Working dog profiles

I LUV dogs. One of the first things I LUVed about Winter Park was realizing so many here LUV them, too. I’ve had dogs all my life, more members of the family than pets.

In honor of National Take Your Dog To Work Day on Friday, June 22, I wanted to celebrate our local “working breeds” — dogs that show up regularly to add joy and warmth to local workplaces. Wonderful co-workers, customer service masters and natural hams — these pups put the “work” in working breed.

Here’s what the dogs’ owners — and some of the dogs themselves — had to say about their furry employees:

Name: Nikki (Prague)

Works at: The Paper Shop

Breed: Shih Tzu

Age: 3 (she's my toddler)

Most LUVed toy: marrowbone

Best customer service trait: Greets everyone by rolling over, exposing belly.

Customers LUV that: Nikki tolerates children.

Naughtiest moment: Jumping on wedding books in the middle of an order

Favorite accomplice: Her BFF, Ellie

Most LUVed food: Espresso cheese

Obsessions: Nikki’s obsessed with "Baby Kitty," the cat residing at Antiques on the Avenue… she won't leave him alone… must visit twice a day. She brought him a catnip toy, yet he won't give her a second look.

Most LUVed pastimes: Barking at the squirrels and lizards, romping through golf course sand traps

Hates that: Shop is closed Sundays… home is boring.

Other interesting traits: LUVs going to the beach… she's a good traveler, listener.

Name: King

Works at: Shooz

Breed: Golden retriever

Age: 8 months

Most LUVed toy: Rubber chicken

Best customer service trait: Endless supply of affection

Customers LUV that: He LUVs to play.

Naughtiest moment: Stealing customers’ socks!

Favorite Accomplice: Jazz the Papillon

Most LUVed Food: Liver treats

Obsessions: Ripping up paper

Most LUVed pastimes: Playing with anyone willing

Hates that: At 60 pounds he can no longer crawl into customers’ laps.

Other Interesting Traits: LUVs watching “The Dog Whisperer”

Dog Name: Ozzie

Works At: The Nuvo Company

Breed: Standard poodle

Age: 2

Most LUVed toy: Jack — I LUV to jump on his back and bite his neck!

Best customer service trait: Watching people out the window on back legs like a person.

Customers LUV that: I hang out with Mom and Dad all day.

Naughtiest moment: Getting into everyone's trash cans every day

Favorite accomplice: Jack

Most LUVed food: Anything — doesn't even have to be food!

Obsessions: Spinning when excited, especially when the UPS guy comes with a treat.

Most LUVed pastimes: Walking with Mom and Dad, but hate when my brother tries to get away and hide

Other interesting traits: I LUV to wear bows on my ears and have my toenails painted.

Name: Jack

Works at: The Nuvo Company

Breed: Standard poodle

Age: 4

Most LUVed toy: anything with a squeaker because I can “talk!”

Best customer service trait: barking to say someone is at door.

Customers LUV that: I can just hang with Mom and Dad.

Naughtiest moment: “picking” in the trash for leftover lunch.

Favorite accomplice: Ozzie

Most LUVed food: by far steak!

Obsessions: scratching — I have allergies.

My most LUVed pastimes: morning walks with Mom and Dad.

Hates that: I have a sister because I liked being an only child.

Other interesting trait: I LUV to eat my Mom's chocolate when she’s not looking.

Dog name: Quintin Xavior Vanost, “Quinn”

Works at: Manages the Blue Door Denim Shoppe

Breed: Best looking mutt in town

Age: 6

Most LUVed Toy: Mini tennis balls

Best customer service trait: Cuteness, followed by a loud barking welcome, if awake.

Customers LUV that: He thinks he’s a pit bull, but really an 8-pound ball of fluff

Naughtiest moment: First night in his new home, grabbing a chicken wing out of his Mom’s hand when she wasn't paying attention

Favorite accomplice: Doesn’t need an accomplice

Most LUVed food: Chick-fil-A nuggets

Obsessions: mini tennis balls

Most LUVed pastimes: swimming, trips to park, sunning on store’s back porch

Hates that: He’s called “cute,” wants to be seen as the ferocious monster he thinks he is

Other interesting traits: Part fish, would swim every day. Everyone thinks he is a designer hybrid, but actually a great mutt! When people at bank or Chick-fil-A give him a treat, he smells it, then spits it out: Spoiled!

Dog name: London

Works at: 1618 Something Different – Ivanhoe Village

Breed: Chihuahua/dachshund/Yorkie

Age: 11 months

Most LUVed toy: plastic bottle

Best customer service trait: greets them at door

Customers LUV that: London follows them while shopping

Naughtiest moment: eating sale tags off furniture

Favorite accomplice: stolen dog from Nora's

Most LUVed food: hot dogs

Obsessions: other dogs’ toys

Most LUVed pastimes: chasing anything that moves

Hates that: Any dogs come near his stuff

Other interesting traits: LUVs to travel by car and plane

Dog's Name: Vinny

Works at: Sultre on Park Avenue

Breed: English bulldog

Age: 9

Most LUVed toy: Stuffed animals. Cuddles with them, LUVs them. Try to take one he will fight you for it.

Best customer service trait: Will keep you company in the fitting room, provide fashion advice.

Customers LUV that: He has a laid back personality. People get a good laugh from him sleeping in the window (sun bathing) or chilling in the store.

Naughtiest moment: (Embarrassing, sorry Vinny) He lets off stink bombs. He gets embarrassed, leaves us defending ourselves, but it’s hilarious.

Most LUVed food: All food. He would eat anything.

Obsessions: He LUVs his momma, follows her like a duck.

Most LUVed pastime: Sleeping. Eating.

Hates that: He has to go outside on a leash.

Name: Jesse

Works At: GAP Architectural Products

Breed: Lhasa-Poo

Most LUVed toy: Any tug-of-war, especially with rubber ball, playing with Bella, who’s three-times her size!

Customers LUV that: Jesse will dance for treat. Clients LUV when she rolls on her back for tummy rub.

Naughtiest moment: Digging holes in the yard when no one is looking.

Favorite accomplice: Bella, her 70-pound Boxer sister.

Most LUVed food: Any treat, especially another dog’s.

Obsessions: Gobbling food morsels from kitchen floor.

Other Interesting Traits: Hates being groomed or bathed, and is fearful of thunder. During storms, climbs to Mom’s chair to feel safe. LUVs office staff so much that as cars pull in she starts whining to greet them!

Name: Jack

Works at: Pookie's Pet Nutrition & Bow Wow Bakery

Age: 7

Most LUVed Toy: tug-of-war toys

Best customer service trait: Vocal recommendations

Customers LUV that: He is so crazy about playing tug-of-war

Naughtiest moment: Barking in people’s faces

Favorite accomplice: Harlee

Obsessions: Dog butts

Most LUVed pastimes: Telling Melissa stories while sitting on her lap.

Hates that: Chuck takes his toys

Other interesting traits: Jack was left at a shelter with a broken leg without treatment so he doesn’t have full use of one back leg.

Dog name: Harlee

Works at: Pookie's Pet Nutrition & Bow Wow Bakery

Age: 8

Most LUVed toy: Any toy the big dogs don’t take.

Best customer service trait: I am so cute.

Customers LUV that: I am so cute.

Naughtiest moment: Barking at everything

Favorite accomplice: Jack

Obsessions: Licking empty food bowls, bossing around Chuck

Most LUVed pastimes: Sitting in Melissa’s lap

Hates that: No one believes I am in charge of everything and everyone.

Dog name: Sara

Works at: Pookie’s Pet Nutrition

Age: 7

Most LUVed toy: No toys — human attention only!

Best customer service trait: I LUV everyone.

Customers LUV that: I am so sweet.

Naughtiest moment: Jumping up on people — I am told.

Favorite accomplice: Chuck

Obsessions: Human attention

Most LUVed pastimes: Sleeping in my crate, on the deck.

Hates that: Everyone does not pay attention to me constantly.

Other interesting traits: I am a “potcake” dog from the Bahamas. I was found with seven puppies. I have some side scars, but haven’t told anyone what happened — probably better that way

Dog name: Chuck

Works at: Pookie’s Pet Nutrition

Age: 5

Most LUVed toy: Any squeaky toy

Best customer service trait: Friendly personality

Customers LUV that: I’m so easy-going.

Naughtiest moment: Fighting with Jack

Favorite accomplice: Sara

Obsessions: Chewing

Most LUVed pastimes: Chewing my deer antler.

Hates that: Thunderstorms and fireworks make me nervous.

Other interesting traits: I was a rescue dog and had terrible skin problems. My pet parents fixed it with a healthy diet.

Dog Name: Lizzie (Miss Elizabeth of Winter Park)

Works At: Maureen Hall Stationery & Invitations

Breed: English Springer Spaniel, tri-color

Age: 7 1/2

Most LUVed toy: Tennis balls

Best customer service trait: Wags tail, rolls over for tummy rub when being LUVed by a customer.

Customers LUV that: She is LUVable.

Naughtiest moment: Barking at customers

Favorite accomplice: Moose

Most LUVed food: Peanuts

Obsessions: Playing tennis

Most LUVed pastimes: Swimming

Hates: Loud noises like fireworks, thunder

Other interesting traits: LUVs people and LUVs to play

Clyde Moore operates local sites ILUVWinterPark.com, ILUVParkAve.com and LUVMyRate.com, and aims to help local businesses promote themselves for free and help save them money, having some fun along the way. Email him at [email protected] or write to ILuv Winter Park on Facebook or Twitter.