Petfriendly Universities: Take Your Dog To Work

Among the novelties in the working world, the idea of ​​taking our pets to work is being increasingly accepted. Discover the case of Petfriendly Universities.

United States and its Petfriendly Universities

In the month of June, during the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, many offices in the United States celebrated the “Take Your Dog to Work” day. Initially, 300 companies participated in the initiative, but the number has grown significantly over the years, reaching almost 2,000 participating companies.

This impressive data led a research agency in San Francisco to conduct a study on the subject to learn  about the benefits of having a pet in the workplace. The results were substantial, revealing positive results for pet owners compared to those who do not have the same companion.

Today, it is increasingly common to allow access for pets in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and businesses. There are many advantages, such as reducing anxiety and increasing the feeling of well-being, especially in an environment as stressful as a company.

Benefits of taking our pet to the hotel, workplace or university

Less stress

With the company of pets, workers are less stressed, for the simple reason that they find an escape route if they are saturated with the obligations of work and can connect with their animals. It’s a relief to be able to pet the pet, play and even talk to him.

A study by Virginia Commonwealth University, one of the Petfriendly Universities, found that owners who can go to work with their dog lower their stress level.

To arrive at this result, the researchers compared the stress levels over the entire workday of three different groups of employees. On the one hand, those who took the dog to the office and those who left the animal at home. On the other, those who didn’t have pets.

Another conclusion of the study is that stress reduction is only achieved in dog owners who took their animal to the office, as those workers who left the furry at home or did not have a pet showed little improvement.

Improved communication

It may not seem like it, but taking the dog to the office is also an important stimulus for a good relationship between co-workers. In addition, several studies confirm that the presence of the animal facilitates communication between people and stimulates conversations.

Fostering creativity and productivity

Pet care breaks during work hours help improve worker accuracy and overall performance.

So a few minutes of play or a quick walk around the office will have a big effect on workers’ health and stress levels. Another advantage is the reduction in the number of leaves due to health, stress or anxiety. If you don’t already have a furry one, there are many reasons to adopt one.

good for the pocket

Of course, in addition to the emotional benefits, taking the dog to work helps in financial health, as it will no longer be necessary to spend money on walkers or caregivers.

clear conscience

It is very common for work to take up a large part of our day, several times a week. If we add to that the time we spend on the commute going from one place to another, going to the gym, going out with friends… the hours we spend with our four-legged friend are very few.

This can cause a feeling of guilt and worry that the animal is alone. If we had the option to take it to work, this problem would not exist.

a grateful animal

Another consequence, in addition to the benefits for dog owners, is that the dog will also be less stressed and much happier, since, being a social animal, it doesn’t feel good alone.

some limits

While there are many benefits of going to work with your pets, it’s important to remember that not everyone is comfortable with dogs around. They can be people with allergies or people who are afraid of animals. That’s why it’s very important that the dogs we bring to the office behave well.

Dogs that show some kind of aggressive behavior towards other people, that don’t know how to take care of the street, that bark excessively or that have any behavior that can cause problems, are not ideal candidates to go to work with their owners.

Another very important thing: dogs must be properly dewormed and not suffer from contagious health problems.