They say (and we confirm it) that the dog is man’s best friend. And, therefore, what is better than sharing an office with your most faithful colleague? There are more and more companies that are convinced of the great benefits of working with your dog or cat. For this reason, they encourage their workers to bring their pets to the office.
We offer you some arguments so that you can convince your boss to make your office dog friendly.
The benefits of working with your dog or cat
1 Work stress is reduced
Keeping pets in the office reduces stress and anxiety for workers, not just for pet owners.
2 Less feeling of guilt
Reduces the feeling of guilt for leaving your pet alone or with a stranger.
3 Makes you happier
Those who share an office with cats and dogs are happier. It is proven that pets help improve the mood of employees.
4 Improve labor relations
By being happier, relationships between colleagues are much smoother and easier. In addition, communication between staff is improved.
5 Increase creativity
Employees feel more inspired and creative when they are surrounded by animals, which is essential for some positions.
6 Shorter days
The long working day is not so hard with little ‘Toby’ or ‘Misifú’ by your side, being able to caress him or play with him at mealtimes or breaks.
7 Saving money
Workers save money by not having to pay a walker or daycare center to stay with the pet during work hours. On the other hand, you will not spend as much money on renovations to fix all the damage caused by the pet while you are home alone.
8 Performance improvement
Thanks to the fact that the worker is more satisfied in his job, his performance improves.
It would also be good for your pet
Working with your dog or your cat has many benefits for you, but also for them.
9 Spend less time alone at home
If your working day seems long to you, imagine how your dog who stays locked up at home, waiting for you to return, sees it. All the hours that he is with you in the office, it is time that he does not feel alone and abandoned.
10 More used to people
Being in the office teaches dogs to socialize and get used to people. In this way, it will not be so bad when you have guests at home or you meet strangers on the street. In addition, he will learn to behave!
11 Learn to be with other dogs and cats
Your pet is not the only one in the office and, therefore, it will learn to live with and interact with other dogs and cats. This is very beneficial for his learning and, in addition, he has a great time!
12 Exposed to noise and other situations
It is very possible that your pet sees your house as his refuge: he knows all its corners, he feels safe, he is used to the most common types of smells and sounds… However, getting him out of his home can be a very stimulating challenge for your pet that In addition, you will learn to face new situations.
Some drawbacks of sharing an office
But, although we would love to say that taking dogs to the office is all advantages, the truth is that it also has some disadvantages, especially for some specific workers. These are some of the reasons given by those who do not want to work in offices with pets.
There are many people who are allergic to animal hair, both dogs and cats. Some workers may have a very difficult time with allergy symptoms that do not always improve with medication.
Some people suffer from an irrational fear of dogs, whether they are large or small.
Although worker performance improves, initially employees may become more distracted. Until they get used to being around pets, they won’t be able to resist looking at them and playing with them.
Those dogs that do not know how to behave or that have not yet been trained can be a nuisance to workers, both for their barking and for their mischief. Therefore, the company will have to determine which dogs should come to the office. On the other hand, there are irresponsible owners who do not deworm their dogs.
Before being dog friendly, offices must be adapted so that dogs and cats feel comfortable. Otherwise, they won’t feel comfortable and may start to misbehave (and rightly so). For this reason, offices adapted for dogs have a space with beds for them to rest, they have spaces where they can walk or play, and they have feeders for pets…
Many workers experience great difficulties transporting their dogs and cats from home to the workplace. Not all public transport allows pets and not all cars are adapted to carry cats and dogs.
And you, would you take your dog to work?
Well, despite all the advantages of sharing an office with your pets, according to various surveys, not everyone would be willing to do so. In fact, there are many workers who are allowed to take their pet to work and yet prefer not to because of the difficulties involved. Many would be more in favor of taking them to work if there was some kind of daycare for pets.
