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High-tech industry: High-tech workers adopt dogs in the corona era

Social distance is not easy for anyone, and the solution can be adopting a dog. In an industry that is dog-friendly and dogs are allowed to come to the office, high-tech workers have closed the corner that will make up for the loneliness

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High-tech industry workers have not returned to regular office work in the corona routine. Most of them are young and single, who during this period work several days a week from home. The new lifestyle, which includes fewer social gatherings, encouraged many of them to adopt a dog during this period.

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Adi from the Tipalti treatment company (Tipalti) says: "It is not new for me to raise a dog. I asked for the first dog on my 9th birthday because I knew they could not refuse me. The issue of adopting a new dog. "

She tells what led to the turning point. "After the outbreak of the corona we all started working from home. At that strange time I started thinking about adoption again. I did think about the future after leaving quarantine, and the fact that my workplace is dog friendly and can be reached with the animal contributed a lot to my decision to return. Yam near Herzliya, the atmosphere of the kibbutz is very rural and open to life.During the days I am in the office I have the option to take care of the dog even during the day, between meetings I can go for a walk.

"I had no doubt that I would first try to adopt through various associations. I immediately saw that the demand for adoption of dogs was very high. Everyone wanted to adopt a pet during the closure and every dog ​​was attacked by about 200 candidates for adoption. In the end, my sister-in-law sent me a picture of Pekingese. A mixed and cute one and a half year old redhead named 'Loco'. That family had a hard time taking care of him during the Corona period so they offered to hand him over. I reached out to them, took Loco out for a walk, I immediately felt there was chemistry between us and I won. "Zoom, they were excited about him and already expected to meet him upon returning to the office. On his first day at the company he was received with lots of warmth and love. To tell the truth, the privilege of taking your best friend with you strengthens the sense of home in the workplace."

"The best gift I could give myself and her"

Even according to Hila Muscho, a developer at Pandbox, it was all a matter of timing: "I always wanted to adopt a dog but never found the right time. The high-tech work is intense and I was afraid to take on that kind of responsibility, even though our firm is dog friendly. Two weeks into the first quarantine I realized it was time I could adopt a dog and even do a serious bonding period because of the prolonged work at home. I contacted the Dogs R Us Association. That I'm not alone anymore. There were difficulties at the beginning of adjustment, and also some doubts, but the gifts from her were great, and it was clear to me that I did not really want to give it up. Trips with her out of the house became the good thing that happens to me during the day. Before like long walks in the park, picnicking and connecting with other people, dog owners

. "This is a very special time for me. For example, I started using the sewing machine that stood here in the living room to sew masks for all my friends and family, but there is no doubt that adopting the dog was the best gift I could give myself and her."

Dana Ben-David, a senior software tester at the cyber company IntSights, also always wanted to adopt a dog. "Once we were allowed to work from home it gave me enough time to take care of the puppy I adopted," she says, "if the situation was normal, i.e. work from the office, I could not do it. I share the care of the dog with my friend, who also works in high tech and do." My friend is still working from home. The dream of adopting a dog has always been there. Now that working from home is much more possible. The bitch is very small so she is not going out yet, that will change in a few weeks. When I work from home again I will go for walks with her And short breaks. "

She says of fulfilling the emotional need: "For me working from home is not easy. There is no interaction with people and if it exists it is through zoom. When you do it two months in a row you are worn out. "Working alone. It takes you a little bit out of the routine. We do not know when we will return to a normal routine, it brings a lot of interest and happiness."

According to Dr. Alon Wasserman, professional director of the "Friends" group for psychological treatment in the group: "Every animal we bring into our lives puts us in another relationship. The more communicative the animal, the more complex the relationship. In the case of a dog that needs walks, the complexity of the relationship is also reflected in front of others who are in the world - other dogs and their owners, working in a workplace that is dog friendly, children and other adults on the street and more. That is, the potential for interpersonal interaction increases immediately.

"In the therapeutic world, as a psychologist who uses dogs, I would go for a walk with the child being treated with the dog. This created an opportunity for a natural acquaintance with other children, to watch his real-time interaction with them and when there is social difficulty, to reflect my insights. "In interpersonal relationships. During the closure of the Corona, many felt loneliness, social distance (literally) and even alienation. The idea of ​​adopting a natural dog in such a situation and that is why the demand for adoption was so high."

And what explains the decision to hand over, or God forbid to abandon dogs? "Of course there can be different reasons, but in general under stress," explains Dr. Wasserman, "sometimes the dog is in the family in a non-harmonious way, the family relationship is tense, and then he forms the weak link. The presence of a dog, cat or other communicative animals in family life is a source of increased relationship complexity. When there is both cumulative stress and anxiety about the financial situation, the dog's chances of surviving in the family decrease. Usually, removing the dog from family life and separating from it is a source of grief for at least one of the family members. In an optimal condition, the dog will find another warm and suitable home and the family, in a better condition, will find another dog to adopt. "