Let’s pay tribute to the Employees of the Month—who would like their treats now, thank you very much. (Also worth checking out: Shopdogs Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.)

MATT BERNSON
Name: Abraham
Breed: Vizsla
Owner/parent/boss: Matt and Lindsay Bernson
What’s his workday like? He walks to work every day up the Hudson River. He gets in and sniffs everyone’s breakfast foods before taking his morning four-hour nap. If he hears people come in to the store he usually goes up to investigate and see if they have any food or treats for him. He likes to sit at the store entry and watch the activity out on the street. Sometimes if a pigeon is out there it will really ruffle his feathers and he might try to scare it away. (He has a love/hate relationship with birds.) By lunchtime the food in the office gets him awake and he starts to try and convince everyone in the office to share with him. Then it’s time for the four-hour afternoon nap. If we have guests or visitors to our showroom he will join us in the conference area. He usually sticks his head in all handbags looking for umbrellas (a bizarre fascination of his). During meetings he settles on the couch next to the conference table. Most people at this point stop the meeting and start to take photos as he tends to rearrange the pillows for comfort. At the end of the day the store and office closes and he walks home down the Hudson River—sometimes he detours to Dudley’s Paw or some other dog-friendly location. He loves to eat at Roc outside in the summer.
Anything else we should know? His paws smell like Fritos and when he sleeps he emits a lovely smell of baking bread. It has been confirmed by many third parties, so we aren’t thought of as crazy owners.

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BY JOY GRYSON
Name: Captain
Breed: Mini Australian Shepherd
Owner/parent/boss: Olivia Gryson (my nine-year-old daughter)…but me really!
What’s his workday like? So busy, he goes from coworker to coworker asking for love, attention, and rubs! Then he goes to the store front to ask the same from willing customers, then he naps and naps some more. He takes strolls outside every couple of hours to stretch his legs and monitor the foot traffic, and when mama is feeling generous—licking peanut butter from his Kong toy is his best part of the day.
Anything else we should know? He has recently just starred in a “by Joy Gryson” Taxi TV advertisement!

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CHERYL MCGINNIS GALLERY
Name: Newton, after Issac Newton
Breed: Cocker Spaniel
Owner/parent/boss: The McGinnis-Faba Family
What’s his workday like? Newton takes the 1 train with me around 10:00 a.m.—he loves to get into his portable bag, and he immediately sleeps on the subway. We get off the train at Canal and walk to the gallery on Washington. He is always so excited to enter the gallery as he has his favorite box of toys and goes directly to it and want to play ball immediately. Often he will jump up on the window seat and and watch the street activity. When he wants to go out, we take walks along the river, which he loves. At the end of the day, he is excited to go back into his bag for the short trip uptown on the 1 train. 
Anything else we should know? Newton is really sweet, he loves when people come into the gallery. He immediately get his ball and offers it to them to play. He especially loves children.

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SWEET LILY NATURAL NAIL SPA
Name: Lilah
Breed: Maltese
Owner/parent/boss: Donna Perillo
What’s her workday like? She generally wakes up early and grabs a cab in from Brooklyn. Once she settles in to her place at front desk, she takes on the relaxed vibe at Sweet Lily and casually greets clients as they check in and out of their treatments. With ten years under her belt, she is definitely our most loyal and oldest employee.
Anything else we should know? She’s a very finicky eater—turns her nose up at a dog treat and only eats home-cooked meals. At the age of 13, she also tends to snore a lot, which is why we nicknamed her Piggy.

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SELIA YANG
Name: Vivian
Breed: Miniature Pinscher
Owner/parent/boss: Selia Yang
What’s her workday like? Vivian likes to go to work every day, really enjoys meeting and greeting clients as much as I do. She loves adventure, so she accompanies me everywhere I go whether running errands around town on my Vespa or traveling for work/pleasure.
Anything else we should know? As a small and rescue dog, she likes to test people before putting her guard down. It’s in her terms—once you are in, you’re in.