Dogs are truly a man’s best friend… and in our case a colleague’s best friend too. At The Marketing People, our famous pooches George, Chops, and Sammy bring a lot of fun, happiness, and productivity to our offices and we want to share with you the top five reasons why you should have office dogs too! George, Chops, and Sammy are not only cute faces, but they also bring fantastic benefits to our business and colleagues too.
1. Build and Strengthen Colleague Relationships
Having the dogs in the office is the perfect opportunity for our colleagues to build and strengthen existing relationships and bond together over their common love for dogs! Having good relationships with colleagues is one of the top factors contributing to job satisfaction according to Jacob Morgan, Forbes writer. Additionally, better relationships amongst colleagues lead to more effective collaborative work within office teams, which is great for the business!
2. Increases Productivity and Improving Office Mood
This point speaks for itself here, having dogs in the office boosts everyone’s mood. From our colleagues to visitors, and even the postman- you can’t not smile at their cute faces. Despite the thought that dogs may be distracting in the workplace, once the initial buzz of the dogs being in the office fades, taking short breaks to pay attention to the dogs is ideal for reflection, focus, and productivity. A scientific study found that temporarily taking your mind off work for short bursts increases energy levels and motivation in the office.
3. Reduces Stress
For some of the stressful situations in work and difficult problem-solving tasks, you might get to the point where you just need something to make you smile. For us, George, Chops, and Sammy all shine their hilarious personalities and in those stressful moments, it’s just what we need. For those temporary moments of writer’s block or if something isn’t making sense- taking 2 minutes away from the computer screen to play with the dogs can be the perfect solution. It is also scientifically proven that caring for and stroking animals has stress-relieving physiological benefits and will directly reduce your stress hormone levels.
4. Icebreaker for Clients
Having dogs in the office can be a brilliant icebreaker if you have customers come into your offices on a frequent basis. Our dogs are very welcoming and friendly, and the introduction from an office dog can be the perfect start to your business meetings. Not only can the dogs offer a warm welcome, but they can help make you more memorable as a business- which could be the difference between potential clients signing new deals.
5. Great Opportunity for Exercise
Having the dogs in the office is the perfect motivator for taking a break during the day and giving yourself and your pooch a great burst of healthy exercise. Not only is this wonderful for the dog to get out for some fresh air, but it also gives colleagues an opportunity to take a mental break away from the desk at lunchtime. This gives you the opportunity to reflect on the morning's successes and come back to the office ready for a productive afternoon.
Points to Consider
- Consider whether all your employees are happy with the idea of an office dog. It is important to ensure everyone’s opinion is considered, valued, and respected.
- Keep a designated area for the dog(s) to relax during the working day. You have your desk, and they have their basket.
- Create dog-free zones for any visitors that may be allergic to, or not like dogs. You do not want to upset customers or visitors, and for serious scenarios such as important meetings- a dog’s company may be more distracting than beneficial.
- Ensure you have office dogs with the right kind of temperament. Untrained, yappy, or aggressive dogs will not set the right tone for the office so look to have calming, friendly, and happy dogs in your office.
- Is the office space safe for the dogs to stay? Ensure all cables are neatly tucked away and human food is
- out of snout reach! It is also important to consider exits and stairs and whether they need dog-proofing to ensure the dogs don’t have an office-wide adventure unsupervised!
