Should You Take Your Dog to Work?

My friend has been nagging me to take my dogs to work during so they wouldn’t be sitting at home all day.  I started doing some research on the pros and cons of animals in the work place and this is what I found:

A group of folks from the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia did a study published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.  Their study found that pets did indeed lower the stress of their owner and the owners reported higher job satisfaction when they had their pets at work. Other studies have found that there are numerous other benefits to having a pet around, including: lowered blood pressure, more exercise, and that our pets are great entertainment.

With the evidence from the Virginia Commonwealth University study, I wondered why I still had a nagging feeling that pets didn’t belong at work. So I kept researching to see what else I could find. According to Ayyar Rohan, there are a lot of reasons to reconsider allowing pets in the workplace. 15% to 30% of the population is allergic to pets so bringing a pet into the office can actually compromise someone else’s health. A fellow employee doesn’t even have to share workspace to have an allergic reaction to a pet in the office; they can be affected by just being in the same building.

Another reason to avoid pets in the workplace is that the fear people have of dogs is second only to spiders and snakes. Though a dog may help some to be calmer and less stressed, it may cause a co-worker to have more stress, which would be a great reason for me to keep my dog home. I also wondered about the distraction that a pet might cause in the workplace. My dog would have to be taken out, possibly more regularly than my breaks would allow. It could also be tempting for my office mates to pay more attention to the dog and less attention to their co-workers, which could damage office bonding and become a distraction from work.

After considering all my options and the benefits, I’ve decided to take a third option for my pet family while I’m at work and hire my local Fetch! Pet Care. My dogs get to enjoy the socialization of going for walks, meeting people, and being in the community. My cats get to play with my pet care professional so they are stimulated. All of my pet kids know exactly when their playmate is due to come and I get to go to work knowing that my little family will be happily looking forward to the adventures of their day as I focus on the adventures of mine.

What do you think about pets in the workplace? Click here to find a Fetch! Pet Care location near you so that your dog is cared for when you're at work!