You may already be familiar with our human staff, but we also want to introduce you to the ones who constantly kept us smiling, covered in fur, and apologizing for the barking sounds in the background of our virtual meetings. As the COVID-19 pandemic forced us out of the office, it was our dogs who helped us navigate the fear, uncertainty, and loneliness of a new virtual world. Our office space in Boulder has long been dog-friendly, but over the past year and a half, these colleagues have really stepped up to get our team where it is today.
ATHENA
- Nickname: There are too many to count, it’s so confusing. They call me Goober, Goob, Teeny, Athy, OG, Teeny Beanie Baby, Boo… there’s more, should I continue?
- Age: I feel and look younger than I am, but Mom says I’m 6. Is that old?
- Breed: Goober. But they think Black Lab and Great Dane.
- Three adjectives that describe you: Goofy, happy, and lanky!
- Your favorite toy: I love this yellow duck Dad got me for Christmas two years ago. Mom’s had to sew it back together a couple times because I love it so much.
- Your guilty pleasure: Licking lotion off people’s legs.
- Describe your perfect day: Mom’s home. Dad’s home. It’s cold outside and I can dive into the snow. Then cuddle under the blankets in the big bed.
- What’s your proudest accomplishment? Making it to Colorado from Georgia on a very long road trip while I had a broken leg. I love Colorado!
- Which famous actor would voice you in a movie about your life? Ellen DeGeneres.
- City, mountains, or beach? A beach in the mountains with some shade and some sun, maybe some water. I loved Tahoe!
Psssssst—Are you guys interviewing my sister Monarch too? I can’t get her to play with me, so I’m just wondering if you could ask her what she likes and let me know so I can become friends with her. She’s a little smaller. I’m not sure she’s a dog; I think she might be a “kat”—am I saying that right? Whatever she is, she seems pretty fun.
ECHO
- Nickname(s): None. I like “Echo” just as it is.
- Age: 5 years young!
- Breed: Golden Retriever/Border Collie.
- Three adjectives that describe you: Fun-loving, loyal, and kind.
- Your favorite toy: Seal Seal, my fluffy Alaskan seal.
- Your guilty pleasure: Sneaking off to meet my girlfriend, Dahliala.
- Describe your perfect day: Breakfast, running, treats, long nap, romp with some friends in the water, dinner, and then snuggle time with Seal Seal by a campfire.
- What’s your proudest accomplishment? My ability to make anyone like me.
- Which famous actor would voice you in a movie about your life? Michael J. Fox! He played Chance in Homeward Bound, so I think he could handle the challenge.
- Office, home office, or coffee shop? Office—preferably the CDR office—where there are good treats, lots of loving humans, and my canine co-workers!
COLFAX
- Nickname(s): Cole-flax, Quaqui, E. Colfax Avenue (full name when he misbehaves), Mensch of the Year, Captain Colfax, The Prancin’ Prince.
- Age: I’m 6-ish!
- Breed: Half-dog, half-cowboy, all-lover.
- Three adjectives that describe you: Tolerant, anxious, and professional.
- Your favorite toy: Anything the neighbor buys for their dog!
- Your guilty pleasure: KUWTK
- (Editor’s Note: This is an initialism for E! Channel’s hit series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.)
- Describe your perfect day: Early morning run, mid-morning walk, human time, afternoon at the lake, watching 101 Dalmatians with the humans, sleepin’ on the bed… yup, that covers it.
- What’s your proudest accomplishment? Sometimes when my humans forget me outside, I just sit at the front door until someone notices me.
- Which famous actor would voice you in a movie about your life? Sir Ian McKellen, of course.
- Fetch, tug of war, or naps? Fetch! Fetch! Fetch!
OAK
- Nickname: Oakie Pokie, Oakie Girl, OP.
- Age: 7, but I’m not totally sure. I lived a whole life before I met Mom and Dad.
- Breed: Chocolate Lab, what else?
- Three adjectives that describe you: Loving (to people, not to puppies), resilient, and strong.
- Your favorite toy: The sunshine in my backyard.
- Your guilty pleasure: Eating my sister’s food when she’s not looking, or maybe stealing my dad’s pizza—ahh, yum… have you ever had pizza?—oh, or begging to be pet. Actually, I LOVE begging for pets.
- Describe your perfect day: Dad’s home. Mom’s home. Athena’s calm. We’re all lying in the sun on the grass in the yard, rolling around. Then we go swimming in the river.
- What’s your proudest accomplishment? Swimming in Lake Tahoe. I think it’s so cool my new mom and dad take me with them on vacation and I get to enjoy the woods. We’re not so sure about my life before my current family, but I think it was pretty rough. I love my family.
- Which famous actor would voice you in a movie about your life? They don’t let me watch movies, so I’m not sure. Maybe Meghan Fox, she’s pretty beautiful. I’m beautiful too, don’t you think?
- Hiking, swimming, or barking? Swimming’s first, then hiking. I HATE barking. Yuck.
YUKON
- Nickname(s): The Muppet
- Age: 5, or 35 in dog years—my Gotcha Day is October 31.
- Breed: Terrier Muppet Mix!
- Three adjectives that describe you: Fierce, faithful, and fluffy.
- Your favorite toy: Definitely my decapitated sloth stuffy.
- Your guilty pleasure: Raw goat milk soaked on my kibble. You have to try it.
- Describe your perfect day: I wake up at the crack of 10am; a dish of salmon skin miraculously appears on my bed. After a cuddle and scratch, I go for a 4-minute walk in 65-degree weather. Then I Lounge on the porch in the sun and finally catch that pesky squirrel. In 3-4 hours, after I’ve finished an afternoon nap, I go for another stroll around the neighborhood and scrounge for discarded chicken wings. After a brief cuddle on the couch, I assume my position below “the food-throwing machine”—you might call it a human toddler—and catch mounds of delicious human food as it floats to the floor and into my fur. I then eat some of my own dinner and go out for a late night bathroom break before heading upstairs and into my king size bed for the night.
- What’s your proudest accomplishment? I am a huntress. In particular, wasps, flies, and other dangerous insects. I rarely notice a bunny or squirrel, but I can laser in on an ant from a 1/2 mile away. This takes an incredible amount of patience, some quick-twitch muscle movements, and a great willingness to grab insects between your teeth. Not many are up for this challenge.
- Which famous actor would voice you in a movie about your life? Oh wow. I’d have to say Audrey Tautou playing Amélie Poulain.
- Bed, couch, or floor? BED, king size only.
MONARCH
(Editor’s Note: Monarch did not immediately respond to interview requests from CDR, and a representative has, on her behalf, declined to comment on her relationship with Athena. According to reliable sources, Monarch continues to ignore Athena and has since been spotted walking across her human’s laptop keyboard during virtual meetings.)
Written by Patrick Teese