off-

limits areas beforehand and

putting up baby gates to block them. At the beginning of the

day, have the owners introduce their dogs to the other furry