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| A dog at work unearths a good office atmosphere By STACY TREVENON Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 12:02 PM PDT Half Moon Bay Review Rover or Fido can be a big boost at the office. That's the view of the King, N.C.-based professional organization Pet Sitters International, which is sponsoring Take Your Dog to Work Day this Friday, June 25. Businesses across the country seem to agree. No bones about it. Experts agree that well-behaved, controlled pets in the workplace turn out to be a perk that boosts morale, productivity and employee health, and can make for an all-around happier and more creative environment. "The benefits of welcoming pets at work aren't just limited to the dog owners," said Daniel Chan, president of the San Francisco SPCA. "Having a pet around the workplace makes everybody smile." That view is echoed in a Pet Products Manufacturers Association survey of businesses that allowed companion animals in the workplace. It found that: n 73 percent of companies surveyed said that pets create a more productive and more creative work environment. The same percentage said that interpersonal skills also improved with pets in the office, compared to a 42 percent improvement through business development or management training courses. n 27 percent reported decreases in employee absenteeism. n 96 percent said pets created positive work relations. n 100 percent of the companies surveyed said they would continue to practice a pet-friendly policy. Businesses with pet-friendly policies also report improvements when employees put in long hours and work at computers all day. In addition, staff morale and camaraderie increased, and storeowners who took their dogs to work reported increases in sales. Fast-paced, high-rise offices aren't part of the Coastside. Still, owners of some local establishments eagerly endorse having four-legged friends at work. Animals are business for Half Moon Bay vet Dr. Laurie McKinney at the Half Moon Bay Veterinary Hospital. But ever since she arrived at the hospital, McKinney made "Abner," her 8-year-old orange domestic shorthair cat, an office fixture. Out in the waiting room, Abner can be found curled up on a computer, or sitting on the front desk regally looking at clients and pets, or offering a friendly purr to clients in distress over their sick animal friends. "He knows who's needing attention, and he seeks them out and gives it," she said. Pets in the office, McKinney opined, can "lower the stress of a high-stress environment." Students at Lisa Spector's Music School on Main Street in Half Moon Bay are just as used to the harmonic influences of Spector's dogs as they are to Chopin, Bach, Brahms or other composers. The dogs included her golden retriever, "Byron," for many years, and now her seeing-eye puppy-in-training, a yellow Labrador, "Sanchez." "It adds a certain amount of enthusiasm to the kids coming in for their piano lessons," Spector said. Of course, a certain level of "petiquette" is essential when bringing the family dog to work. That includes teaching the dog to obey basic commands like "sit" and "stay," making sure the dog is socialized to people, keeping him or her away from people with allergies and from food preparation areas, keeping chew toys handy so dogs don't get restless, and avoiding squeaky toys and jingly collars. Pets should be under control at all times, should be spayed or neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations, and never left unattended. Owners should exercise the animals during breaks, be responsible for cleaning up after the pet, and should remove food and water dishes at the end of the day. Further studies show that, in or out of the office, pets are good for people. A Cambridge University study shows overall health benefits to pet owners from owning a pet. Other studies show that owning companion animals help people fight depression and anxiety, reduce stress-related increases in blood pressure, and result in owners making fewer visits to the doctor. Studies also show that simply petting a pet dog results in decreased levels of the primary stress hormone cortisol. Having pets around can also provide owners with a sense of psychological stability, reduce the impact of unrelated stressful situations, and provide opportunities for exercise and a sense of purpose. Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce and Visitors' Bureau president and CEO Charise McHugh is another proponent of taking dogs to work. Her fellow employees, chamber visitors and tourists are used to seeing her golden retrievers, "Harp" and "Jameson," around the office. She says the dogs help with chamber public relations, too. "Sometimes the tourists get down on the floor and have the dogs crawl all over them because they miss their dogs so," she laughed. |