Why More Companies are Going to the Dogs

Bringing your dog to work is becoming more common especially in millennial staffed tech companies where the atmosphere is usually more casual. Besides service or therapy dogs – or resident dogs in schools or health facilities – there has been a big increase in the amount of fur babies going to work.

Some companies allow employees to bring their furry family members to work on Take Your Dog to Work Day on the Friday following Father’s Day in June, but many companies allow pets every day as a company perk.

Pet friendly companies like PetSmart and Nestle Purina are no-brainers about this but the list of companies that Fortune compiled includes Google, Amazon, Salesforce, and Ticketmaster (they also offer pet insurance for all employee dogs). It’s no wonder that it looks like companies are going to the dogs.

Besides making it easy for dog owners to work, there are quite a few benefits to both companies and employees to having those tail wagers around.

Being pet friendly can be a great perk to attract new employees and to retain old ones. Having dogs in your office or store can even improve customer perceptions of your brand according to The Conversation. After all, who can resist the charms of a warm doggy welcome.

A study on dogs in the workplace shows that there are multiple benefits – and concerns – about bringing pets to work. One benefit that the study explored is that dog’s offer stress reduction, lower levels of depression, and the lowering of blood pressure of people who pet dogs. This can be very helpful in a high stress office.

Another benefit for employees according to the study is that dogs increase the social interaction of employees and make it a friendlier place to work. Instead of gathering around the water cooler, you can gather around the Labrador, golden retriever, or pug.

Of course, the concerns of people who are afraid of dogs or allergic to them also have to be taken into consideration, not to mention the behavior of the dogs themselves. A loud barking, biting, or destructive dog will disrupt the workplace. A company also has to take cultural sensitivities into consideration.

PetMd has a list of dos and don’ts regarding dogs in the workplace. The dos include making sure you get bring your pup approved , also check with your co-workers ahead of time, make sure your dog is well trained and knows basic commands, make sure your dog will not be barky ( some companies have a no barking rule), bring all the doggy  supplies – especially food, treats and toys – that you need for the day, walk your dog, and make sure that your pet is up-to-date on all vaccinations.

The don’ts includes do not let your pet wander unattended, force your pup to interact with other pets or people, get into garbage or people’s belongings, or forget to clean up after your pet.

With approximately 70 million pet dogs and 74 million pet cats in the US, it is time for companies to at least have the conversation of having some kind of pet policy in place. Add up the pros and cons and see if bringing dogs into the workplace is something that can be done. After all, who can resist a puppy face.