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7 Reasons Every Office Should Be Pet-Friendly

Being able to bring your pooch to work is (almost) everyone’s ideal situation. Nothing makes a dog owner feel worse than leaving their sweet little furball home alone all day, but a pet-friendly office can fix that. It might seem like a bad idea to allow your employees to bring their dogs with them to the office, but there are actually several reasons you should.

  1. Better Work-Life Balance
    Employees can feel very strained when they have to leave their pets at home for long periods of time. Pets are like children and need a lot of care and attention – so leaving them home alone is harrowing for the owners. When your employees are constantly worried about what their dogs are doing, they won’t be as productive. Letting employees bring in well-behaved and well-trained dogs creates an even work-life balance, which in turn makes employees happier and more productive at work.
  2. Lower Stress Levels
    Dogs have a wonderful ability to make us feel better when we’re upset, stressed out, anxious, and worried. The office is the one place we all need that help on a daily basis. Having dogs around the office gives employees an outlet for some stress-relief. Taking five minutes to love on your co-worker’s golden retriever before you have to give a presentation can substantially improve your mood and your performance (although you might want to carry around a lint brush with you).
  3. Better Co-Worker Relationships
    Sometimes we tend to become bogged down in our work and neglect the relationships we have with our co-workers, which doesn’t improve the office culture or morale. Dogs simply have a way of bringing people together and can completely change the office attitude. When you take your dog on a walk, you’ll probably end up speaking to someone who wants to pet him. Bringing a dog to the office is just like that. Your employees will talk to each other more frequently if there’s a puppy to pet during the conversation. This leads to better relationships in the office, more ideas, and better collaboration.
  4. Improved Employee Health
    In addition to lowering employee stress, a pet-friendly office improves the overall health of employees. Employees that are encouraged to take a quick walk a few times during the day tend to be more focused and productive at work. Dogs have to take bathroom breaks, so their owners will move around more when they come to the office. Walking your dog outside to use the restroom and stretch his legs means you get more exercise, and thus, your health will improve.
  5. Boost in Creativity
    A dull, lifeless office doesn’t encourage creative work from your employees. A pet-friendly office, however, is a lively place and more likely to lead your employees to energetic and creative ideas. Let’s face it: a happy environment keeps everyone happy, and there is nothing happier than a corgi wagging his little butt when you walk by his owner’s cubicle.
  6. Raises Morale, Encourages Teamwork, and Builds Trust
    Office pets are much like team mascots. They unite the employees and bring everyone together. Employees will be more excited to work together if they know that Jim is going to have Toby the pug with him in the weekly team meetings. In addition, the owners will be in better spirits with their furry companions by their sides. Also, you’re more likely to bond with someone and trust them if you like their dog.
  7. Employees Will Work Longer Guilt-Free
    When pets aren’t allowed at the office, the employees are more likely to leave work at 5 o’clock on the dot in order to get home to their furry friends. This can be a problem if some people want to enjoy a post-work happy hour or if a meeting accidently runs late. However, allowing the employees to bring in their dogs will keep them from jetting out as soon as possible. Employees can take their time finishing up an assignment when Fido is lying down contentedly in a cubicle.

While a pet-friendly office can be a daunting thought and seem like a hassle, it can actually be better for the company. Yes, there are some precautions that must be taken and rules that need to be placed in order to make sure that workflow isn’t disrupted. For example, there need to be rules about pet hygiene (i.e. no pets in the kitchen, all messes must be cleaned up, and no dirty dogs in the office), where dogs can go, size limits, and certain breeds. However, it can be a good move for your company as long as the appropriate rules are put in place and everyone adheres to them. While I know which side of the argument I’m on (hint: team office-dog), your company has to decide what is best for it. Of course, if your office tries allowing pets and it goes horribly wrong, then you can always switch back – although you may miss all the wagging tails.