By Lisa Peterson

And

Adria Henderson

Bobbie slowly patrols the barn aisle, sniffing the air. She jumps into a stall, scurries to a corner and burrows under a pile of shavings. Emerging with her quarry held securely in her mouth, a quick shake of her head ends the hunt.

“Good girl, Get it!” instructs Bobbie’s owner, Rose Crofutt.

Bobbie is one of the very lucky dogs who not only gets to come to work with her owner but is able to exercise her natural terrier abilities. Bobbie, a 10-year-old Carin Terrier, came to Crofutt, who is the barn manager at Huntfield Farm on Poverty Hollow Road, when she was just 10-months-old. She was a rescue dog who had a litter of puppies during her first season. After being spayed and brought home, Crofutt knew she needed more in her life.

“Right away, I could tell she needed a job to do. She was unhappy at home and would chew things. She wasn’t a good couch potato,” Crofutt said. 

Over the years Bobbie has followed her master to various barns. In the beginning Crofutt said it was hard to bring a dog to work because you always had to watch her.

“I would have to tie her up and then walk her but now she keeps herself very busy and the clients at the barn just love her,” Crofutt said.  “They like to see her in her winter outfits, especially the Baker™ blanket made to fit her.”

Bobbie is multi-talented. Besides keeping the rodent population in check, she stays active in the feed room, keeping order. One of her best talents is grabbing a lead line and walking a horse down the aisle toward the barn door.

“She also doesn’t like any noise in the barn,” Crofutt explained. “When a horse kicks the stall or there is a loud noise she barks. No one is allowed to make any noise except her.”

Crofutt explained that in addition to Bobbie’s barn duties she loves to look for frogs down by the pond. Crofutt also brings her 12-year-old Standard Poodle “Robie” to the barn sometimes. He is not a barn dog but prefers to hang out by the pond all day and look for frogs when he is not sleeping in the car. In addition to her two dogs at the barn, Crofutt has “Pippi” her 11-year-old bay driving pony which is also a rescue animal. Sometimes Bobbie will ride in the carriage with Crofutt during training sessions.

While Bobbie reigns supreme at the barn as the “alpha bitch,” there is also “Wilma” the four-year-old Golden Retriever, owned by Meredith Renkert of Newtown.

“Bobbie actually trained Wilma to look for rodents,” Crofutt said.  “By the end of the day Bobbie is exhausted and then she sleeps very well.”

Crofutt has three other rescue dogs at home including two miniature pinschers, “Gingi” and “Migel” and a new addition, “Tessa” a white, mixed-breed terrier. All her dogs and two cats, two donkeys and seven chickens, share their Sandy Hook home with husband Jeff.

Bring Your Dog to Work

While most dogs won’t have the opportunity to exercise their natural instincts in the work place, they can keep their owners company and enjoy the benefits of Pets.com’s Take Your Dog to Work Day ™ on Friday, June 23.

Before you participate here are a series of questions you should ask yourself and your employer:

1. Ask if anyone is allergic to dogs.

2. Make sure your workspace has enough room to accommodate your dog.

3. Make sure your dog is trained to behave.

4. Condition your dog to accept “co-working canines” without a fuss.

5. Keep your dog quiet, especially during conference calls.

6. Keep you dog well groomed.

7. Stay away from noisy cowbell collars and large toys that are disruptive.

8. Keep a constant supply of chew toys.

9. Reward your dog several times a day with a walk outside.

Once you have established that your dog’s behavior is appropriate and the boss has given the go ahead, here are some guidelines for “Take Your Dog to Work Day.”

1. Pets brought into the building should be kept on a leash, in a crate, or otherwise under control.

2. Pets should stay with their owners or designated watchers at all times.

3. Pets should not be brought to meetings.

4. Pets with fleas or any contagious condition should not be permitted in the building.

5. Pets should not be brought to “pet-free zones,” which include restrooms, designated food preparation or eating areas, and areas designated by employees as allergy-sensitive.

6. Pet owners should be responsible for cleaning up their pets’ accidents.

7. Incidents of disruptive or aggressive pet behavior should not be tolerated.

8. Well-behaved, clean pets make good neighbors. Employees should be responsible for cleaning up after their pets in the neighborhood.

9. Employees who are disturbed by the idea of pets in the building (because of allergies, concern about disruptive or inappropriate behavior) should contact the planner for your Take Your Dog to Work Day prior to the event. Pet owners should be expected to respectfully accommodate reasonable requests of fellow employees.

Once the ground rules have been established, pack a bag of your dog’s favorite items. Here is a suggested list:

1. Two bowls. One for water and one for food.

2. Place mat for under the dog bowls. Make sure it is absorbent for any spilled water.

3. A dog bed. A nice sheepskin area rug for example.

4. Food.

5. Water. You may want to bring water from home so that the change in water will not disrupt his delicate digestive system.

6. Treats and soft toys.

7. Leash and collar.

8. ID tag, dog license and rabies tag.

9. Lint brush.

10. Stain/odor remover for carpets and hard surfaces.

11. Crate or carrier.

12. Baby gate. If you can keep the dog loose in your office but wish to have the door remain open.

13. Pooper scooper and/or plastic baggies.

If you have any questions or need assistance setting up “Take Your Dog to Work Day,” please contact us at animallifestyles@usa.net or 425-4682 or 426-5784 for more information. Any photos of your dogs participating in “Take Your Dog to Work Day” may be sent to us for publication in a future column.

Adria Henderson and Lisa Peterson are owner/operators or Safe At Home, LLC a Newtown-based pet sitting service.