Would you bring your dog to the office? Well, half of us want to...

Listen up, bosses

As any dog owner will know, leaving your pup at home to go to work is a daily struggle. You worry about them being lonely, you miss all the weird things they do, and you just don't understand why they can't come and snooze under your desk.

Pet food company Purina has found that - as we might have guessed - we're not the only ones who feel this way.

In fact, there is a demand for dog-friendly workplaces – 82% of workplaces do not allow dogs, but 50% of us would bring their dog to work if they were allowed.

Well, how much more fun would a dreary Tuesday morning be if there were sweet little puppies everywhere you looked? The research even showed that dogs in the office can increase our happiness, wellbeing and motivation - and can even break the ice if you have an office crush.

The biggest obstacle preventing people from getting a dog is long working hours (58%), with other barriers including landlords not allowing them (13%) and having too much of a busy social life (9%).

And it turns out younguns are super-keen on having pets at work, with 47% of 18-24 year olds seeing having pets in the office as an incentive to work somewhere.

We're just saying, bosses... let our pups into work and you'll see productivity go through the roof.

'We wholeheartedly believe that people and pets are better together - and being at work should not stand in the way of that,' said Richard Watson, Regional Director, Purina. 'It boosts employee morale, encourages more physical activity and helps us create a stimulating environment where our people are happy, have fun and can perform at their best. Having pets in the office is inspirational.'

Here are the top ten benefits pets bring to the workplace, according to the research...

1. Happier and healthier staff (34%) 2. Dogs get to spend more time with their owners (30%) 3. Increased socialisation (28%) 4. Encourage more physical activity (26%) 5. Employees less likely to suffer from depression (20%) 6. Dogs get to socialise with other dogs (18%) 7. Reduced blood pressure and cholesterol levels (17%) 8. Increased engagement and motivation (14%) 9. Helps break the ice when talking to senior staff (10%) 10. Helps break the ice when talking to an office crush (9%)

Would you take your dog into work? Let us know @marieclaireuk