Anyone who shares their home with a dog knows that spending time with your four legged pal is a great stress reliever (especially after a hard day at work).  Now, new research from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has found that taking your dog to your workplace can not only help lower stress, but also increase overall employee satisfaction. Well, obviously!

The researches compared employees who bring their dogs to work, employees who do not bring their dogs to work and employees without pets in the areas of stress, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and support. The findings of the study were published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.

The study  showed that the presence of dogs in the workplace reduced job-related stress for their owners and other employees who came into contact with the dogs. The researchers also found that stress notably rose during the day when owners left their dogs at home compared to days they brought them to work.

“Dogs in the workplace can make a positive difference,” said principal investigator Randolph T. Barker, Ph.D., professor of management in the VCU School of Business in a statement. “The differences in perceived stress between days the dog was present and absent were significant. The employees as a whole had higher job satisfaction than industry norms.”

The researchers also observed “unique dog-related communication” in the workplace, Barker said. During the day, people who hadn’t brought pets walked over to colleagues who had and asked whether they could take the four-legged visitors for walks.
“People who typically are not as verbal were more engaged,” said Barker

Check out some great lists of dog-friendly companies on Mother News Network and Inc. Magazine.

Does your employer allow you to bring your dog to work? Let us know in the comments section below. If the answer is no, share this article with them!

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