Thursday, March 28, 2024

Follow

Contact

Very good dogs don’t necessarily make very good coworkers

April 29, 2020 Category: FeaturedPurposeShort

Disclosures

This guest column was written by Jessica Myrick, associate professor of media studies at Penn State University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.


Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are working from home in close proximity to our human children or fur babies.

Cats have their fans, but I want to focus on dogs.

Dogs are great companions. Science suggests owning one may benefit mental health. Just making eye contact with your dog can release the feel-good hormone oxytocin.

But, as a researcher who studies emotions, procrastination and how people interact with pets, I can tell you that sometimes work emphasizes getting things done over feel-good chemicals. So what do we know about how this new-found time with your dog might be affecting your productivity?

Good dog, bad dog

There’s evidence that bringing your dog to work with you can reduce your perceived stress levels as the day progresses. And research on stress management has shown that employees who feel good are more productive.

From our Partners

Taken together, those findings bode well for including your canine companions in your at-home work routines.

Keep in mind, pets can get stressed when their surroundings or routines change, and it may take a while for both you and your pup to settle into a new working-with-your-dog lifestyle.

Technical.ly Managing Editor Julie Zeglen’s coworker, Esmé. (Photo by Julie Zeglen)

Working with pet videos

If you don’t have a pet but want to benefit from the same potential boosts in mood or productivity, there is always the internet.

In a cross-sectional survey I conducted with 7,000 internet users in 2015, I found that watching cat videos can give people a quick boost of happiness and energy. While this study focused on felines, dog lovers may get similar benefits from watching videos of their favorite pooches.

A study of veterinary students tested this idea. The course instructor picked 20 class days and on half showed a cute or funny video featuring dogs or cats during the middle of the lecture.

Students were surveyed during all 20 class days. On the days they viewed animal videos they reported more positive mood, greater interest in the course material and deeper understanding of the course material.

While you are not going to get a lot of work done watching hours of pet videos on YouTube, some research suggests that taking short breaks for a mood-boosting activity, be it petting an actual dog or watching a video of one online, may not only improve your mood but also decrease stress or re-energize you when you do return to your work.

Finding a solution

More studies are needed in this area to come to a stronger scientific consensus on the relationship between working alongside your dog and your productivity.

The value of having a dog with you during your workday will depend on the type of work, the workplace or work-from-home environment, the type of dog and your own style of work.

In the meantime, pick up your dog for a minute so all your coworkers can make eye contact with her via the group Zoom video session and share in your oxytocin boost.

The Conversation

Project

Generocity

Trending News

A City of Neighborhoods and the Challenge of Affordable Housing ImpactPHL Perspectives
From Bars to Belonging: Overcoming the Housing Crisis Facing Returning Citizens Ryan Moser
Monday Minute with Jean Pierre Brice Monique Curry-Mims
Monday Minute with Tara Felicia Jones Monique Curry-Mims
Skin In The Game Andre Simms

Related Posts

February 1, 2023

A Generocity update, and our 2023 editorial calendar

Read More >
January 10, 2023

Going Beyond the Dollar: Strengthening the Support System of Grandfamilies

Read More >
November 12, 2021

What to do when your nonprofit’s rep is taking a beating

Read More >