Dogs In The Workplace
Herd Coworking – A Pet-Friendly Office
It has been found in a survey by DogVacay that throughout the year between work and other commitments, dog owners leave their dog at home alone on average for a whopping 12 weeks a year (Or 2080 hours).
This is a sad statistic as our best friends are left feeling lonely, and more often than not will act out to regain our attention.
I’m here to tell you how bringing my dog into the workplace improved his behaviour, improved my health, and renewed our bond.
My name is Sarah, and this is my dog, Rocko. Chances are you have run into at least one of us at The Herd!
(Rocko is the one in the tartan bandana)
Being able to bring animals into the workplace on a regular basis is a relatively new concept, but it has quickly proven its worth. A study by The University of Southern California proves that pets in the workplace has calming effects, reduces blood pressure, lowers stress, and makes employees more cordial and productive.
I adopted Rocko from an animal shelter in Melbourne 4 years ago. He was a handful as a pup, and has never really changed!
His troublesome habits/hobbies include: digging holes, playing with/eating firewood and eating/ruining everything in general.
Assuming he was bored, and on advice from our vet, I bought Rocko every dog toy under the sun. Soft, hard, treat-filled, squeaky, you name it, but no change. Even spending more time with him when we were home didn’t help.
We have another dog, who Rocko loves, so it never occured to me that he could actually be feeling lonely.
I decided to try bringing Rocko into The Herd with me once a week. He was such a handful at home, I didn’t think I would be able to handle him at work. Even if I could, would others be able to handle him?
After the first day, Rocko was a brand new dog.
That one day a week has changed so much. Rocko became more obedient, walked on his lead better, he even became more affectionate (and stopped digging holes!) Not only that but he was beautiful with everyone he met, always willing to greet our members at the door with a happy wagging tail.
I had trouble bonding with Rocko for such a long time as I had grown up with small spaniels, and didn’t know what I was getting myself into with such a big dog! Spending a full day with him each week with no breaks, has created a bond with my dog I didn’t know I could have.
Not only has it been amazing for Rocko, it has been amazing for me too.
It reminds me to take regular mental breaks (or pat breaks as Rocko would call them), increased my step count by about 3000 steps each day and has even made me more productive.
So if you can bring your pooch into work I would 100% recommend it! Not only is it great for them, it’s great for you too. Rocko also recommends it.
-Sarah & Rocko
You can bring your best friend into The Herd anytime! If you haven’t been in before your first day is free, just book here https://herdcoworking.com.au/casual-booking/
Sources:
https://smashingboxes.com/blog/dog-friendly-workplace-boosts-productivity-happiness/
https://appliedpsychologydegree.usc.edu/blog/the-benefits-of-bringing-pets-to-work
The Herd Coworking in Warragul is a beautiful space for both humans and dogs! I highly encourage everyone who’s working from home to come and try it!
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