Puppy Love

If you don’t already know, we at Louisville Label are huge dog lovers! There is much to be said about the benefits of owning a dog. Research has shown time and time again that owning a dog improves your health, lowers your stress, helps keep your heart healthy and in general is great for psychological, social and physical wellness. Dogs have even been proven to be able to detect cancer in their owners! It’s true, a dog’s acute sense of smell can often detect a cancerous area before it has been identified by medical providers. Dogs have been reported to continuously lick, sniff and scratch at an area that later turns out to be cancer. We could go on and on about the benefits of having a dog in your life, but today we are going to focus on the benefits of bringing your dog to work!

What are the benefits of bringing your dog to work? Let us tell you!

Dogs bring down stress levels in the whole office. Not only are they a huge comfort and stress minimizer for their owner but they can also positively impact the other employees as well. Just a happy, wagging greeting from your furry, four-legged coworker and suddenly your day has taken a turn for the better. The natural joy a dog brings releases endorphins in the brain which lowers stress and brings feelings of happiness and ease.
Dogs promote employee collaboration. A study done by researchers at Central Michigan University found that “when dogs were present in a group, employees were more likely to trust each other and collaborate more effectively.” You can read more about this, here. Additionally, a four-legged office companion can strengthen relationships amongst co-workers and help work friendships to develop. “You’re a dog lover? Me too!”
It’s great for your dog(s)! The more social interaction dogs receive, the happier and more content your dog will be. A content dog means less hyperactivity, destructive behaviors, and risk of having an “accident.” Plus, most dogs just generally want to be with you and not at home alone.
Dogs are proven to help workplace productivity. Not only for their owners but for others as well. Research has shown that pet-friendly businesses are directly related to employee satisfaction and employees willing to work longer hours and accomplishing more at work.

Important considerations for a dog-friendly workplace.

What if employees or customers are scared of dogs? What if a dog bites someone? What about allergies?

These are all great questions, and important to consider if your workplace is thinking of going pet-friendly. It is not for every office, and it’s important to note that not everydog makes a great office dog. Boundaries have to be set on which dogs are allowed and how they are cared for, cleaned up after and supervised (if need be) while at work. If a dog has aggressive tendencies, is untrained, hyperactive or unruly, it could lead to more of a distraction than a benefit. If there are employees or customers scared of dogs, it will be important to make sure they feel safe and comfortable in your workplace. This may mean having a place where the dog can go away from those people. Still, the right dog in the workplace can help build trust between people and animals and help those who have a fear of dogs to work through those fears. Be sure when allowing dogs in the workplace, all angles are considered. Still, you may find the benefits far outweigh any concerns.

We love our pups!

If it isn’t obvious by now, we love our pups and think they are a positive impact on the work culture at Louisville Label. They bring us joy and generally make our workplace a happier and enjoyable place to work. If you don’t believe us, take it from the research. You can read more about the benefits of dogs in the workplace in this research study. Although there are some potential cautions to pets in the workplace, we believe the benefits far outweigh the cons, as research and our experience shows. Here are some of our favorite pictures of our workplace pups!

Snoopy!