Advantages of a Dog-friendly Workplace

“For many people the possibility of a pet friendly workplace seems like an absolute dream come true. Although it may not be entirely feasible depending on the type of work you do, or for allergies and other restrictions in place, it does seem that many employers are starting to see the benefits of having a pet friendly workplace.
There are a number of great advantages for having dogs in the office, so maybe it’s time to reconsider your own pets in the workplace policy. Read on to discover just a sample of the many benefits for having a dog in the workplace.

Reduce Stress
Having stress in the workplace is something we can never fully cut out, but having an office pet can definitely help manage that. Many studies suggest that having an office dog can help to reduce stress, improve productivity and satisfaction amongst the team in the workplace. It’s not just with dogs that this benefit is seen – cat lovers are in luck too. When you pet a cat, it can help to lower your blood pressure, in addition to the cats.

Boost Morale
It seems pretty simple, but having dogs around tends to make everyone happier, so it seems obvious to suggest having a dog or pet in the workplace will help to improve the overall morale of everyone. So when the team feels stressed because of a deadline or a long to-do list to work through, they can just take a quick break, pet the office dog and almost immediately relief will be provided.

Encourages A Healthier Lifestyle
Having an office dog means you’ll need to maintain an active lifestyle to allow them to get enough exercise, as well as to, you know, do their business. But to ensure your pup is active enough, it will require some active humans to help out. You could build a rota to help track who walks the dog on what day, or you could decide to do walking meetings to help break up the day and get a few people out at once – there are plenty of options to think about. Though the bottom line is, remaining active can help improve energy levels and productivity of employees.

Promote Productivity
Some business owners might be concerned that an office dog could present a distraction. However they also encourage people to take short breaks regularly to give them a pet or some sort of attention, meaning you are breaking your day up in a healthy way and not spending 4 or 5 hours fixed on your screen at a time. These short breaks help to keep the team rejuvenated throughout the day meaning they will be more productive with their tasks.

Socialisation
Not only are office dogs great for creating a more social dimension within the workplace amongst employees, the entire setting is also brilliant for the dog. This way instead of being left at home from 9-5 or popped into an expensive doggy-day care they are able to come into the office and spend their day getting all the love and attention they deserve.

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