During these Corona times, Burda’s office dogs are also mostly working from home. How do they like this change? Today, Danish–Swedish farmdog Danska from corporate HR tells us all about it.
Dogs are good for the working environment; they keep us moving, promote communication and make us laugh. According to a Statista study, dog owners who are allowed to take their pets to work are less stressed and their colleagues more satisfied. As long as the office community and the management have nothing against it, there’s a lot to be said for taking friendly four-legged friends to work with you. Burda has many wooftastic co-workers. Some of these dogfluencers even have their own Instagram accounts and one acted as inspiration for Burda’s first dog magazine. Here, a few Burda dogs introduce themselves in person.
Who are you and where are you from?
I’m about 4 years old and come from the streets of Romania – I was really lucky that my colleague Rebecca found me online when she was looking for a new office dog (there was another before me, but she’s in doggy heaven now). I’m a mongrel, but I definitely have a lot in common with Cretan hounds, and I can run as fast as them when I go to the park. But I also have a lot of respect for the black and white cat that’s always loitering by the stream and likes to frighten me!
Where does your owner work and what is her name?
My owner, Sandra Georgi, works for Adtech Factory in Offenburg, where she looks after countertrade. I long for the day when Hund im Glück (Lucky Dog) has its own countertrade and my buddy Barth and I can get treats from the editorial team. Until then, I’ll lie patiently on my blanket next to the desk and watch everything that goes on in the open-plan office. I also mediate, entertain the staff and help them manage their work/life balance.
How often do you come to the office and what does a typical day look like?
Every day, my owner and I walk to the office through the park; we live up on the hill and always walk to work. When I pass the Burda Bambini kindergarten, I’m always pleased to see my colleague Gernot and his son, Colin. When I arrive I get a treat from Heike and later on I get something from Regina. If my owner goes into a meeting without me, I usually get a bit upset and even a treat doesn’t make me feel better. When the rest of the team return from lunch, I know that my owner and I are about to go out, and that makes me happy. When I get back to the office, Regina usually gives me another treat and then I lay down on my blanket for an afternoon nap. In the afternoon I usually get to see my master, who also works at Adtech Factory up on the third floor. My colleague Rebecca takes me up there if my owner is busy. We make a great team.
What is your favourite spot at Adtech Factory?
Anywhere really, but I love to be with the scheduling team on the third floor and with my owner at her desk. Pretty much everyone comes by to stroke me, even our boss Antje!
What makes you howl, when do you start growling?
When Elena brings out her cheese cubes, there’s no stopping me – I know that she’ll always give me some. Elena really respects dogs – you could say I’m the office therapist. As well as the cheese, she gives me healthy almonds, the occasional bit of natural yoghurt and plenty of treats. My colleague Dirk sometimes spoils me with a bit of liquorice, which is so tasty, although my owner curses him for it (if she finds out).
Who is your favourite person in the office and why?
Obviously the ladies in my team are top of the list, but Adtech Factory has a great atmosphere and I like the whole pack. Early on I got very, very sick and everyone kept their fingers crossed for me and came to visit when I was feeling bad after my weekly chemotherapy – I’ll never forget that!
Are there any other office dogs beside you, if so, who?
My buddy Balou, a French water dog, sometimes comes to Offenburg with his owner Nadine, but they actually work at the Adtech Factory office in Munich. He’s very attentive and cleans my ears and tummy. It gets a bit much sometimes, but he can easily keep up with me in the park at lunchtime – that’s really fun! Once I was in the park with Nadine and Balou and I walked back to the Medienpark all by myself. Everyone was agitated and cursing; I still don’t understand why! There’s also Pepe, a beagle who works in Munich with his owner Frank and sometimes comes to Offenburg. He sweeps the office floor with his nose like a vacuum cleaner. Bubbly Renzo also visits the Medienpark now and again with his owner.
Truth be told - What mischief have you ever done in the office?
I’d been here about two weeks when I had the crazy idea to chew the cable on Rebecca’s mouse. It gave me a shock and really hurt. Everyone was very upset and I was really ashamed of myself – luckily, I’m so cute that nobody can stay mad at me for long!
What do you look forward to the most after work?
We usually have errands to run in the city and bump into lots of two- and four-legged friends. After that, I look forward to going home with my owner. She plays with me and strokes me, and we’ll spend the evening together in the open-plan kitchen or – if my master and owner let me – I’ll get up on the sofa on my blanket to watch Netflix with them!
