Want to improve your productivity? Get a dog.

One of my friends who’s a fellow entrepreneur recently got a puppy. I thought he was crazy to take on such a big responsibility in his already hectic life.

The thing is, when I spoke with him after the first few weeks as a dog owner, he seemed happier and more relaxed than I’d seen him in months - and he had just completed a successful product launch, which is arguably one of the more stressful times for a founder.

It got me thinking: Could owning a dog actually improve your productivity?

What happens when you pet a dog

Oxytocin is a hormone that is produced in the hypothalamus and released into our circulatory system in response to sensory stimulation from a network of nerves in our body.

Known as the “love hormone,” oxytocin is released not only during breastfeeding and sex, but also from touch and stroking in the context of trusting relationships.

That includes petting your dog.

Oxytocin expert Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg designed a study that found even short sensory interaction from an owner petting his or her dog provided a significant rise in oxytocin levels.

This is significant because of the range of oxytocin’s positive effects on us. It facilitates trust and attachment, decreases depression and self-reported anxiety, and increases positive self-perception.

So when my friend was petting and playing with his puppy, he was increasing his confidence and decreasing his stress levels.

No wonder he was happy.

The science backs what every dog owner intuitively knows: Interacting with your dog makes you feel good.

The debate on dogs in the office

Some people are appalled at the increase of dogs in traditionally human-only places, like coffee shops and offices.

But does having dogs in the office actually increase your productivity?

Source: Investopedia

Yes, as it turns out. Researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University conducted a study at a manufacturing company in North Carolina. The company’s employees were separated into three groups: dog owners who brought their dogs into the office, dog owners who did not bring their dogs into the office, and non-dog owners.

At the beginning of the day, researchers took saliva samples of the employees’ cortisol levels. Employees reported their stress levels at four different times throughout the day. As the day went on, there were noticeable differences between stress levels among employees.

The workers that had their dogs with them in the office were the least stressed out among the groups. They also reported higher levels of productivity, higher levels of job satisfaction, and a more positive perception of their employer.

What’s more, dogs can be particularly useful in environments with high stress levels, like when you’re starting a business.

One study measured healthcare workers’ cortisol before and after interaction with a therapy dog, and found that there was a significant reduction in the workers’ cortisol levels after playing with the animal. That’s important because stress reduction is essential for us to be able to learn and perform effectively.

It seems like author Dean Koontz was right when he said:

Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog can be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation.

So, both the speed at which you work and your overall performance is enhanced because dogs lead to increased relaxation and a reduction of stress.

Why dogs increase collaboration

It’s worth pointing out here that we’re highlighting scenarios and research where no one at the office feels threatened or unsafe with a dog present. If you’re distracted by your co-worker’s misbehaved dog, it might not feel like it boosts your productivity.

These distractions, however annoying, could actually be beneficial. Dogs can spark conversation between people who you might not normally be communicating with in person, leading to more engagement and overall satisfaction with your company.

Those collaboration benefits are echoed in a study from Central Michigan University. In the first part of the research experiment, subjects were grouped together and asked to create a 15-second ad for a product. Some groups had a dog in the room, others did not.

Researchers found that the groups with a dog in the room rated their group members higher on trust and team cohesion measures than those with no dog.

The second experiment grouped subjects together to play the prisoner’s dilemma, the hypothetical game where two criminals are arrested and held in separate rooms. The police offer both prisoners the chance to reduce their sentence by testifying that their partner committed the crime. The dilemma is that unless both criminals remain silent, betraying their partner offers a greater individual reward.

The results were that having a dog in the room made group members 30% less likely to betray their partner than those who didn’t have a dog. The researchers concluded that dogs increase collaboration and team camaraderie among people.

My friend has his dog with him while he works by necessity; she’s a puppy and needs frequent walks.

That likely boosts his productivity in the office and makes him more likely to collaborate with his partners.

How to simulate the effects of owning a dog

You may know that you’re not going to be a dog owner anytime soon, or you may fall firmly in the cat camp. Either way, you can access the productivity benefits of owning a dog for yourself with these three tips.

1. Look at pictures of baby animals

Simply looking at pictures of baby animals can improve your productivity.

A Japanese study had their research subjects look at pictures of baby animals and then perform a variety of tasks. The researchers’ goal was to uncover whether viewing things that are kawaii, a Japanese word meaning ‘cute,’ had any effect on people’s behavior.

What they discovered was that looking at pictures of cute animals helped their subject’s performance, particularly in perceptual tasks that required focus, and made them more attentive.

Finally, there’s proof that all your time spent on Daily Puppy was not in vain.

2. Take breaks outside

Having a dog that requires regular walks forces you to take breaks and get outside.

A growing body of research says that you’re more productive if you take regular breaks during your workday.

Set a timer to work for a specified amount of time or add recurring 15-minute appointments into your calendar. Use that time to get outside and take a walk.

3. Pet other people’s animals

We know that petting dogs produces oxytocin, the feel-good hormone that makes you happy.

Why not offer to walk your neighbor’s dog, pet sit for your friends while they’re traveling, or volunteer at your local animal shelter?

You’ll benefit from oxytocin’s positive effects without having the long-term responsibilities of dog ownership.

Understanding the benefits of owning a dog will hopefully help you the next time you’re thinking about how to be more productive.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that how you feel while you work affects your productivity.

Reducing your stress levels, taking breaks, and collaborating with teammates makes you feel good.

And feeling good leads to better work.

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This post originally appeared on the ooomf blog.