Dalhousie University's Puppy Room
August 8, 2013 12:24 PM   Subscribe

PUPPY ROOM. "Thanks to the Dalhousie Student Union, Dal students got the chance to spend a little quality time with some canine companions from Therapeutic Paws of Canada during exam season."

The SF Chronicle uses this as an excuse to put up a photo gallery of unrelated PUPPIES.
posted by moonmilk (26 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Let me just point out now that you're probably mispronouncing Dalhousie.
posted by GuyZero at 12:28 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm pronouncing it SCHOOL WITH A PUPPY ROOM
posted by elizardbits at 12:29 PM on August 8, 2013 [9 favorites]


Is it pronounced like "da little fuzzie"?
posted by moonmilk at 12:31 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


This is great. One of the best things about working at a veterinary hospital, even behind the scenes, is at least once a day there will be RANDOM PUPPY. Just a few minutes ago I saw a very fuzzy little Norwichy Terrier Mix. He was very timid, so I didn't get to skritch his ears, as is my wont, but he was a pretty cool little dude.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:32 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


I can only envy the alternate universe where puppy and kitten rooms have been an integral part of the college experience from the very beginning.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 12:33 PM on August 8, 2013 [6 favorites]


God, colleges these days will go to any extreme to get people to pay exorbitant tuition!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:34 PM on August 8, 2013


I think I need to volunteer at a veterinary hospital, or at Dilhuzzy University.

Anyway, did you see the poster? Tagline: "Yup, it's a room full of puppies."

That's not comic sans, is it? It looks more like a Groenig cartoon font to me.
posted by moonmilk at 12:35 PM on August 8, 2013


I can only envy the alternate universe where puppy and kitten rooms have been an integral part of the college experience from the very beginning.

I vaguely remember a lot of shaggy hair and heavy petting from my college experience.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:35 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


I can't believe how calm they all were - the PEOPLE, I mean. I would be elbowing and shoving to get to those PUPPEHS with their PUPPEH BREF and then I will nom their ears, scrich their ears and succumb to the pile o' puppies.
posted by tafetta, darling! at 12:38 PM on August 8, 2013


I work in a dog-friendly office. I can attest that having dogs around is amazing for relieving stress. It's also a great bonding experience for folks in my office - we're a field office and a lot of us don't necessarily work together on projects, but having the dogs to talk about and play with together gives us a nice way to connect.
posted by lunasol at 12:38 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


After social media and news outlets went crazy for the canines, the DSU arranged another option to help meet the demand: during the Puppy Room’s operating hours, the Tiger Patrol is shuttling students to and from the SPCA in Burnside, where students can walk dogs or cuddle with cats at the facility.

And this is just awesome.
posted by tafetta, darling! at 12:40 PM on August 8, 2013


i miss having dogs in the office. sometimes i get to see this sweetie on the rare occasions when my boss brings her in, but that's about it these days! i agree with lunasol - having dogs around gives you a conversation piece. they are unique characters that brings everyone out of their work zombie mode and back into our usual chill selves.
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 12:48 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Virginia Tech's library had therapy dogs visit during Finals Week, and it was so successful that they started bringing them in every month. There is also a therapy cat named Batman. Here is a photoset of one of their visits from the library's facebook page.
posted by Tesseractive at 12:57 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Shine (from Tesseractive's link) is really enjoying the attention.
posted by moonmilk at 1:03 PM on August 8, 2013


University of Toronto Libraries brings in therapy dogs a few times a year, too...unfortunately not to the library I work at :/
posted by avocet at 1:10 PM on August 8, 2013


I like dogs over the internet but find them threatening up close. A dog-friendly office would not reduce my stress.
posted by squinty at 1:46 PM on August 8, 2013


MUST SCRUNCH. I wish this program was implemented literally everywhere. You could stick me in the middle of the Republican National Convention and I'd be grinning like a goddamned fool and making fur-scrunching motions with my hands as long as there were puppies around.
posted by divined by radio at 1:50 PM on August 8, 2013


University of California, Santa Barbara has had a program like this for at least the past 5 or 6 years. I think it's a great idea!
posted by spiderskull at 3:42 PM on August 8, 2013


When I was in college in Boston we would go to this sex-toy store on Newbury Street just to visit the basset hound that hung out in the shop. Having a puppy room in the student union would probably be better. Probably.
posted by vytae at 4:48 PM on August 8, 2013


Yeah, this is actually pretty common--and it's also common that libraries are the places hosting it. This year, the library where I work did both therapy dogs and 'am in the pm' (breakfast for dinner) one night. I understand it was a big hit (hello--cute puppies and free food? college students are all over that).
posted by librarylis at 6:24 PM on August 8, 2013


I, too, would be all over that.
posted by moonmilk at 6:25 PM on August 8, 2013


I have to note that that's not a puppy room. What they've got there is a dog room, which is still awfully nice.

Now, this -- our kitchen about 10 months ago -- is a proper puppy room. Warning: sitting down in a proper puppy room may induce hypotension... until the biting starts.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:52 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


UConn and the University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut both bring in therapy dogs for students during finals week. USJ started doing it monthly, I think, because it was so popular.
posted by dlugoczaj at 8:55 PM on August 8, 2013


I can attest that having dogs around is amazing for relieving stress.

Maybe if you aren't terrified (basically phobic) of dogs, which is pretty damn common. If my workplace became dog-friendly, I would stress the fuck out and quit instantly, I can assure you.
posted by Dysk at 11:57 AM on August 9, 2013


Because it seems excessive to post another doggy FPP, here's

Italian chihuahua doing yoga
posted by moonmilk at 8:07 PM on August 9, 2013


Maybe if you aren't terrified (basically phobic) of dogs, which is pretty damn common. If my workplace became dog-friendly, I would stress the fuck out and quit instantly, I can assure you.

Definitely understand that. When people started bringing dogs into the office, we had conversations about it and it was clear that no one in the office was phobic or allergic, fortunately. We've only had two people start since then, and both have been extremely enthusiastic about the dogs. But if we had a new employee who wasn't, we'd definitely need to reassess.

In the meantime, it's a doggy heaven!
posted by lunasol at 2:06 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]


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