Working from home has become the new normal of late and with this new office set-up, you may have found yourself sharing your office space with a new co-worker: your dog! Cue those ZOOM meetings when your dog decides to join in! Whether you're still working from home with your four-legged co-worker or returning to a dog-friendly office, did you know there are actually a number of benefits of bringing your dog to work?
You might want to tell your boss, especially as June 26th is #BringYourDogToWorkDay! To celebrate,we thought we'd provide the lowdown on this exciting annual event, so you can join in with you dog, as well as exploring the benefits of bringing your dog to work in general. We'd also like to take this opportunity to introduce some of our very own Dorwest office dogs! Suits and ties at the ready...?
The benefits of bringing your dog to work
Whether you work in a dog friendly office or your dog has become your new co-worker while you work from home, there are a number of benefits of 'office' dogs…
• Light Relief
Dogs are excellent entertainers (as Barney often likes to demonstrate at HQ, which you'll read below!). Dogs present an opportunity for some laughter which releases feel good chemicals into our bodies. This helps with overall wellbeing, which is really important in all aspects of life, including at work.
• Calming
There are many benefits of stroking dogs and helping you feel calm is just one of them. Stroking dogs helps to release chemicals such as serotonin and oxytocin, which help us feel good and relieves stress. There's an added benefit of lowering blood pressure too. Stroking dogs will not only feel good but your work is likely to reap the benefits too if you're feeling calm. A perfect excuse to give your dog some attention.
• Bonding with team members
Laughing at the antics of office dogs can be a great way to build communication and morale amongst team members. Office dogs may particularly help to encourage engagement from those who may usually be a little quieter around the office. There's nothing better than lots of laughter when a dog decides to show off their personality. Improved communication and bonding are very beneficial to a working environment and dogs certainly help to develop both of these.
• Improving productivity
Taking a step away from a phone or computer screen can help to clear your mind and refocus. Office dogs encourage such actions, as they'll need you to take them out to the loo or even go for a little walk. Taking some fresh air with a four-legged friend can help you feel refreshed. You're then ready to tackle the rest of your day.
Should all dogs be office dogs?
Office environments aren't suitable for all dogs (some may prefer to have some peace and quiet at home!). It is always important to put your dog’s needs first, so be mindful of your dog's character if you have an opportunity to bring your dog to work. As you'll see in Barney's profile below, he prefers to come in on the quieter days. Understanding what will and won't work well for your dog is really important.
Likewise, if you're now working from home, you might want to ensure your dog has some time to themselves during the working day. If you're due to return to normal office working in the near future, it will help prevent your dog from experiencing too much separation anxiety when you do finally return to work.
We're always happy to share our experiences of our dog-friendly office. Feel free to contact us if you’re considering taking your dog to work. We're happy to answer any questions about how we make it a safe and happy environment for our four-legged friends…
Introducing some of theoffice dogs at Dorwest Herbs
Here at Dorwest Herbs, we're fortunate every day is 'Bring your dog to work day' for the team. Dogs large and small roam the offices and keep us all in check! We'd like to introduce you to just some of our four-legged Dorwest team!
Ben & Elsie (Boo-Boo) the Whippet
Age: 10
No. of years working at Dorwest Herbs: Elsie is a Dorwest dog born and bred and has been here since she was a little puppy.
Elsie's favourite Dorwest product: Definitely Dorwest Scullcap and Valerian! Although not necessarily a nervous dog, Elsie can get easily over excited. This especially shows when she gets in the car to come to work in the morning. She just loves being one of the office dogs! She's always the first at the gate when Ben's getting ready and will wait by the gate to be first out. Then when she recognises she’s almost at the office, Elsie gets excited and starts whining in the car. The Scullcap and Valerian just help take the edge off her and allows her to be a little less daft...most of the time!
Elsie's Role: Elsie has a variety of roles here at Dorwest Herbs. One of her personal favourites are office inspections which include doing a very thorough test of the carpet, with her classic carpet roller moves! When she’s not snoring in the bed during her lunch break, she can be found in the main office, rolling about having a back scratch. Elsie is a great judge of character - while she won’t let just anyone pet her, her daft character comes through for all the office to see! Despite being 10 she’s convinced she’s either a puppy or a child.
A good example of this is when she jumps on a lap, often without notice. Ben has had a fat lip on more than one occasion! Elsie is a great co-worker though, as she's so supportive. She always sits as near as possible, just so she can let Ben know she's there. And finally, for a whippet, she’s quite vocal. This especially shows at lunchtime walk time or the end of the day. Elsie likes to let out a “roo-roo” in her best dinosaur impression.
Emily & Barney, the French Bulldog
Age: 4
No. of years at Dorwest Herbs: Barney comes into work on the quieter office days! But has been a part of Dorwest for the last 3 years.
Barney's favourite Dorwest product: Barney is taking a few different Dorwest products which all work well. If he were to choose one, it has to be the Green Releaf Tablets. This has helped relieve his skin and allergies. Constant itching and scratching are no more!
Barney's Role: The attention seeker and office entertainer! Barney constantly requires people’s attention. If you don’t pay Barney attention, he will use his wide range of “whines” (so strange that they’re hard to ignore). He won’t stop until you come and say hello! When he’s not busy demanding some attention he’ll be sleeping away, making everyone laugh with his snoring. Barney also commands attention by entertaining the Dorwest Herbs team with his fun tricks. His favourites are 'bang', 'touch' and 'hi 5’s!' (anything for that bit of cheese!)
Becky & Molly-May the Miniature Dachshund
Age: 2
No. of years at Dorwest Herbs: Molly-May has been one of the Dorwest office dogs for 2 years. You may have seen her a few times over on our Instagram, where she and some of the other office dogs like to make an appearance from time-to-time!
Molly-Mays' favourite Dorwest product: Molly-May has two firm favourites: One is our Skin Balm for Dogs, as it helps her sore armpits & toes. The other is the Tree Barks Powder. This helps to soothe her tummy when she decides to eat very unpleasant things or be super greedy, like scoffing cat food. Recently she even helped herself to a box of eggs. Molly-May does love scrambled egg, so perhaps she was attempting to make that!
Molly-May's Role: Chief of Security at Dorwest. Nobody can set a toe in the building without her letting us know very vocally. She also loves to roll and have her tummy rubbed regularly. Molly-May has her favourites at Dorwest and does excitable squeaks (& minor pees, ahem!) when she sees them. She loves her bed and you can always find her burrowed under blankets. Molly-May is possibly the laziest Daxi in the world.
#BRINGYOURDOGTOWORKDAY - WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN IN THE FUN?
This year, we're proud to be a ‘Pawsome Partner’ of the annual event #BringYourDogToWorkDay which aims to raise funds for animal charities; All Dogs Matter and Animals Asia. It looks like it's going to be a really fun day, with a real focus on dogs who are "working from home."
So, how can you and your dog join in? Well, there are a number of ways including four online dog show classes being streamed live on the day via ZOOM. Classes include Britain's Best Home Office Dog and Best Lockdown Hero. Click to discover more details and watch the Bring Your Dog To Work Day live stream. Or your dog could enter the Hall of Fame competition! Just make a donation and then either upload your best 'Pooch Selfie' or 'Dog with a Job' photo. There are some great prizes to be won and you might even be able to spot your dog on the event website or social media channels!
If you want to follow the fun across social media, use the hashtag #BringYourDogToWorkDay and follow and tag the official social pages below:
Instagram: @BringYourDogToWorkDay
Facebook: @BringYourDogToWorkDay
Twitter: @BringDog2WorkUK
Do you work with your dog?
We love our team of office dogs here at Dorwest Herbs. They certainly add a lot of fun to the day and keep us all on our toes! Are you lucky enough to work in a dog-friendly office? Or does your dog help support you when you work from home? We'd love to hear all about your experiences of office dogs. Pop us a comment below or send us your thoughts and photos of your four-legged co-workers via our own Instagram or Facebook pages. We'd love to see them! We hope you'll join us on the 26th of June to celebrate #BringYourDogToWorkDay too!
Dorwest Herbs have been looking after dogs for 70 years with expertly formulated herbal supplements for pets. To find out more about our range of herbal pet remedies, get in touch with one of our experienced advisors today. Call us on 01308 897272 or use our contact form. Plus, get free UK delivery on orders over £50.
