Why Taking Your Dog To Work Is Awesome (if Done Right)

Take Your Dog To Work Day is happening on the 21st of June this year. Recent PD research shows that only 13% of respondents are allowed to bring their pups to work. A real pity considering that almost 30% say they’d be willing to take a pay cut to be able to take their cat or dog to the office!

In this piece we round up what the day is for and why it’s so beneficial to have our furry friends around us. We look at guidelines for bringing your dog to work and (get this!) provide you with a template email you can send to your boss right now that asks them if you can bring your pup to work.

Be sure to message us on Facebook to tell us how that went … 😁

What is it?

Take Your Dog to Work Day is the ultimate puptastic extravaganza where tail-waggers take over the office. It’s a day filled with furry colleagues, wagging tails, and endless pawsibilities. You get to combine spreadsheets with slobbery kisses and conference calls with cuddle sessions.

In a nutshell, it’s a chance to have your trusty companion by your side as you tackle the daily grind, bringing joy and smiles to your colleagues’ faces.

Alas, not all workplaces can allow our pups to come along. If yours doesn’t, you can give your pup some pampering instead. Here are some articles to help you make the right moves with this:

1. 5 Ways To Spoil Your Pup
2. Top Dog Movies To Watch Together
3. Ethical Christmas Gifts for Pets (for any time of year!)
4. 17 Ways To Be A Rocking Pet Parent
5. The Importance Of Playtime For Kiwi Dogs And Cats
6. 5 Ways To Celebrate Mother’s Day As A Pet Mum (ditto)
7. 10 Tips For Safe Trips To The Dog Park In New Zealand

Why you should bring your dog to work

Just imagine meetings, coffee, laptops, notes … and your loyal Labrador at your feet. Could things get any better? Turns out they can. Bringing your pup to work isn’t just good for you but co-workers, too. Even those who don’t own pets.

From higher morale to lower stress and the whole gambit between, we’ve compiled these science-backed benefits of Take Your Dog To Work Day below:

Dogs reduce stress

Research has shown petting a dog for just ten minutes is enough to release oxytocin, which reduces stress. In addition, other research shows people whose dogs came to work were less stressed than those whose dogs stayed home as well as those without dogs at all.

Dogs can improve productivity

It seems having your dog with you at work can make you more productive. Thanks to celebrations like Take Your Dog to Work Day, more workplaces are warming to the idea of dogs at work.

Dogs improve morale

Our dogs are our best buds who love us unconditionally. It’s only natural our self-esteem would be boosted with them by our side. This is backed up by the same research that shows dogs reduce stress levels.

Dogs improve employee retention rates

Work perks give us a feeling of wellbeing that makes us want to stay in a particular job for longer. This is true of bringing your dog to work, a benefit that positively affects job satisfaction and therefore employee retention.

People who work from home are pretty accustomed to having a dog in the workplace. Many others would go to quite some length to work alongside theirs. As mentioned, recent PD research found almost one third of pet owners (30%) whose workplace doesn’t allow pets are willing to take a pay cut for a TYDTW policy!

Dogs encourage teamwork

Can you believe it that when there’s a dog around, employees are likelier to work effectively in groups. Imagine if every HR department knew it. Next thing every office block would have a bring your dog to work day pawlicy.😊

Guidelines for bringing dogs to work

So, you’re loving the idea of bringing dogs to the office. You’re just not sure how to get started. First read our tips to taking your dog to work. With a few of the right setups in place everyone and their dog can love coming to work.

We’ll show you how:

• Have a dedicated closed off “no-dogs allowed” zone. This is important for everyone with pet allergies and anyone who’s not a dog person.
• Only allow well socialised and trained dogs at the office. Read up on finding a puppy school in New Zealand.
• Set up controls to ensure only healthy, vaccinated dogs come to work. Read about routine pet care for your puppy.
• Make sure dogs always have clear access to an outdoor toileting area.
• Implement guidelines or rules for the pet owners to follow. The same is done for kid-friendly offices – having these office dog policy perimeters in place beforehand helps everyone feel comfortable with the situation. Get the whole company involved in making these rules.
• Transition into being a dog-friendly office gradually, taking staff feedback as you go. For the situation to be a success, you want everyone to be as satisfied with their ‘new workspace’ as possible. Try starting with one day a week/month. Then refine your setup and build from there.

And be sure to get majority buy in first.

In principle, bringing your dog to work sounds incredible, so how can you make it feasible? Find out… Check out this video of a cute Corgi on his first day at the office:

‘Ask your boss’ letter template

If your company has a flexible office dog policy, your boss is a dog person and you think your colleagues would love to meet your pup – here’s a template you can fill in and send to your boss. Wishing you luck!

Dear {Boss’s Name},

I hope you’re well. I recently came across a rather ‘pawsome’ event called “Take Your Dog to Work Day” happening on June 21 this year and couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be to participate. As a responsible dog parent, I wanted to reach out and ask whether we have an office dog policy that would allow me to bring my pup in for the day?

I understand having pets in the workplace is a little out of the ordinary. If {Dog’s Name} is allowed, I’ll take full responsibility for their behaviour and ensure they don’t disrupt or inconvenience anyone in the team. Since not everyone is a ‘pet person’, I’ll also be careful to create a “no dogs allowed” zone where {Dog’s Name} can’t go.

I’ve read that having dogs in the workplace has numerous benefits, including reducing stress and building teamwork! It would be fantastic to test that out on 21 June.

Looking forward to your ‘pawsitive’ response.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Need some more know-how before asking your boss about Take Your Dog to Work Day? Read our ‘10 New Dog Breeds to Celebrate Take Your Dog To Work Day‘ article.

Dog insurance for your work buddy

An office dog policy would be the ideal solution to your desire to bring your dog to work. While you’re barracking for this, barrack for your pet’s health too. The best present you can give your dog this Take Your Dog to Work Day is dog insurance.

What’s good for your dog is good for you too. Pet insurance contributes to crucial pet health costs, like non-routine vet visits, prescription medicine and more. So you can worry about your pup and not your pocket.