Improve Your Professional Efficiency with the Help of Dog

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This is a guest post entry. The author’s views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of MiaThePintzu.

Dogs are the most adorable creatures in the world that make perfect pets. They make you smile and always teach you how powerful love can be. Most of us work the entire day; hence we have to leave our dogs at home while we do our jobs and wait for the end of the day to see the dog.

What if I tell you that you no longer need to leave your dog alone? What if you work with your pet around? It has been proven that if you work with a dog around, your chances of success are higher. Hence, here’s how dogs can help improve your professional efficiency.

1. Stress Reduction:

Many workplaces have deduced that having a dog inside the office can help reduce employee stress; hence, they will work better.

It is not uncommon to see offices adopt a smaller dog breed such as Shih Tzu or Pin Tzu in the office from reputed Shih Tzu breeders. It is easier to manage small dogs, and a few people might get intimidated by a large breed dog, which does not happen when a small dog is in the office.

The dog must be taught to behave inside the workplace, as you would not want a barking dog on the office premises. Hence, train the dog. This office puppy can be the pet of the entire team, and everyone takes care of it, which acts like a team-building activity.

As the dog is in the office always, this creates a warm environment and relaxes the employees. You can also encourage the employees to get their own dogs if they are well trained, as this way, they get to be around their dogs rather than being anxious about them when they are left alone at home.

2. Body and Mind Harmony:

You may feel well physically, but you need to also mentally feel well, which is what happens when you have a dog at work. Dogs are emotional support animals to many, and getting them at work helps stabilize your mind. They can offer the much-needed emotional support employees lack in stressful work environments. Companies like Amazon have a dog-friendly work policy and let employees bring their dogs to work. This way, the employees enjoy the benefit of being around the dogs. Several other organizations are letting employees get their dogs at work as it helps their employees work with a positive attitude.

When owners get their dogs at work, they are not anxious about being alone at home. They can walk the dog and feed it in between. The dog not just becomes the employee’s support, but several other employees enjoy being around these loving pets.

Significantly, people suffering from severe mental health issues can benefit from being around emotional support animals. Not having this support when a person is forced to leave their support animal behind, even for a few hours, can drastically affect their mental health. Hence, more companies are willing to let pets accompany the employee to the workplace.

3. Work-Life Balance:

Dogs also help you maintain a healthy work-life balance. As your pet stays around you, you do not miss out on spending quality time with the animal. Dogs have a short lifespan; hence, leaving them behind at home is something many owners do not enjoy. When pets accompany you to work, you know they are not anxious as you are around. You get to take breaks in between and play with the dog. You are with your dog daily without missing out on much. This is why companies are becoming open to the possibility of working with pets.

Companies like Etsy and Amazon have set these examples and treat it as an excellent opportunity for raising employee spirits and giving them certain comic relief. Dogs bring so much positivity with them to the workplace that the atmosphere does not remain tense and negative. This drastically impacts how employees do their job as they now work with a positive mindset. In fact, keeping pets around at work actually helps them work for long hours in a happy mood and enjoy breaks more.

4. Higher Productivity:

Dogs can certainly reduce stress in the workplace, but they are also known to increase the productivity of employees as well. This is why employers are also happy about bringing dogs to the workplace, as increased productivity benefits the organization.

Dogs make you feel energized and productive as they help lower cortisol levels, also known as stress hormones. When you stroke a dog, you also produce a hormone known as oxytocin that enables you to relax and makes you feel happy. When you are mentally healthy, you will automatically be more productive at any task you do.

5. Improves Teamwork:

Not everyone in the office gets along because starting a communication can be challenging for adults. When they have no common source of communication, they might not indulge in a conversation. Having a pet in the office can help break that ice and automatically give people a topic to discuss.

Pet owners tend to talk to each other and share their experiences, just like moms in the school playground. Having a pet in the office helps break that ice and create an otherwise impossible bond.

Having a dog in the office means all the employees will collectively share responsibility. It improves interaction amongst colleagues, and teamwork improves at the end of the day. The warm atmosphere at work created by the dog’s presence also helps.

6. Makes the Work Environment Positive:

Having worked in several offices, I can say that most have a sense of seriousness in the atmosphere. It is good to be professional at work, as an office is a serious place, but too much seriousness can push employees to leave the place as soon as possible.

The environment at work should be such that employees enjoy coming to work. That happens only when the place feels a little light rather than all serious. A dog at work can actually lighten up the place. You would want to go to the office as they greet you, wagging their tails when you enter the workspace.

When employees feel a positive flow of energy in the office, they work in a happy mode and, hence, with improved dedication and increased efficiency.

7. Inspires Activity:

People who exercise regularly are more productive than others. When you own a dog, you are automatically forced to be active, even if you do not want to. You cannot skip the dog’s daily routine; hence, you will have to play with it and walk it several times daily.

So, when you take your dog to work, you will have to give it short walks throughout the day, even forcing you to move. This promotes an active culture in the workplace if the other employees also willingly share a few responsibilities of your pooch. This helps get rid of a sedentary life.

8. Forces You to be Responsible:

Raising a dog is a lot of responsibility, as every dog owner already knows. When you take the dog to your workplace, you must ensure it is trained and socialized well.

A workplace dog is the responsibility of everyone there. You might be in an important meeting with a client, and your dog needs to take a walk; someone else in the office can share your responsibility and take it for a walk. Having a dog in a workplace teaches you how to be responsible for yourself and others.

9. Promotes Breaks:

Taking breaks while working is of utmost importance. Try to work continuously for 8 hours daily, and you will feel disoriented. This is because your mind needs breaks. While many people assume taking breaks is a waste of time, the reality is that a few minutes you are to refresh your mind helps you reset it so that you get back to work in full swing. When you do not take breaks, you lose focus, and productivity decreases.

Also, if you avoid taking breaks, you will end up with health issues such as back pain, neck pain, and headaches. You need to get up from your seat once in 2 hours to move around a bit and stretch your body, so the muscles do not get stiff.

But, when you are immersed in work, you will sometimes forget to take these small breaks and end up ruining your health.

Having a dog at the workplace means you have to take a break to pet the dog once in a while. Dogs love being petted; hence will roam around the workplace to each individual for the same. The attention-seeking dog will ensure you take your short break. You will be forced to take a break, which will be a pleasure.

10. Boosts Attendance:

Employees who own a pet may take a few days off if they are unwell. They would not want to leave the pet alone at home in such a condition. Employees also would like to take a few days off or leave work in the middle of the day to check on the pet. Further, even if they make it to the workplace, their mind may not be fully in the present as they constantly worry about the pet. This means lower attendance and productivity.

When a company lets employees bring their pets to work, they need not worry anymore and can focus on their work as usual. This also makes them feel grateful to the company, and their entire work attitude becomes positive.

11. Creates Happiness:

People with pets at home know the feeling of watching your pet run toward you. Dogs especially have unconditional love towards their owner, which they occasionally express. Research shows that interaction with your pet positively affects your endocrine responses, including changes in cortisol levels, adrenaline, and serotonin. In short, your stress level decreases, and you feel delighted.

Imagine a workplace where most employees are happy, creating a cheerful mood overall. The pet greets new clients, customers, and visitors, and people enjoy this surprise greeting. This only showcases how the company values a relaxed and employee-centric atmosphere.

12. Contributes to Flexibility:

When a company allows pets at work, that means employees can have a more flexible schedule. A few days, you leave work early, and a few others demand you to do some overtime.

When you have a pet waiting for you at home, overtime is out of the question, but that may affect your work and the company’s profit margin. When your pet comes with you to work, you can change your schedule based on the need of the house. A little extra time is also possible when needed without worrying about your pet as it is by your side.

This does not mean you should do more overtime now. You have to balance your life. Bringing your pet to work is one thing, but working late every day and not actually giving your pet dedicated time is also something you should avoid. Remember to be a smart worker.

13. Attracts Potential Employees:

Only a handful of companies allow pets to work, which can work in its favor. With so many animal lovers out there, this gives you a competitive edge.
Many recruiters offer the same list of perks and benefits; hence, a workplace with a furry friend would be an excellent addition to that list, giving your company an edge over others. This way, the company can hire efficient employees and move towards a more successful path.

14. Promotes Creativity:

Walking is a factor that can boost creativity by 60%, as per research at Stanford University. Usually, when working at a desk job, we hardly tend to move from the place. We barely even get up during lunch breaks, as most people finish it at their desks or at the canteen.

This habit changes as soon as you get a dog at the workplace. You will have to take the pet for short walks throughout the day, which means you will be active, which will trigger your creativity.

The Bottom Line:

Bringing your pet to the workplace is beneficial not just for you but your employer as well. Pets can act as a conversation starter, add to the sense of workplace community and provide a comic relief that is much needed at any workplace. High team morale and reduced stress are beneficial for the company as well.

Though many workplaces still are not open to pets, many have changed this policy, and we are sure that with so many benefits of getting an office pet, many offices will definitely consider this option.

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