Ireland is a dog-loving nation with around 20 per cent of homes here having at least one dog.

And one husband and wife team of dog food entrepreneurs, Christopher and Bridgeen Hanlon, are calling on employers to become more dog friendly - particularly as today is Dog’s Trust ‘Bring Your Dog to Work Day’.   It actually turns out that having your furry friend in the office would not only add an extra dose of adorable-ness, it could actually be really good for you - as well as your dog. Co-founder of Werewolf Food and expert dog trainer, Chris, explained:

“My experience working with dogs over the last 20 years has assured me that the office is an excellent environment for dogs and humans to benefit from each other. Irish companies who don’t yet have a dog-friendly policy may be missing a trick when it comes to these benefits.

“For starters, dogs are excellent social lubricants that instantly bring employees together, bettering the bond amongst colleagues and improving the way the team works together. All good news for a business’s bottom line. Some of the world’s best-performing companies Google, Amazon, Ticketmaster all have dog-friendly spaces." “We know that dogs encourage owners to exercise, benefitting a workforce’s physical and mental health. "And so when employees can have their dogs at work they are much more likely to get out and about at lunch, with the physical exercise helping their state of mind and productivity for the rest of the day. "Pet ownership has actually been shown to result in fewer visits to the doctor, meaning a healthier workforce when dogs are part of the team.

“Let’s face it – the office can be a very stressful environment with client deadlines and colleague tensions bubbling from time to time but the presence of a dog, the petting of it and the cuddles instantly lowers blood pressure and acts as a coping mechanism lowering negative atmospheres. “Today’s workforce can be tough to impress but dog friendly offices may find the recruitment process that little easier. If employees are allowed to bring their dogs to work, they will save money on dog care. This is a genuine financial perk for your staff that costs you nothing."

He added that while some offices may be unable to accommodate dogs, either because of the size of the workforce or because it just isn't appropriate for them to be present, the companies that can can "do a great deal more" for their dog-owning employees. He said:  

"Far too many dogs are left isolated in back gardens on their own so if you can facilitate, please encourage your employees to bring their dog to work this ‘Bring Your Dog to Work Day’ and beyond.”

Co-founder of Werewolf Food, Bridgeen, added:

‘We have seen some amazing initiatives from employers such as pawternity packages, bring your dog to work Fridays, reformed outdoor areas where dogs can be kept during the day and work from home days

"There are plenty of ways employers can make small changes that will make a big difference to their employees and their pets, workplace culture and colleague relationships. “Both Chris and I are huge dog-lovers, and this will always be at the core of our Werewolf Food’s offering. Our call today for employers to be more open-minded about dogs in the workplace is just an extension of our passion and what we feel is right when it comes to caring for dogs and supporting their owners."

The duo are the creators of online dog food subscription start-up, Werewolf Food, which was founded in January of this year and inspired by Chris’ 20-years’ experience training specialist sniffer dogs used by police & government services locally and internationally, including Singapore and the USA. You can find out more information on their website here.