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October 3, 2011

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Confessions of a Working Dog

By Farley Hillis Ghostwritten by Deborah Hillis (aka, Farley's Mom)

First, let me introduce myself and give you a little background as to how I came to work at Premier Pet Products. I was born about 3 years ago, and pretty much had a normal puppyhood, but somehow ended up unwanted and unloved in a shelter. I temporarily called my new home the Richmond Animal League and being the adorable man that I am… it didn’t take long until I found my forever home.  

My new mom promptly named me Farley, and expected me to go to work with her at Premier. I was a little suspicious about this adventure but the promise of Liver Biscotti can overcome a lot of fears. You may be asking yourself, what can a little guy like me do at work? My mission in life is to meet as many humans as caninely possible and make them happy.  

Working at Premier can be very interesting and tiring at the same time – there are products to test and photo shoots to attend, so as you can imagine, it is not all fun and games. I did end up being in the company calendar and I even have my own product – the Clik-R-Duo (Premier insists on calling it their product but MY picture is on the package). I have to put up with constant attention and every person expects to be my favorite; it can be exhausting! They all have a nickname for me… Farley-man, Pharles, Far, The Farfinator, Farley Foo Foo, Farfenugen, Far-Far…    

Our day starts with being served breakfast in my cubicle (hey, I like eating out) and then waiting for the other two and four-legged workers to arrive. I have quickly learned that a little whine or tiny cry will bring someone down to say hello and if I’m lucky… a couple pieces of the aforementioned Liver Biscotti. Mom taught me to sit up by asking me to “be a meerkat” and I am quite good at it. Off the record, sometimes I do it just to hear the humans squeal, “Aww, how cute.”  It took me a while to train them to say that but I persevered.

Humans CAN be trained if you work hard – I like to use positive based training methods like a kiss or giving them a chance to rub my ears. After being greeted and loved, I try to take a little nap to stay fresh for the remainder of the day.   Mid-morning we take a break and go outside, usually with some friends like Beans the Chihuahua Min-Pin Mix or Samora the Great Dane.

When we come back in, I like to take Mom around to say hi to a few fellow colleagues so I can make them smile and bring joy to the workplace. I also like to meet up with a few of my buds; Sadie, Buddy the golden doodle who used to walk under me when he was a puppy and Roscoe who is another terrier mix.

If I am lucky, Mom will bring me a “chew toy” -- this was a little confusing at first because Beans is the toy and the chew part is him chewing on my face! We play until we are worn out and it is time for another nap.   I cannot stress enough, to other working dogs, how important the nap is; it refreshes energy levels and also helps with eavesdropping on people.

For instance, did you know that there’s someone here who likes to…oh never mind, it’s personal.   The awesome responsibility of testing products for Premier – running, walking, sitting, playing with toys and getting treats. I’m telling you, it is a grueling, tedious process, but someone has to do it.

There are a few rules to keep in mind while at work.

  • Escaping from the cube (which I excel at) will get you in trouble, especially if you use your mad skills to help Beans escape with you!
  • Sniffing in trashcans is frowned upon, but so interesting.
  • You must restrain yourself from stealing, I mean permanently borrowing, all the neat toys around the building!
  • Constant interruptions for belly rubs and hugs – okay this is a perk!
  • Sometimes you get paper clipped!

One of the perks of my job (besides toys and treats) is “the toes.” Yes, you read that correctly, toes. I confess that I am a toe licker! Love the sandals, love the toes! I even learned how to crawl so I could sneak up on unsuspecting toes – it’s fun to watch the human jump and squeal.

Another great thing is getting to chase toys up and down the hallway, it doesn’t happen often but when it does, I am quite proud to show off how thoroughly I can “kill” the toys!  

The very best part of working is spending the day with Mom and all my friends. I love it when someone comes over and needs a hug from me just to make their day a little better!

 I think every dog should have the privilege of working in an office – it makes the humans so happy and after all, isn’t that what a dog should do?        

 

Deborah Hillis works in the Accounts Receivable department at Premier Pet Products.

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