A Dog-Friendly Office: How it Improves Company Culture

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According to Pet Food Manufacturers Association, they recorded more than 59 million of the pet population this year. By that number, dogs have the higher counted population, ranging to 12.5 million in 33% of households.

That is why many companies with dog-friendly offices promote the importance of pets in their workplaces.

So, this time we'll talk about how a dog-friendly workplace helps improve the company culture.

If you're a dog or pet lover, we will also help you with how to make your office a pet-friendly workplace. And, if you're looking for a job, we'll help you find dog-friendly employers.

However, there are also disadvantage to letting your dogs or any pets in your workplace. So, this article will surely help you.

How a Dog-Friendly Offices Improves Company Culture

Every company wants a productive atmosphere in the workplace. That’s why some employers focus on the benefits of having a pet-friendly workplace.

It encourages them to prioritize their company’s culture. By implementing pet-friendly environment policies, employees improve their productivity and accomplish incredible things.

Employees who love their dogs want to be with them all the time. Their pet could make them happy. So, it could be a reason to make them more productive.

According to the balance careers, keeping your employees happy would please your customers and improve their performance. Therefore, a happy pet means happy employees and happy customers. It's a win-to-win situation.

How to Make Your Office Dog-Friendly

It might be a hard thing to do, especially if your office/s is/are not made for a dog-friendly workplace. So, we have prepared some things you might consider in transforming your office.

1. Initiate Dog-Friendly Policies

As policies protect humans and their rights, it also protects your pet. That's why generating policies in the workplace is a must, especially in dog-friendly offices.

It may include regular vaccinations, barking habits, and other environmental policies that help improve good relations and productivity.

2. Implement Necessary Training

To have a peaceful but happy workplace, pets like dogs need to have good manners. Therefore, proper training is necessary.

They know the proper behavior to avoid destruction while the employees are working. And they should also be trained to prevent unexpected accidents, like in the elevators or stairs.

3. Set up a Dog Entrance

It might not be necessary, but it's important to train your dog where their entrance or exit is to avoid bumping on other employees.

4. Keep Dog Close

Barking and roaming will destruct all people in the workplace, so if you bring your dog, supervise them properly. It would help if you also kept them on your side to monitor what they're doing.

5. Make Signs and Signals

With the help of signs and signals, everyone who works in your company will be notified of the changes. By doing that, they will be aware of the do's and don't for their pets.

6. Stimulate Proper Hygiene 

Proper hygiene is also very essential in pet-friendly workplaces. So, training your dog to where to poop is needed to maintain the cleanliness of your office. It also helps to reduce smelly odors around the workplace.

7. Build Community

Creating a good place for your pet will definitely lead to a good and productive workplace. Giving them a space where they could play and enjoy will be beneficial. You can also give them a water and food station to eat and drink.

Following these seven methods, surely you will be successful in transforming your workplace into productive and pet-friendly offices.

 

Why Allowing Your Dogs in the Office is a Good Idea?

Allowing your dogs in the office is a good idea. Why? Because it does not only make your employee's happy but also it gives many potential benefits for the whole company. So, here are those things!

Benefits of Dog-Friendly Offices

1. Companies with Dog-Friendly Offices Enhance Employee Morale

Dog lover employees prefer to work with their pets beside them. Working with them will help boost the confidence of the employees.

2. Help Reduce Stress

Many studies show that companies with dog-friendly workplaces reduce stress on employees' works. It was observed that those who have dogs with them decrease the hormones that cause stress compared to those who don't have.

3. Makes Employees Happy and Feel Supported

Aside from making employees happy, they also feel supported by their pets. They will feel appreciated for their hard work and supports their physical health.

4. Encourages Employees to do Their Best

If employees feel appreciated, it will encourage them to do their best.

5. Improves Productivity

So, if employees are working hard, productivity level would surely increase. Because their pets allowed them to relax and take a break while recharging for another set of battles at work.

5. Maintain Employees Loyalty

In companies with pet-friendly offices, employees show their loyalness. It might be because they have a right to bring their pets around.

7. Attract Talented Employees, customers, and Millennials

A dog-friendly company would attract talented employees, especially dog lovers who find a job. And it also allures those customers and millennials who loved pets like dogs.

8. Increased Employee Retention

In a dog-friendly workplace, employees increase their retention, leading to less stressful and productive work.

9. Dog-Friendly Offices Improves Health Aspects

A happy and less stressful work help prevent any physical and mental health problems. That's the goal of the companies with dog-friendly offices. It only shows that pet-friendly offices have a positive impact on human health.

10. Encourages Good Employees Cooperation and Team Work

If you have a dog-friendly workplace and employees, it encourages good teamwork and cooperation. It is because pets like dogs can bring people together and create a perfect bond.

What is a Pet-Friendly Environment?

A pet-friendly environment is not only about public places where pets can roam around. But, it can also be in private places like offices that let your dogs enjoy and have time together.

It is an environment that allows the employees to retain and aid employment procedures. In addition to that, pets like dogs increase security and prevent crimes inside the company.

For those dog owners who work full-time, bringing their pets in the workplace would give them less hassle feeding them. It will also let them work overtime.

As mentioned above, a pet-friendly environment can bring many positive outcomes. But, how does it works?

How do Dog-Friendly Offices Work?

Dog-friendly companies have a higher employee interaction than the other companies. If employees bring their dogs to the workplace, they can save money and time.

Instead of bringing them to the doggie daycare and in a park for a walk, owners could go to their offices with them. By walking with them to your office, they can exercise their body. So, you don't have to worry about their physical activities.

Should Dogs be Allowed in Offices?

Allowing dogs in the workplace is the company's owner and employee's decision. It should be agreed with both owner and colleagues.

The only goal of this dog-friendly environment is to promote strong interactions between employees or staff. It boosts the social relation and atmosphere in the workplace. And many studies prove its potential benefits.

It also improves the customer or person's perception or impression. For example, if a professor or teacher has pets, students might conclude that they are friendly.

Which Company Allows Dogs in the Office?

According to Statista, there were 213.65 million companies built around the world, including those dog-friendly workplaces. In the US, more than 35 companies had the most dog-friendly offices.

The ten most common and popular in 2021 are:

1.  Amazon
2. athenahealth, Inc
3.  Trupanion
4.  Kinship
5.  Petdesk
6.  Stride Health
7.  Petco
8.  Nestle Purina Petcare
9.  SelfMade
10. SS&C Advent; etc.

Aside from that, there were more than 95% of companies are pet-friendly which made recruiting easier, according to Rover. And 93% shows that these new policies in the workplace have improved the company's morale.

Can I Bring my Pet to Work?

You don't have to bring your dog to your workplace unless no one will accompany and watch them to your home. And if your company is not dog-friendly, you can't bring them instantly.

Some companies just starting to draft pet-friendly policies. So, some employees have no idea what to do with their pets adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic.

So, we'll share with you some tips on how to bring your dog to the office.

8 Tips for Bringing Your Dog to the Office

1. Get permission from your boss

If your company does not support a dog-friendly environment, then permission from your employer is essential. You should also advocate and inform your colleagues for them to be aware.

It's really needed for you to avoid circumstances and potential risks in your workplace.

2. Consider the personality of your pet

Every dog has a different personality. But, if they are well trained, they can be the best companion even at work.

So, before bringing your dog to your workplace, make sure that they are approachable and friendly to your workmates.

3. Think of everyone's safety 

To be ready on bringing your pet, a regular vaccination is a must to protect you and your colleagues. So, take your dog to your vet ahead of time.

4. Train your dog

Your dog's good behavior is one of the important things to consider. So, they should be trained how to “sit”, “come” or “stay”, how to be friendly and interact with other people and dogs. Check on topdogtips.org on how to train your dog.

5. Pack all the things needed

Pack all the things needed for your dog including their food, water, bowls, and some toys for them to play on. But, that the toys could not destruct or cause any accidents.

You can also bring things that make them comfortable to sleep and relax, such as a blanket.

6. Keep them comfortable

They should be cleaned up to be comfortable playing or roaming and could not cause any mess. And, it could also avoid spreading dirt on your workplace.

7. Know the danger

There might be a place that har your dog, so you're better watch out to avoid it.

8. Keep them close

Keeping them close to you would help you to watch what they do carefully. In that way, you could easily reach them if anything bad has happened.

Is There a National Take Your Pet to Work Day?

Yes, there is. It was celebrated annually for the honor of all the beloved pets in our society. This year, it will be celebrated on the following day of Father's Day, which is June 24, 2022.

This National Take Your Pet to Work Day celebration was all began in 1999. It is a day where you can show off your dog as a great companion to your colleagues and encourage others for adoption.

On this day, non-pet owners will witness the special bond between the owner and their pets, and into their other co-workers.

And, it will also show their different breeds and personality, and how important they are to human beings.

The Downsides of Allowing Dogs in the Workplace

Not all the time pets bring good. There are also its downsides. It's also the reason why some companies don't allow pets in the workplace.

Below are the cons of bringing your dog to your office:

• It might bring frighten your colleagues who have phobia or allergies on dog
• Those dogs that are not trained brings distractions
• They might create a mess
• If they are so lively, they might cause damage to the companies property
• If they bother other employees, it might create tension

That is why before having a dog-friendly workplace, it really needs thorough thinking to be ready to face circumstances. And, it really needs a good discussion with your workmates.

By considering some potential risks, you could be able to establish an excellent pet-friendly environment in your workplace.

A Dog-Friendly Offices: How it Helps Your Company

Companies with dog-friendly offices are rapidly accelerating nowadays. It does not only affect the way of working, but it also affects the business industries.

A pet-friendly workplace or offices have potential benefits. It includes less stress, happy and productive employees, good employees relation, and many more.

Being a dog-friendly workplace is not that easy to establish. But with the cooperation and coordination of all your workmates and with the help of your boss, you will succeed.

Let us be productive and build a better future for your company by building a happy and pet-friendly environment.

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