A Day to Give Fido a Chance to Prove His Earning Power

It may have started on Monday when a co-worker brought in two tip-resistant, bone-shaped bowls--one for food, the other for water. Then yesterday you couldn’t help but wonder what all those squishy, squeaky little toys were about.

But today, when you saw that pooper-scooper leaning against a desk, you figured something doggone peculiar was going on.

Chalk it all up to the dog days of summer.

Friday, you see, is Take Your Dog to Work Day, a first-ever national celebration for canines who may want to put on the dog--what else?--for your boss.

Sponsored by North Carolina-based Pet Sitters International, dog owners and lovers can log on to Pets.Com (https://www.pets.com)--an online provider of pet products and services--for tips on doggie etiquette and a checklist of needful poochie things to bring to work.

If your employer, well, growls at the idea of bringing your dog to work (and only wants you to work like one), there’s also a list for how to celebrate in spirit.

For starters, scan in your dog’s mug and transfer it onto a mouse pad. Tape your dog’s photo over your I.D. badge. Fill a dog dish with candy for co-workers. Or, in true dog-minatrix style, wear a dog collar around your neck. Really.

But if your boss is up with the pup, let Fido pack a doggie bag and high-tail it to work--just as long as you, the pet owner, follow Pets.Com’s suggestions for doggie decorum:

* Keep your dog quiet, especially during conference calls.

* Remove noisy cowbell collars.

* Reward your dog several times with outside walks so that there are no inside messes.

* And make sure your doggie plays nice--not like an animal--with other visiting pooches.