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Dogs in the office? Sounds amazing right! From strengthening team connections to supporting employee wellbeing, inviting furry friends into your workplace can offer real benefits.
One company that knows this better than most is Lancashire-based recruitment agency Spencer Clarke Group, who are joined daily by the dogs they lovingly refer to as ‘the real bosses’.
With nine pooches frequently clocking in, it’s safe to say the company wouldn’t be the same without them. As Take Your Dog to Work Day approaches, the team at Spencer Clarke Group share how a dog-friendly office benefits them and introduce us to their four-legged friends!
What’s your favourite part about working in a dog-friendly office?
Taylor Kirkham - Senior Consultant
It’s so difficult to pinpoint one thing because as a massive dog-lover, there is so much I love about having them here. If I had to pick it would probably be how much they brighten every day up.
They’re all hilarious and bring a lot of personality. No matter what time of day it is, chances are you will look down and see a dog hovering by your desk drawers, patiently waiting for their next snack.
We’re really lucky to work in a dog-friendly office and it’s something I try not to take for granted. When I tell my friends funny stories about the dogs they always comment on how much they’d love the same at their work.
Don’t get me wrong, they have their moments but on the whole the dogs are so well behaved and I can’t imagine it here without them.
In your opinion, what are the biggest benefits of a dog-friendly office?
Brad Robertson - Senior Consultant
There are actually a lot of benefits to having dogs here. The recruitment industry is fast-paced and sometimes unpredictable which means day-to-day we’re all extremely busy.
Our office dogs will never turn down a cuddle and sometimes that’s what we need too — a moment to switch off and gather our thoughts.
As well as being a calming distraction, the dogs also make for lots of funny moments and are a good way to help with anxiety, create connection and set us apart from other recruitment agencies.
The dogs have a big presence on our social media (they even now have their own Instagram account, spencerbarkgroup) and I know that for me, the dogs definitely drew me to the company when I was looking for a job.
How do dogs change the energy of the office day-to-day?
Sam Beirne - Graphic Designer
The dogs change the office energy immensely. There’s nothing better than arriving at work and being greeted by a bouncy black labrador who, despite seeing you 24 hours earlier, acts like she hasn’t seen you for weeks!
This feeling is even better if you’re having a bit of a down day. Our office dogs bring warmth and familiarity every day and their playful energy is infectious.
It only takes one funny moment with one of the dogs to completely snap you out of any negative mood you might be feeling.
Their morale-boosting energy is great for team productivity, which is another positive part of having them around.
If the office dogs had job titles, what would they be?
Debbie Holden - Head of Marketing
We actually already have this covered! To name a few, we have:
Fudge - Head of Hooman Resources
Izzy - Recruitment Suppawt Officer
Moose - Doggy Finance Copawdinator
Rolo - Barketing Executive
Our dogs are already little characters but assigning them an actual role in the business is something we on the marketing team take great pride in!
Do you feel dogs in the office have an impact on stress levels or morale?
Hannah Booth - Payroll & Accounts Supervisor
For me, definitely. Payroll is a busy department and the days fly by but I do make sure to fit in a dog cuddle every day, because it really calms my brain down.
I read somewhere that spending time with dogs can increase dopamine and I feel like I can vouch for this.
Spencer Clarke Group is a really vibrant place to work anyway, but the dogs definitely boost morale even further and keep us grounded on those days that go by in a flash.
Which office dog is the biggest personality?
Luke Meeks - Creative Lead
Ooooh, that’s a tough question because they are all such characters. I don’t know if I can choose ‘biggest’ personality but they each bring something different to the table.
For example, Fudge and Rolo (brothers, though not biologically) never miss their 2pm treat. You could set your watch by them rocking up to our room just on time for their daily treat.
Lola, a gorgeous brown sprocker, is crazy — she usually looks possessed which is so funny.
Mabel, our black spaniel, would be a great guard dog. There’s not many delivery drivers who get away without being barked at.
Opal, or should I say Queen Opal, is definitely top dog. She’s our Founder Mike’s sprocker and she rules the roost.
If you’re away on annual leave you can count on Opal to keep your seat warm whilst you’re gone.
Izzy, a Miniature Italian Greyhound, is bonkers. She’s tiny but mighty. In fact, to answer your question, she probably does have the biggest personality.
Do dogs help people connect across teams or departments?
John Shorrock - Managing Consultant
Yes, definitely. Our dogs just love everyone and they’ve proven to be the foundation for many office friendships.
Members of our team regularly meet up in their spare time to walk their dogs together which is really nice.
In the office, the dogs almost serve as ice-breakers. They bring everyone together and no matter who owns a dog, we all see ourselves as ‘Aunties’ and ‘Uncles’.
We’ve also found the dogs are great when we have new members of the team. We all know your first day in a new job can be nerve-wracking, but the dogs help to calm people’s nerves and spark conversations between existing staff and new employees.
How do dogs contribute to the company culture?
Nicole Sherwood - Content Writer
They contribute massively but I think because we have so strongly woven them into the fabric of Spencer Clarke Group, you literally couldn’t know we exist without also knowing about the dogs.
We have 10 points of culture here, which we do our best to stick to at the workplace and in our personal lives. These include being energetic, fun, supportive and rewarding.
I’d say the dogs tie into all of these. They’re certainly fun and energetic, they bring a supportive nature to our team and it’s so rewarding having them around.
Last year, we even created the Spencer Bark Group colouring books to give out at the primary schools we work with.
These went down really well, helped children develop their fine motor skills through colouring and were a great way of taking our office culture beyond our four walls.
Do you think a dog-friendly office helps attract talent?
Max Mcillmurray - Recruitment Consultant
This does seem to be the case for us and working in recruitment we know how tricky it can be to attract and retain valuable team members.
If you’re a dog-lover, we’re definitely the place for you, but I do think it’s important to bear in mind that not everyone loves dogs as much as us.
We’d never want to isolate anyone or make them feel awkward for being scared of dogs, having an allergy or simply not liking them, so being open and communicating our dog policy is important.
This way we keep Spencer Clarke Group a happy and safe environment for all humans and all dogs!
Do you have a favourite memory with your office dogs?
Ellie Wallbank - Marketing Executive
We’ve had so many amazing moments with the dogs, they have us laughing from the minute we arrive at work most days.
One of my personal favourites has to be when we hosted the SCG ‘Pawlympics’. This took place in July 2024 in honour of the summer Olympics and boy did we go all out.
We set up an indoor obstacle course consisting of cones to weave through, tunnels to navigate and hoops to jump through and then enrolled four members of our team to judge each dog's agility.
It was such a fun way to spend quality time with the dogs and great for all involved.
After a tense week of competition, our gorgeous Sprocker, Minnie, was crowned Pawlympics champion!
