Paws for thought... Dogs in the workplace.
Are we barking for having dogs at work?
Help or a furry hindrance?, the two schools of thought to mans best friend in the work place. Within the creative industry dogs are popular in the studio dynamic, often making it to the staff website page alongside their smiling counterparts, maybe even sporting a fetching neckerchief. We're not ashamed to admit we love dogs, they have an ability to unite people that should not be underestimated.
The grumpier anti-dog people from personal experience are the ones that don't understand the essence of the man/dog dynamic, the thing about dogs is they pick up on the characters of people with an uncanny ease after such a historic partnership with humans, and know after the initial greeting, and telling you how great you are, to settle down. Being close to a master is reward enough.
From experience it's difficult to stay in a bad mood for long with a furry compatriot that doesn't have a complicated agenda, interpreting briefs, deadlines and accounts, just an enthusiasm for living in the moment. You might even find yourself letting your guard down a little and trusting colleagues more as looking into a dogs eyes or patting a dog release the often termed “trust chemical” oxytocin which actually results in better human teamwork.
Humans, don't play - enough, a dog reminds you life is not all about work, a lunchtime fuss and interaction forces you to come out of work mode and relax properly. How many people do you know, that break for lunch then robotically browse the internet on auto pilot - never truly having a healthy separation from the 9 to 5. It's like stopping off at service station for a rest, then playing a driving game for an hour. Taking break to let your office dog answer any calls of nature, or a quick walk, helps you refocus in the fresh air and find that illusive answer to a problem that might have been bugging you all day.
Dogs provide a common unifying element that even translates well to social media and indeed great PR for your firm. Workplace dog accounts attract many followers often eclipsing humans from the same company! It sends a message to your clients that you are open and approachable. It's also an incentive to prospective dog owning employees.
Nestlé operate whats known as a PassPawt for it's office dog scheme which requires a certain level of behaviour form your canine counterpart, dogs are not prone to having a blue fit for no reason from experience, and a good owner by association has a good dog, but the PassPawt system ensures that disruptions are kept to a minimum.
Most importantly, and increasingly so, during the uncertainty we all feel during COVID19 dogs are great for your mental health, be it a lunchtime walk or a morning hug it keeps people and their problems, grounded. As a result they lift mood and increase productivity. A study by Washington State University found that just ten minutes interaction with a dog significantly reduced cortisol the stress hormone responsible for fight for flight by a significant amount, and even lowers blood pressure.
Many people have realised, working from home during lockdown apart from disorientating ‘the stay at home dog’, that perhaps this was the dynamic they were missing all along in work. During times of a global pandemic this closeness has had considerable value, the mutual anxiety of renewed separation may see many dogs come along with their owners to work in 2021. A dog in the business could just be that lead you’ve been looking for.