Dogs have always been the center of attraction at every place whether it is your home or any commercial place. However, the furry four-pawed attractions are well known for understanding others’ emotions. For this reason, the dongs are also being used in therapy and mental health diagnosis better known as therapy dogs.
Having a therapy dog at the workplace can be very beneficial for the employees as well as the whole workplace. Many successful companies such as Amazon, Google, and many other loves to keep therapy dogs at the workplace as it helps to create healthy work culture along with an employee-friendly ambiance.
How do therapy dogs help to bust stress at the workplace?
According to the report published in 2012 by Virginia Commonwealth University, employees who bring therapy dogs to their workplaces are less likely to get stressed. A dog can help reduce the level of the stress-causing hormone, named cortisol. To validate the fact, a test took place at a workplace in North Carolina. Some of the employees came along with their therapy dogs who had only 11% of stress level after a full day of work. On the other hand, the employees who did bring dogs with them had more than 70% of stress levels. The difference is drastic and quite evident how only a therapy dog can exponentially reduce stress.
A therapy dog is capable of sparking more interactions in the workplace which do not normally take place. A therapy dog can churn out a friendly atmosphere anywhere it goes. Petting dogs can release an ample amount of stress-reducing hormone, known as oxytocin. This hormone counteracts cortisol and reduces its influences. Stress reduces productivity and so, keeping therapy dogs at the workplace can increase productivity by a lot.
Can a therapy dog provide a morale boost?
Yes, it definitely can do that. Thinking of talking snap of a dog and you will instantly get happy. Taking a dog picture and not smiling looking at it rarely happens. Dogs are not only clever and emotional but humorous too. They can put a smile on your face while you are feeling low with your work pressure. Therapy dogs are capable of boosting morale and life your mood exactly the moment you want. It is just like owning a dog at the workplace, instead of home.
Do therapy dogs help in teamwork and group projects?
Most of the bigger companies these days spend a lot just to enhance the team building activities. Such activities and fellowships take place to create a better bond among the colleagues and to embark on team projects. Therapy dogs can enhance cooperation among all with a common team spirit.
Every workplace runs with a lot of conflicts in opinion, debate, and a bit of drama when employees do not feel connected within themselves. Therapy dogs can fill in the communication gaps with nothing but their adorable presence. While many people do not get time to talk under immense work pressure, therapy dogs enable more conversation among the employees while making them happy.
It also helps offer more job satisfaction to the employees so a sense of loyalty grows among all. Therapy dogs are great at maintaining the mental and physical well-being and helps to maintain the work-life balance. More than 80% of the companies have agreed to the fact that pet-friendly offices are more productive and employees work in a relaxed and therapeutic ambiance without any stress. It also boosts the recruitment who shares a common interest and love for dogs. Perhaps, therapy dogs can motivate employees more than anyone, even the business owners!
