Why Every Day Should Be #TakeYourDogtoWorkDay
Perspectives from 2 and 4-legged colleagues
On any given day, Louie and Ralphie, two large, fun-loving labradoodles arrive with Dan, our CEO, for another day at The Black Dog. They bound out of the car and bolt to the door of our offices, clearly excited to start another work day. Once inside, they’re greeted by Moby, Loki, Cooper, and Pancho, our other four-legged colleagues. Their tails wag as they greet everyone, and the day is off to a good start!
Since today (June 24th) is #TakeYourDogToWorkDay, we’ve rounded up some of the great advantages of having a dog-friendly workplace. Our canine colleagues agree that it’s a win-win for their humans, our company and for them!
Dogs at work reduce stress
Most days, at least one of our four-legged officemates comes through an open office door – no knocking, no appointment, no worry of interrupting anything important. Without fail, an enthusiastic pup enters and peeks out from under the desk – it is instantly disarming. A quick pat calms tension and resets the day. It’s also clear that having our dogs here during the day causes less worry about racing home after work or during a break to care for our pets and is part of creating the work-life balance that is invaluable to keeping the Black Dog team happy and satisfied with their jobs.
“Regardless of how serious the meeting is, they don’t care and are always having fun, barking at dog things... If I’m having a bad day at the office, these four-legged friends come around the corner and 100% of the time, put a smile on my face.” -Jim D..
Canine colleagues boost creativity and productivity
For our lifestyle brand, originality and creativity (and of course productivity) are critical to our success. Taking small breaks from stressful tasks has been scientifically proven to increase productivity and improve workflow. The dogs in our office encourage such beneficial breaks, but also inspire imagination and light-heartedness with their entertaining antics. As a result, our team is more productive in a happy, fun work environment.
“I do not have a dog (yet), so I love getting my dog fix every day at the office... I think that having dogs in the office creates a fun office environment!” -Kayli M.
Pups encourage collaboration
It’s amazing to watch the pups in our office bring people together and encourage collaboration. They are incredible catalysts – more reserved colleagues interact more readily because of our canine officemates. In fact, studies have shown that co-workers who bring their pets to the office have a greater connection with their colleagues, as it helps to increase trust, teamwork, and friendship.
“What I like most about having dogs in the office is that it doesn’t feel like a work environment. It feels more like a place where friends and dogs meet, and we discuss work.” - Ricardo D.
Dogs remind us: It’s important to take breaks
At some point a co-worker had a soccer ball under his desk for impromptu lunchtime soccer games. Our office dog colleague has since taken possession of the soccer ball to ensure those games happen. The dogs remind us to get outside periodically to play or take a midday walk. Short breaks like this encourage our hard-working crew to get up from our desks, have a little fun and recharge … even if it sometimes means sacrificing a soccer ball!
“I love that having my dogs at the office allows us to hang out during the day; they force me to leave my desk and get outside for a bit!” - Susan
The Black Dog crew clearly loves our year-round, dog-friendly workplace, and it’s one of the main reasons we enjoy such a fun and collaborative work culture. Watching the dogs interact, reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously, and that it is possible to live Life Off the Leash at work!