It’s not just workmen who are enjoying having their dogs with them at work. New swanky office buildings in cities throughout the UK are springing up which welcome our four-legged friends.

“Office providers are going out of their way to make dogs and pets welcome – it’s a huge growth market – think pet friendly holiday homes, but for office workers”, says Desk.co.uk’s Martin Jones. “People absolutely love it, and the amount of serviced offices and coworking spaces now offering “pet friendly” as a feature is growing super fast”.

In June there is of course Take Your Dog To Work Day but how about being able to bring your pooch to work every single day.

Many new style coworking offices encourage networking and social interaction, and have such features as cafes, chillout areas and all-inclusive fruit juice stations. The pet friendly feature is to help a new wave of millennials who are blurring the line between work and home life.

The benefits of having your four-legged friend at work are:

Keeps you more active
Reduces stress in the workplace
Improves job satisfaction
Helps social interaction
Reduces the cost of pet care

“We have heard of offices with puppies running around – i’m not sure that’ll work long term, but then if the boss is happy why not” says Desk.co.uk’s Jones

The most popular types of dogs for office life do seem to be the more placid breeds such:

Labrador
Pug
Dachshund
Terrier
Boxer
Deerhound

“Here at Desk.co.uk we have two working cocker spaniels called Willow and Bramble. Life is great and happy until they both appear at the same time, and it can get a bit exciting. The staff love it and you see people on the phone sat stroking one of them, it works for us”, explains Jones.

Claire Smith, works in Shoreditch, “I take my Akita called Boris into work every day. I live 5 minutes away from the office so it works great. People love him, he has a bed and people take him outside into the garden when they go for a coffee.”

Charlotte Mills, works in Holborn, “When our manager suggested it we weren’t sure if it would work, however my pug Sophie loves coming to work. She has a bed under my desk and gets lots of fuss. I wouldn’t have been able to have a dog if she wasn’t allowed at work so I think it’s a great idea.”

Of course the benefits are not just for the workers. Dogs love social interaction, and they enjoy mental exercise part just as much as physical.

Maybe the next time you shout “walkies” it might be to the office rather than the park.