Look at this good boy, chilling in the sun…
We’ve all seen the movies and shows with an office dog and wished, hoped and prayed it was our office. A cute little face coming to brighten up your morning. A friendly, fuzzy ear when you’re having, well… one of those days. It’s certainly something that’s becoming more popular although it’s far from being commonplace just yet. So, what is it about an office dog that causes such a positive effect on staff members?
An office dog reduces stress
Oh, stress. The bane of all our modern lives and probably the number one reason for staff absences. We’ve all been there. That feeling when the alarm goes off and something in you begs, “please, not today”. Stress is also to blame for low morale and low productivity and nobody wants that. So, let’s imagine that instead, when you get to work, the piles of tasks aren’t the only thing to greet you. Somewhere, lolloping between offices is a four-legged critter who upon seeing you ups the tail-wagging and bounds towards you. This whiskery little face, all excited to see you easily trumps your morning coffee, even free doughnuts on a Friday! Something tells me that just reading that helped reduce your stress, didn’t it?
An office dog helps people to focus better
With those stress levels reduced, you’ll notice it’s easier to concentrate. This is all thanks to a chemical response from two little things called serotonin and dopamine. These chemicals are released when we experience something that brings us joy, case in point being our four-legged friends. Similarly, people experience these chemical responses when they hug someone they love or when they eat certain foods such as chocolate. I think we all knew that pets brought positive effects to our lives, but knowing why it happens makes it even cooler!
A dalmatian who looks like he just cracked the best dad joke ever.
Science agrees with dogs at work
Research conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University backs up the above in a study released back in 2012. They conducted their research to include employees who have office dogs and those who don’t. Then, they observed these people on days both with and without the presence of these office dogs. The results were significant, concluding that having dogs at work makes a huge positive impact. Commitment was improved, as was job satisfaction and employee morale. That’s enough to convince me. I mean, who can argue with science?
Is it fair to your dog to be in the office?
Unfortunately, we can’t ask them to complete a survey on this but let’s remember that dogs are social creatures. If you consider leaving them home alone from 8 am to 6 pm, or having them accompany you for those same hours, which do you think they’d choose? Dogs are pack animals and being alone isn’t in their nature. Adding to this, dogs that socialise more regularly, are easier to introduce to new situations. It won’t be uncomfortable for them to meet new people, for example.
Socially they become easier to interact with and as a result may even help you strike up a conversation with a host of new people. We all know that dogs are a perfect ice-breaker, so here’s to that new friendship (or relationship) they introduced you to.
Meet Bo, the Topcontent employee of the year
Dog-friendly businesses that set the trend
Lots of business are already on board with this for quite some time. We’re not just talking small companies either. Amazon, Google and Ben & Jerry’s are firm supporters of the office pooch and also, none other than yours truly, Topcontent. Bo joined our team in February and has been nothing but a joy every day since. In the morning, he’s the first to greet you. At the slightest sign of an issue, he’s by your side to help you figure it out.
We may be biased but having an office dog has been one of the best decisions we’ve made. If you’re curious about how it might work out, why not host a bring your dog to work day? It’s a great way to introduce your dog and fellow staff members to the idea and test the waters. The official day for this is June 21st but there’s really no time like the present.
At Topcontent, yes, we have an office dog, but we also have a team of great content writers! We create and we translate and we’d love to talk to you. Contact us today and get the ball rolling, woof!
