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MP's and Wimbledon Stars Prompt The Kennel Club to Launch 'Open for Dogs Week'

The Kennel Club is calling on workplaces and other public places to join its inaugural Open for Dogs Week this August and allow dogs into their premises, following complaints from MPs and Wimbledon stars about biased attitudes towards their dogs.

The Open for Dogs Week, which runs from 1st – 7th August, is also intended to help stressed out city workers who have been shown, in a recent international study to suffer higher levels of anxiety, depression and mental problems than their rural based counterparts. Psychologists are urging firms to trial the dog friendly policy to see what a difference it can make.

Despite the benefits that dogs can bring – psychologists have found that they help to lower blood pressure and trigger calming hormones – many places do not allow dogs in to work. Recent high profile complaints about this anti-dog stance include the tennis ace Novak Djokovic who would like Wimbledon, which operates a no-dogs policy, to give his pet Poodle a courtside seat. Matthew Offord, MP for Henley, also recently invoked the human rights act because of the House of Commons' refusal to allow his Jack Russell into work with him. He said that the dog, Max, is “great for taking the stress out of my day.”

Workplaces and public spaces are now being urged to sign a pledge to take part in the Kennel Club’s Open for Dogs Week. The Kennel Club has produced a guide for businesses to demonstrate the value of dogs in the workplace and to ensure that the experience is positive rather than disruptive.

Lance Workman, psychologist at Bath Spa University, said: “The benefits of having dogs in the workplace and elsewhere are profound. Stroking a dog is proven to elevate the production of happy hormones, serotonin and dopamine, which in turn lowers blood pressure and reduces stress.

“This is something that would be particularly beneficial to people in highly stressful situations such as city workers and MPs or even Wimbledon stars. . “City firms in particular will see the benefits because dogs need regular outdoor breaks, encouraging otherwise sedentary workers to get away from their computers and get some fresh air. This increases productivity and creativity and so a dog friendly policy is bound to have a positive impact on the health, wellbeing and output of a company’s workers.”

Businesses which have taken on board the Open for Dogs policy for their customers include Metro Bank, the high street bank whose motto is ‘dogs rule’.

Craig Donaldson, Chief Executive of Metro Bank, said: “Our customers tell us that they love the fact that we welcome their dogs with water bowls, dog treats and open arms. Metro bank prides itself on giving customers the best possible banking experience, and this mean they shouldn’t have to leave their dogs tied up outside. We encourage all businesses to open their doors to dogs!”

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “It seems crazy that so many people, who would like to give a loving home to a dog, are unable to do so simply because they are not allowed to take them to work or to certain pubs, restaurants and hotels.

“Of course, dog owners have a responsibility to ensure that their dog is well behaved, but so long as the ground rules are in place businesses will thrive as a result of allowing dogs in.

“Workplaces and public places that want to see the benefits for themselves can sign up to the Open for Dogs Week pledge, enabling them to trial the policy for one week and we hope that the House of Commons will be one of the first to come on board. Thankfully there are already 10,000 public places which welcome dogs listed on our Open for Dogs website, and we hope as a result of this week there will be a lot more.”

To include your business in the Kennel Club’s Open for Dogs Week, which runs from 1st – 7th August, and to receive an Open for Dogs Guide visit www.openfordogs.org.uk.

Employees and customers can also nominate businesses for the Kennel Club Open for Dogs Awards under numerous categories, including Somewhere to Drink, Somewhere to Eat and ‘other’ for workplaces. Nominations will close on 19th August 2011. www.openfordogs.org.uk

ENDS

Notes to Editors • The Kennel Club’s Open for Dogs campaign aims to encourage more places in the UK to operate a dog friendly policy. Its website, Open for Dogs, which is operated by Dog Friendly, lists 10,000 dog friendly places in the UK, in order to help dog owners find places where they and their dogs are welcome.

• Research has proven that dogs reduce stress levels and lower blood pressure. The study showing that workers in cities suffer higher levels of anxiety, depression and mental problems than their rural counterparts was carried out by researchers from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and McGill University in Canada. The research was funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme, the German Research Foundation and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

• Other studies include that of Karen Allen, from State University of New York at Buffalo, which found that stockbrokers with hypertension who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did their non-pet-owning counterparts (cited in online paper, Therapy Dogs in the Long-Term Care Environment by Steve Reiman, President of Therapy Dogs of Vermont.)

• Another study found that dogs can increase levels of serotonin and dopamine in people — nerve transmitters that are known to have pleasurable and calming properties. (Blair Justice, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health and author of Who Gets Sick: How Beliefs, Moods, and Thoughts Affect Your Health).

Source : The Kennel Club

Date : 29/06/2011






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