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Although many people might consider having dogs at your office a serious distraction— “OMG, look what little Oreo just did! He’s so cute! I could watch him for hours!” A recent Central Michigan University study affirms that having dogs in your workplace can be highly beneficial to both you and your employer.

Not surprisingly, The Humane Society of the United States also encourages employers to implement programs to allow dogs in the workplace.

The CMU study showed that when dogs were present in an office, employees were more likely to trust each other and collaborate more effectively.

“It’s heartening when research confirms our instincts and our practices,” commented Jennifer Fearing, co-author of Dogs at Work: A Practical Guide to Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces and California senior state director for The Humane Society of the United States. “We heartily agree with the positive impact that dogs can have on workplace morale, collaboration and productivity. The more than 50 dogs that ‘work’ in The HSUS offices every day have been a huge boost that more companies should be enjoying.”

Various experiments were done for the CMU study; one involving groups of four individuals, and some with or without dogs. Each group member was charged with a phony crime, and then questioned in order to see if they’d report their fellow group members. Groups with dogs present made employees 30 percent less likely to report each other, showing that canine co-workers make for a more cohesive and trustworthy workplace environment.

If you’d like to bring your furry friend to work, try getting your employer to implement a “dogs at work” program. For interested employers, resources like Dogs at Work: A Practical Guide to Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces, can be helpful when creating a business environment where employees’ dogs are welcome.  Find this and other great books at: www.humanesociety.org/hspress.