Bringing Dogs to Work is the Ultimate Perk

Over the past 18 months, it seems that for many families, home life and office life have merged. Americans have overwhelmingly voiced that one of the biggest perks of working from home has been an increased ability to bond with pets. Many have even brought “pandemic pups” into their family, creating a large surge in adoptions.

With Pet Sitters International's Take Your Dog To Work Day® approaching, we got to wondering what value pet parents have begun to put on their ability to work alongside their dogs. Employees have grown accustomed to taking Zoom calls with their pups by their side (or at their feet). We wanted to determine whether they see the opportunity to take their dogs to work every day as an actual employment benefit, ranking among PTO, bonuses, and flexible hours.

Who better to explore this topic with than the Diggs community? We sent a brief survey to our customers to learn more about their experiences working around their dogs over the last year and a half, and their desires to carry that comradery over into the office on a daily basis. The response was overwhelming, with over 400 American dog owners voicing strong opinions about what bringing their dogs to work every day would mean to them. Here are a few highlights:

Working alongside dogs is the ultimate work perk—valuable enough to warrant a change in jobs. 75% of pet parents surveyed said they would consider leaving their current role if a similar opportunity arose that allowed them to spend more time with their dogs, such as a dog-friendly office policy or work-from-home structure.

The bond between dogs and their owners that was established over the last 18 months means business.

92% surveyed said they have become closer than ever to their dog over the last 18 months.

Many employees would choose the ability to bring dogs to the office over extra vacation days.

4 in 10 pet parents surveyed said if given a choice, they would take the ability to bring their dog to the office regularly over a couple of extra vacation days.

Spending time working alongside dogs is better than a bonus to some.

14% surveyed said if given the option of additional work benefits, they would pass on a $2,500 bonus in order to be able to bring their dog to the office regularly.

Canines make the best work colleagues.

89% of respondents agreed that being around their dog leads to a more positive work experience.

These findings are compelling, but certainly nothing we didn’t already know: dogs make the best work colleagues and Take Your Dog To Work Day is best celebrated every day!

PS – If a dog-friendly office isn’t quite in the cards, here are a few tips on how to prepare your pup for your transition back to the office. These crate training tips are great for office pups too, as dogs will need to mind their manners when visiting the workplace! Be sure to share your experience (and photos!) working in the office with your pup on Take Your Dog to Work Day tomorrow with our All Things Pet Facebook Group.

Survey Data Compilation: Diggs Inc. surveyed consumers to better understand their desire to work in a dog-friendly office. Over 400  respondents, including over 200 dog owners that identified as working specifically in in-person office settings that lack dog-friendly policies, were recruited directly through Diggs’ customer list and social channels between 6/22/21-6/23/21.