This story appears in the
December 2016 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Hip startups often have dogs roaming the office -- and although it’s become a cliché, these businesses could be onto something. “A dog’s presence in the workplace reduces stress for owners and may increase their productivity and job satisfaction,” says Dr. Randolph T. Barker (real name!), a professor emeritus of management at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, who has studied the effects of canines on organizations and workplace stress. Here’s how to make work more pet-friendly.
Related: For a Productive Workplace Let Your Office Go to the Dogs
1. The human-mattress darling Casper now brings us the Casper Dog Mattress ($125 to $225; casper.com), the product of nearly a year of dog sleep studies. Its microfiber cover is machine-washable and resistant to claws and teeth.
Image Credit: Casper
2. When your four-legged office friend is done napping and wants to play, there’s the Nerf Dog Tennis Ball Blaster ($20; target.com). With a single pump, it projects its orbs up to around 50 feet. Just try not to break anything too valuable.
Image Credit: Nerf
3. Keep tabs on your pal from across the office with Petcube Play ($199; petcube.com), which has a built-in camera and a speaker so you can say hi. But the real fun is its app-controlled laser toy, which shoots at different spots in the room. Fetch that!
Image Credit: Petcube
Related: Do Pets Make the Best Co-Workers?
4. Can’t bring your dog in? Let him know he’s a good boy -- yes he is, yes he is! -- at home. The smartphone-controlled Petzi Treat Cam ($170; amazon.com) lets you remotely watch, talk via a built-in speaker, snap pet pics and dispense a real treat.
Image Credit: Petzi
