Office dogs
Bringing liver treats to work along with your dog
Updated
Liver treats for office dogs work best as one day's measured share brought from home in a closed container, with any bag kept at work sealed in a cool, dry place. Ask coworkers to check with you before they hand your dog anything, and wash hands after handling, as the bag says.
Should the whole liver bag come to the office?
Usually not. A day's share in a small closed container is easier to carry and easier to keep count of. You measure it at home, where your kitchen scale lives, and the office never has to do any math.
If you do want a bag to stay at work, treat it like any bag you own. The back label asks for a cool, dry place and for the bag to be resealed after opening. The bag is shelf stable and needs no refrigeration, and the best-by date, one year from production, is printed on it. Once opened, our own rule (not a label line) is to use the bag within 30 days, counted from the day you open it. The best-by and open-bag dates both get a full page in how long freeze-dried liver treats last.
A container also has an obvious end. When it is empty, the dog is done for the day.
Where should liver live at a desk?
In a closed container, in a drawer or a bag under the desk, somewhere your dog cannot get to. Pick one spot and use it every time, and make it a spot the dog cannot open, since a dog may learn where the liver lives.
Keep the lid on between uses. The label gives one storage instruction, a cool, dry place, resealed after opening, and we stay with it. If your desk does not look like a cool, dry place to you, bring just the day's share and carry anything left back home.
Do not leave liver loose in a pocket, a tray or an open dish. Loose pieces are for the moment of handing them over, not for sitting around for the rest of the afternoon.
Should coworkers give your dog liver?
Only with your yes, and only on your terms. The simplest arrangement is that the coworker asks you first, you hand over a few bits, and the coworker gives those and nothing else. They never get the container, and certainly not the bag.
One person keeps the count, and that person is you, or a dog doing the rounds of every desk can collect a bit at each one. Tell people what the dog is working on, such as lying on its bed when asked, and let them pay for exactly that. Then the liver is a tool and not a toll collected by everyone the dog passes.
Be plain about it. Something short works: "She can have one of these if she sits first, and I will hand them to you." A clear job is easier to follow than a vague "go ahead."
What can liver pay for during a workday?
Mechanics, mostly. These are the moments that come up in an office:
- Going to its bed or mat when asked, and staying there while you work.
- Greeting people at the door with all four paws on the floor.
- Walking beside you through the hallway, and taking stairs without pulling.
- Coming back to you when you call, even from a coworker's desk.
Pick a few and leave the rest for another time, so the liver stays tied to a short list of jobs.
Pay at the moment the dog does the thing, in place, with one small bit. The pieces are medium sized and break apart by hand, so you can size them to the job before you leave home.
How does office liver fit inside the treat budget?
It is part of the day, not an extra. Whatever the dog earns at the office comes out of the same amount you would have used at home, so measure the day's share first and let the office draw from it.
For VCA Animal Hospitals, 10 percent of daily calories is the most that should come from treats, leaving 90 percent for complete and balanced food, and our calculator starts from that figure. {{src:https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pet-health-articles/dog-treats|2026-10-15}} Weigh that share out at home. If someone else is going to look after the dog while you are away from the desk, the pre-portioning advice on our dog sitter page works the same way for a single day.
The beef liver page has the bag sizes, and our guides cover the rest.
Questions
Can I keep a sealed bag of liver at my desk?
Yes. The bag is shelf stable, and the best-by date is printed on it. Keep it sealed in a cool, dry place, and once you open it, our rule is to use it within 30 days. Put it in a drawer or somewhere the dog cannot reach.
What should I tell coworkers who want to treat my dog?
Ask them to check with you first, and tell them what the dog is being rewarded for. You hand them a few bits and they hand those out, nothing more. Keep the container and the bag with you, and wash hands after handling, as the bag says.
What if a coworker's dog wants liver too?
Only with that owner's yes. Ask the owner first, then keep the dogs apart while treats come out, so each one gets its own bit from its own person. If the owner prefers no liver, that settles it, and you can put the container away.
Does liver need to go in the office fridge?
No. This liver is shelf stable, so refrigeration is not needed. The label asks for a cool, dry place and for the bag to be resealed after opening. A closed container in a drawer does that job, and a fridge adds nothing the label asks for.
How do I keep liver out of my dog's reach at work?
Use a closed container and put it where the dog cannot open it, in a drawer or a bag you keep zipped. Choose the same place every day, and put the container back as soon as you have paid the dog. Do not leave it on a desk or chair.
Should I bring liver every day my dog comes in?
Only as much as the day calls for. Some days your dog will earn a few bits and some days none, and either is fine. Measure the share at home, bring that, and keep it inside the same daily budget you use on other days.