FOUR HAWKE’S BAY DOGS MAKE IT TO THE FINALS OF THE NATIONWIDE TOP DOG FINALS

Almost 400 of New Zealand’s hounds are putting their best paw forward, vying for the titles Top Office Dog, Top Dog with a Job and Top Home Office Dog in the 2023 Frog Recruitment NZ Top Dog competition.

This year Hawke’s Bay could be in with a real chance of coming out on top as four HB dogs have been announced as finalists in the nationwide hunt for the country’s top dogs.

Now in its eighth year, the annual contest salutes not only the office canine who brings everyone joy and boosts mental health but also dogs with a commitment to their communities. This includes biosecurity detection dogs, therapy dogs and even a Ministry of Justice court dog.

The Hawke’s Bay dog owners are fighting hard for the pups to take home some awards. The first of the four dogs that made it to the finals is Kiri the King Charles cavalier spaniel.

Kiri comes in, tail wagging, every morning and greets all her workmates at Citizens Advice Bureau Napier and puts an instant smile on the faces of everyone she meets.

Her skills include softening the client’s tone, sneaking a pat and a snuggle while helping the clients relax and regain their composure.

Kiri’s owner says having such a sweet little dog in the office provides a calming influence and can often help to take the client’s attention away from their situation for a few precious moments.

Napier dog owner Tara Todd reckons Lexi the samoyed is worthy of a Top Dog title. Competition finalist Lexi works at Design Builders in Napier, where Tara is a director.

“Lexi looks the part of an office dog, but also goes out to construction sites daily to inspect all the trades works,” Tara says.

Tara went on to say, “She licks everyone and finds every muddy puddle available. She’s trained her human office co-workers to give her mints on demand and will dramatically fake yawn to pressure one into sharing their lunch.

“She’s the perfect office dog and top dog on construction sites. She cheers everyone up and it helps keep our workplace easygoing and puts people at ease.”

In Havelock North, Ted the German wirehaired pointer is a two-time finalist and this year fingers crossed he can come out on top.

Ted has dual roles as a therapy dog and a teacher aide and his owner, Daryl Olsen, says Ted recently took over from his brother Floyd visiting the children’s ward at Hawke’s Bay Hospital.

“Both the children and the nurses get huge joy from seeing Ted and giving him cuddles, he has the ability to calm a room even after he has left,” Daryl says.

Ted is a comforting character. Daryl remembers there once was a young girl so distraught that nobody could settle her, then Ted walked in and within minutes both the girl and her mother were at ease.

“We made some extra visits to help out and I’m sure she will think of Ted in the years to come and remember him fondly.”

Ted is also part of a reading programme at Havelock North Primary, which Daryl says has been a massive success.

“With Ted, the children feel more confident reading books and getting involved with other activities.

“This dog with a job is even a favourite with the school’s staff as he quite often goes up to the staff room sometimes and enjoys a few pats along with a biscuit before starting classes.”

Wee Hugo in Central Hawke’s Bay is another one of the region’s dogs who has been told he is a finalist. Hugo is a small chihuahua that fills a big gap in his office.

Hugo the chihuahua is the honorary office manager at the CHB Mail – a community newspaper in Waipukurau, Hawke’s Bay.

Hugo’s owner Rachel Wise, editor of the CHB Mail, says she began taking him to the office when her husband took ownership of a whippet pup.

“The whippet – Doug – saw Hugo as a squeaky toy so I decided to take him to work for a few weeks to keep him safe until the whippet grew out of its playful stage.

“That was almost four years ago. Everyone loved having him there so much that Hugo is now a permanent fixture. If I try to leave him at home he stands in the driveway in front of my car so I have to stop and let him in. I think if I did turn up at work without him I’d be sent home to get him.

“Hugo just loves meeting people, he’s relentlessly cheerful and he makes people smile. He’s good at relieving workplace stress, doing really loud burps, and begging for food. He’s well known at his two favourite coffee shops where people greet him by name. They know Hugo’s name but not mine – I’m just that woman that follows him around.”

Rachel says she’d love Hugo to win as he’s never won anything. “I took him in a dog show once – a ribbon parade – I think I saw the judge laughing at him. The chihuahua that beat him didn’t even have all its teeth …”

Frog Recruitment managing director Shannon Barlow says dogs like Lexi, Ted and Hugo highlight the variety and breadth of the important jobs our canine colleagues are enlisted to do.

“This year’s shortlist reveals the unique value that dogs play when they have a job; these dogs are vitally important to our economy because their canine abilities help to control pests in our regional parks, secure our borders from biohazards, or perform search and rescues to save human lives,” Barlow says.

The managing director says, “It’s well-researched that dogs in the workplace also have a positive impact on mental health and morale and can improve productivity and reduce absenteeism.

“This annual competition was established to celebrate working dogs and dogs at work. It’s fantastic that we have such a huge range of dogs in the lineup – it shows that our canine friends really are ‘man’s best friend’.”

Judging will be undertaken by Frog, JetPark and dog trainer and animal behaviourist Pauline Blomfield. The winners of each category will receive a prize package worth $1000 including the illustrious Top Dog trophy. Runners-up will also receive a pack of goodies for their pet pooches.

The winners will be announced live on Frog Recruitment’s Facebook, Linkedin, and Youtube channels on Friday, August 25.