These playful pooches prove that a designer's best friend is his dog.
There's nothing quite like the sight of a playful pooch to put a smile on your face, right? This brilliant selection of dogs are more than part of the furniture at various design offices and studios – they're an essential member of the team. And they're not just in the office on Bring Your Dog to Work Day(today!), but every day!
Including everything from a high-energy Vizsla and flatulent Bulldog, to a couple of small but mighty Chihuahuas and a menace of a Jack Russell, here are some of the most characterful canines to brighten up your day (dogs may be one secret to running a design studio; you can discover more in Computer Arts' feature on how to run a thriving design studio).
01. Freddie the Jack Russell
Freddie is Creative Bloq's unofficial office dog – don't be fooled by those big brown eyes!
We're huge fans of our four-legged canine friends here at Creative Bloq, but, sadly, CB HQ is unable to allow them into the office. However, that doesn't mean we don't have an office dog. This furry fella, eight-year-old Freddie the Jack Russell, has recently started joining the CB team on monthly meetings, stealing the hearts of all the staff in the local coffee joint and luring them into a false sense of security with his big brown dinner plate eyes.
He helps his human, CB associate editor Kerrie Hughes, keep the world's top design website running by keeping her very alert and on her toes. How so? By regularly stealing unsuspecting lunch-goers' sandwiches and generally being a total menace.
02. Sloane the Vizsla
Sloane is quick to let her human Steve Fisher know when he's been working too long
Sloane the Vizsla makes the life of human Steve Fisher, the founder of Canadian UX, content strategy and web technology consultancy the Republic of Quality, all the better.
"Sloane is a high-energy Vizsla that loves to go for hikes in Vancouver's north shore rain forest with me pretty much every day [photographic evidence can be found on Instagram@hellofisher]. She’s quick to let me know when I’ve been working too long by climbing up onto the chair with me. My office is made 100 per cent better with her around. #ilovemydog."
03. Ziggy the Bulldog
"Ziggy is the glue that holds the whole operation together," says Frost
Life is never dull for web designer Brad Frost with Ziggy the Bulldog around. "I work from home with my brother and my wife who runs her own business. Ziggy is the glue that holds the whole operation together. His snores contribute to conference calls, his gas clears rooms (it's his way of telling us we need to get up and stretch our legs), and his hilarious presence ensures there's never a dull moment in the office."
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04. Scruffy and Duff the Shih Tzus (cross Spaniel)
Scruffy (left) and Duff belong to podcast host Debbie Millman
Adorable creatures are Scruffy (left) and Duff provide their human, author, educator, brand strategist and host of the podcast Design Matters Debbie Millman with nothing but unconditional love. Scruffy, a male, is a Shih Tzu while Duff, the female, is a mix of that and a Spaniel.
In an interview with Core77, Millman was asked about design and her dogs: "On their best day, brands could aspire to be like dogs, evoking that sense of connectivity," she said.
05. Franklin the Shiba Inu
Franklin the Shiba Inu keeps designer Justin Maller grounded
We'd like to introduce you to Franklin the Shiba Inu, whose human is New York-based freelance designer and illustrator Justin Maller.
"Being a freelancer is lonely," Maller admits. "Usually, there are no other people around. This has its pros and cons – people are great for loneliness but usually a pain in the ass for everything else.
"Dogs are like people, but furrier and more awesome – they don't talk back, they learn tricks, do cute shit constantly and basically unequivocally think you're great. They also force you to get up from your desk and leave the house a few times a day to go on things called 'walks'."
06. Mattie the Australian Shepherd
Mattie is Paula Scher's absolute favourite
Mattie the Australian Shepherd accompanies Pentagram partner Paula Scher to the office every day. During in an interview with Fast Co Design, Scher was asked what the favourite thing she owned was: "My dog! He’s an Australian shepherd, my fourth one. Their names have all started with M–Matty, Mickey, Molly, and Mimi."
07. Sir Oliver Ottoman of the High Country the Havanese
A photo posted by @stanleyhainsworth on Dec 22, 2016 at 12:06pm PST
Sir Oliver Ottoman of the High Country, or Ollie for short, is always around to provide his designer human Stanley Hainsworth with some creative inspiration. The founder and chief creative officer of Tether, a creative, cross-discipline studio, Hainsworth is never far away from Ollie, who (as you can see from his Instagram account) accompanies him in the office and on design jobs regularly.
08. Olivia the Golden Retriever mix
"Olivia is the most reliable creative partner we have," says Neo Pangea founder Brett Bagenstose
Olivia the Golden Retriever mix is the resident office dog at digital boutique Neo Pangea. "Always ready for a brainstorm or a belly rub, Olivia is the most reliable creative partner we have… just don’t leave food out on the counter," says Brett Bagenstose, founder and self-titled 'Baron of Pixels' at Neo Pangea.
Kerrie Hughes is a frequent contributor to Creative Bloq, and was once its editor. One of the original CB crew, Kerrie joined the team back in 2013 after moving from her role as staff writer on 3D World. Since then she's written regularly for other creative publications such as ImagineFX, Computer Arts and Digital Camera World. After a stint working for the police, Kerrie is back reviewing creative tech for creative professionals.
