BRINGING YOUR DOG TO WORK.
The Osgood File. Sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.Com. Make someone smile today with 1-800-Flowers' Smile Guarantee. In a moment, a special offer just for you. This is Charles Osgood.
A new study finds that bringing your dog to work can make you feel better and work better all day long.
Do you believe that? Our CBS News colleague Chip Reid does...
SOT - Chip Reid, CBS News Correspondent
"This is no fly-by-night study. It was published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management. It is the first quantitative study to look at the effect of bringing your dog to work on stress and productivity." (:11)
The story after this...
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The study on taking your dog to work with you was done at Virginia Commonwealth University - by a professor named "Barker," believe it or not: Professor Randolph Barker.
SOT - Prof. Randolph Barker, Virginia Commonwealth University
"The individuals who brought their dogs to work, their stress was lower at the beginning of the day - stayed that way the entire day." (:06)
It being scientific study, says Chip Reid, there had to be a control group of workers who have dogs - but did not bring them to the office.
VO - Chip Reid
"But for dog owners who did not bring their dogs to work, stress increased steadily - and nearly doubled by the end of the work day." (:08)
Reid, who is Washington based, reports that taking the dog to work is practiced there at the highest levels.
VO - Chip Reid
"White House advisors say President Obama's dog Bo reduces stress in the West Wing. And on Capitol Hill, California Republican Congressman Ken Calvert says that, despite all the partisanship, 'Cali' is the great unifier." (:13)
SOT - Rep. Ken Calvert, Republican of California
"Cali's happy every day, loves everybody, loves the people who come in. We think that having a dog in the office makes everybody happier and do their job better. And Cali keeps a good eye on things." (:11)
Of course, some dogs bark too much, says Professor Barker.
SOT - Prof. Randolph Barker
"People did find sometimes the dogs were disruptive - they were noisy. People did find that sometimes that the dogs were not as clean as they perhaps would like them." (:07)
But if your boss says it's not businesslike to bring your dog to work, tell him about The Barker Report.
SOT - Prof. Randolph Barker
"Fifty percent of those people that brought their dogs to work felt that their dogs increased their productivity - that gets businesses attention when you say that, right?" (:08)
Right!
The Osgood File. Charles Osgood on the CBS Radio Network. |
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