Dogs in the office? Yes!

Bouncing down the hallway like a kangaroo, but in an ungainly fashion. That describes my dog and company mascot, Clifton, in a nutshell. He's gained about 20 pounds since I last shared any Clifton stories with you.

Regular readers know about my "bring your dog to work" philosophy. It's not just talk. I eat my own dog food (pun intended). Clifton is here every day with me. I probably should start cutting a check each week for client relations services, but frankly, he prefers jerky.

He also opens doors for me, in more ways than one.

Recently we ordered pizza for lunch, and I didn't want Clifton to bother us while we were eating. I put him in my office and shut the door. A few minutes later, there he is, bouncing down the hallway with our pizza in his sights.

Did I leave the door ajar? I couldn't imagine that had he figured out how to open the door, because to leave my office, you have to pull the door in. I can see a dog figuring out how to push a door open, but pulling it in? No.

An investigation ensured. I shut my office door, walked away, then slipped around the corner and watched. Sure enough, Clifton gets on his hind legs, and puts both paws on the handles. He pulls the handle down and, keeping one paw on the handle, pulls the door inward with his other paw. Sheer canine genius.

I'll try to capture a video of Clifton the Wonder Dog in action, and share it here. Meanwhile, here's a shot of him enjoying himself in the snow a few weeks back. The Boston area was hit pretty hard in January, but it was no fur off his back.

Got a "dogs in the office" story you'd like to share? Write to me and I'll post it here, or comment on this post.