Pawrenting at work with Romo

My First Week as a Dog Parent

Our first week together was full of surprises. Romo was my then new companion. He was a rescue from the local SPCA of San Francisco. We were in that early phase where everything felt like an adventure. We were learning each other’s quirks, navigating new routines, and figuring out boundaries. And like any fresh relationship, it was riddled with the unexpected.

One sunny afternoon, I decided to bring Romo to work. I figured it would be a good bonding experience. It would also give him a chance to charm my co-workers. He did this splendidly, thanks to a tail wag and that “give me treats” look. The morning went without a hitch. Romo was a hit. Treats flowed freely. I felt like the proudest dog parent in the room. Then, the clock ticked past lunch, and reality decided to spice things up.

Cue the surprise brainstorming meeting. My boss called us to the upstairs conference room. I thought, “Easy, just a quick trot up the stairs, and we’re good.” But I had overlooked one little thing: Romo’s mysterious, newfound phobia of stairways.

We were halfway up when he froze. No tugging, no coaxing, no gentle pep talks about how great brainstorming meetings are would move him. Romo sat, eyes wide, shaking like a leaf in a thunderstorm. Meanwhile, my boss was upstairs, likely glancing at his watch, thinking, “Where on earth is KJ?”

After what felt like an eternity, I made a quick decision. I left Romo where he was and dashed into the meeting. I assumed he’d muster up the courage to follow. Spoiler alert: he did not.

Ten minutes into the meeting, I was fully immersed in pitching my ideas. Suddenly, a co-worker burst in, cutting through the office buzz with wide eyes. “A dog is on the loose downstairs, pooping and peeing over people’s desks!” The room went silent.

A cold realization crept in, but I tried to play it cool. “Wow, really? Whose dog is it?” I asked, eyebrows raised for utmost innocence.

My co-worker and boss exchanged looks of disbelief before my boss, with a mix of sympathy and bemusement, said, “KJ… it might be your dog.”

I won’t lie. It took me a good five seconds to register the situation. But once the penny dropped, I left that conference room quickly. I left a trail of dropped ideas behind me.

What followed was an hour of Romo-induced chaos. There was a chase around desks. The office was full of amused (and some mildly horrified) faces. I was on my knees with paper towels and a lot of apologies. That brainstorming session? I have no idea what happened to it. My mental file of that hour now holds images of cleaning supplies and Romo’s guilty eyes.

Fast move to the next weekend. The picture you see here was taken after two days of stairway practice. It took a lot of treats. I don’t know if I’ll ever live down that office escapade. But, I do know Romo and I became closer after it. We conquered stairs, embarrassment, and learned that sometimes bonding is built in the most unexpected messes. And hey, he eventually did overcome his fear of stairways. It just took some time, patience, and maybe a little more humility on my part.