I’ve always been a firm believer that dog’s come into our lives for a reason. Within the past couple months I’ve watched that unfold right here in the office at Got2Web. I’d like to introduce you all to Rocky. The 30lb., four legged, furry love that’s filled with an incredible amount of intelligence, personality and affection has single handedly changed the office dynamics. Since Rocky’s arrival the office has been filled with laughter over his adorable, crazy antics & quite an array of musical tones that come from the 6 month old Black Lab Mix; he’s quite the talker! Not only has his personality added some extra spunk around here, having a dog in the office has been beneficial to the office work life. 

Dave, the owner and leader of this operation, wasn’t actively looking for a dog, but Rocky managed to find his way home. One day in the daily dog chatter, Linda, our Office Manager, had brought up that a friend of hers was fostering Rocky and she was on the search for a forever home. It didn’t take much convincing and just a short couple days later Dave was on his way to meet what would become his new furry companion. Once you have the pleasure of meeting Rocky you’ll instantly know that it doesn’t take much for this pup to completely win you over and that’s exactly what happened when Dave & Rocky met. Since that day it’s been pretty incredible to watch how he’s added so much to the office dynamics on a daily basis. He’s found himself in a role as the Got2Web mascot, greeting every guest with his puppy love. Even whilst wearing his red collar, his shiny black fur and white patches match the Got2Web logo! To say he fits in here is quite the understatement. 

Witnessing the change in the office after Rocky’s arrival has been an awesome transformation to experience. Which leads me to the topic of the benefits of having a dog in the workplace. It all starts when you’re walking through the door first thing in the morning. Being greeted by the genuine excitement, the outpouring of love and quite the happy tail, it is down right impossible not to start your day off with a grin stretching from ear to ear. What better way to start your day other than happy? I tend to think about if we were to greet others the way dogs do how our daily interactions would drastically change. A normal start to my day includes the warm welcome from Rocky at the door, followed by a little more love when I reach my desk and as soon as I’ve settled in I take a deep breath, savor my smile and dive right into the workload for the day. Over the past couple months I’ve watched him add a little extra light to the mornings, which we all know can be a little rough sometimes. Right off the bat having a dog in the office sets you up to start your work day with a positive attitude and a little extra love in your day. 

Not only coming from first hand experience, there also have been studies done to back up the benefits to having dogs in the workplace. It has been found that they reduce stress, improve morale and leads to a more productive work environment. Here at Got2Web, we work in an industry where the core base of our work is utilizing computers. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in your current project and work until your eyes go cross. It’s important to remind yourself to re-adjust your focus on something further away, so you’re not continuously over working your eyes. Having Rocky in the office, without constant thought, has given us the opportunity to have a reprieve from the stress on our eyes and has given us a moment to process our project away from our desk. Sometimes the workload can be a bit stressful and you hear a whine at the door to go out. He gives us an opportunity to take a step back from the computer,  and get some fresh air. Upon coming back to the project you’re a bit more refreshed and can take a look at it was a new set of eyes. 

If you are considering allowing dogs into your work environment there are so many positive outcomes, you just want to make sure there are no allergies in the mix up! Since Rocky’s addition to the Got2Web crew, it has changed the vibes for the better; at this point it just wouldn’t be the same without him!