Thousands of workplaces around the country play host to a parade of canine visitors on Friday, June 21, in honor of Take Your Dog to Work Day. But for some employees, dogs come to work every day.

    At Google (GOOG), research scientist Elin Pedersen drives to work about twice a week with her Great Dane Leika, who she says keeps her from getting stuck on thorny problems.

    "I walk her every other hour, just briefly, going out and around the block. That is really good for my brain," Pedersen says. "I am way more productive when I have her with me."

    Other dog-friendly employers across the continent include Nestle Purina PetCare Co. in St. Louis, gaming firm Zynga (ZNGA) in San Francisco, INVIVO in Toronto, and even Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. And many more companies allow dogs on the annual observation of Take Your Dog to Work Day, which has grown from just 300 participating companies in 1999 to thousands now, according to sponsor Pet Sitters International.

    Researchers have found that having dogs in work environments can lead to better teamwork, boosted morale, lower stress, and higher employee retention.

    "Dogs in the workplace can make a positive difference," says Randolph T. Barker, a professor of management at the VCU School of Business, who has studied the effects of the presence of pets on worker stress levels. "The differences in perceived stress between days the dog was present and absent were significant. The employees as a whole had higher job satisfaction than industry norms."

    But before bringing dogs into the office, both employer and employee must take a few important steps. Employers should survey the workforce about allergies or phobias that would need to be accommodated. Employees should make sure their pets are well-trained and not aggressive around people or other animals. "We are the first to admit that this may not be a good fit for every workplace," says Beth Stultz, marketing manager for Pet Sitters International.

    Employers should set policies and parameters for areas where the dogs are permitted and establish expectations for dogs' behavior. Pet owners should provide food, water, toys, and a bed for their animal and might consider using baby gates or bringing the dog to work on a weekend so they can become accustomed to the space.

    在谷歌，把狗带到办公室的员工意识到，他们必须防止因此发生意外，或者给同事带来麻烦。针对由此造成的混乱以及越界行为，谷歌制定了一票否决政策。佩德森指出：“这项权力会带来很多责任。”

    Zynga的员工必须为自己的爱犬注册，同时还要提供最新的疫苗接种记录。他们可以在屋顶的狗狗公园里牵着爱犬散步，也可以把狗拴在自助餐厅外适于爱犬逗留的安置区。

    这家公司的高级游戏制作人索拉•白领养了爱犬伊奇，随后大家都听说办公室里又多了一只小狗，这个消息把以前从未见过面的同事都吸引到了索拉•白的办公桌前。白说：“伊奇认识的人比我还多。”在走廊和宠物活动区里，伊奇让白变得更加合群：“和我说话的人比以前多了，因为我们都养狗。”

    Zynga这个名字就来自于公司创始人的爱犬。由于有这么多员工把狗带到办公室，开会时都有可能听到爱犬的打闹声。白说：“有时突然会听到四只狗在墙角玩耍的声音，对极少数人来说这种事有点儿奇怪。”

    中密歇根大学（Central Michigan University）最近的一项研究表明，把狗带进办公室还可能提高员工的协作水平和职业道德。总的来说，当120名研究对象带着狗上班时，他们的信任程度、团队凝聚力和亲密程度指标都会处于较高水平。

    弗吉尼亚联邦大学商学院巴克教授认为：“带狗上班或许会成为一种低成本的健康调节手段，许多公司都可以采用这种方法。它有可能提高员工在组织结构方面的满意度，同时让他们觉得自己得到了更大的支持。当然，需要制定政策来确保办公室里的宠物友善、干净而且守规矩，这一点很重要。”（财富中文网）

    译者：Charlie

    Dog owners at Google realize they must shoulder the burden of avoiding accidents or a colleague being bothered by their pet. There's a one-strike policy for messes or aggressive behavior. "It's a privilege with a lot of responsibilities," Pedersen says.

    At Zynga, every dog owner registers her pet with the company and provides health records of up-to-date vaccinations. Employees can walk the dogs in a "wooftop" dog park or tie them up outside the cafeteria in a dog-friendly "barking lot."

    When senior producer Sora Bai adopted her dog Itsy, word went around the office that there was a new puppy, bringing visitors to Bai's desk that she'd never met before. "She knows more people than I do," Bai says about the dog, who has helped her owner become more social in the hallways and at the dog run. "I talk more to people than I knew previously because we have the dogs in common."

    So many dogs come to Zynga, whose corporate name comes from the founder's dog, that meetings might include several canines roughhousing. "For new people, it's a little weird because all of a sudden you're hearing four dogs playing in the corner," Bai says.

    A recent study by researchers at Central Michigan University suggests that workplaces with dogs might also engage in higher levels of collaboration and ethical behavior. The 120 individuals who participated in the study scored higher overall on measures of trust, team cohesion, and intimacy when dogs were present.

    "Pet presence may serve as a low-cost wellness intervention readily available to many organizations and may enhance organizational satisfaction and perceptions of support," says VCU's Barker. "Of course, it is important to have policies in place to ensure only friendly, clean, and well-behaved pets are present in the workplace."