Is a dog friendly office key to wellbeing and productivity?

February 13, 2018

In recent years, more and more businesses have found out that it pays to be dog-friendly. Evidence suggests having an office dog is beneficial in many ways.

The Benefits of a Dog-Friendly Office

• Being pet friendly can aid recruitment: Having a dog friendly office provides HR with a unique benefit when advertising jobs.
• Retaining staff: Being able to bring your dog to work is viewed as a perk.
• Boosts staff morale: Dogs make almost everyone happier.
• Creates good working relationships: Having a dog on site creates a talking point and allows for interaction between your employees.
• Dogs create a welcoming atmosphere: Having a dog in the office is also beneficial when clients and other visitors come to the office. A greeting from a friendly dog will help your meeting get off to a good start.
• Gets people moving: Staff can take it in turns to take the office dog out for a walk on their breaks which helps to promote exercise and helps to refresh the mind.

2018 marks the 20^th year of “Take Your Dog to Work Day.” The day was created by Pet Sitters International to celebrate dogs whilst raising much needed funds for dog charities. For many companies, taking part in this was the start of adopting an office dog culture with many seeing the benefits to the business.

At Anabas, every day is “Take Your Dog to Work Day.” Gemma Rigby, HR Manager at Anabas, knows all about the pleasure dogs can bring. Her dog, Charlie, has changed the mood at the Anabas head office since his arrival.

Gemma commented:

“Having Charlie in the office has changed the atmosphere massively as it is now a lot more sociable. Charlie is such a friendly dog and if someone’s feeling a bit stressed out, they usually come and see him. A few minutes playing with him seems to perk people up. He loves to visit my colleagues he knows who’ll give him a treat too! Charlie is also great for getting out and about and getting some fresh air when we take him out on breaks and at lunch time.”

Anabas also have many clients who adopt a dog friendly culture. At Ogilvy & Mather (O&M), over 30 dogs come through its doors each day to join their owners in their office located in the Seacontainers building on the South Bank in London. The Anabas team, based at Seacontainers, introduced a dog registration policy for all dogs coming into the building as well as some house rules. The dog owner is asked to supply a passport style picture of their pooch along with details of their name, their dog’s name and the dog’s breed. The Anabas security team then prepare a pass for the dog allowing them to be welcomed each day with their owner. Having registered their dog, dog owners receive a gift bag which contains a dog collar, dog treats and other supplies.

Brigita Perry, Anabas Front of House Manager for O&M commented:

“All dogs are welcome at Seacontainers and the registration process allows us to make them feel at home. One minute you’re stopping to play with one of the office dogs and the next you’re talking business with their owner. Not only do the dogs on site boost staff morale, they’re also great for communication between staff.”

So, it seems with so many benefits to having a dog friendly office, businesses would be barking mad to not adopt a dog friendly culture. There’s no doubt that introducing a dog into the workplace is a low-cost and effective way to boost well-being and productivity. If the building you operate in is dog-friendly, why not give it a go? Provided that confirmation from all staff is received, having an office dog can be a brilliant decision for all involved.