To prove this, Barker, along with fellow VCU professors Janet Knisely, Sandra Barker, Rachel Cobb and Christine Schubert of the Air Force Institute of Technology, examined workers at a North Carolina company for one week. The company, which has 550 employees, also has between 20 and 30 dogs, brought by employees, on any given day.

Workers reported that the dogs were a “great bonus for employee morale” and “a great stress relief,” while also being an aid in “increasing co-worker cooperation.” The stress relief that dogs provide, however, has many additional benefits since reduced stress consequently leads to reduced absenteeism and burnout, while also improving productivity.