Bernie is top dog in his Canberra office, now he's taking on the nation

A Canberra Border Collie is vying for the title of Australia’s best workplace dog.

Bernie March, two, who works as a retrieval and entertainment specialist for Mitchell-based regulatory body Dogs ACT, is a finalist in the Oz Top Dogs Awards 2024, an annual competition run by the company People2People recruitment.

He’s up for both the office dog category and the people’s choice award, which is determined by a popular online vote.

Owner, mum and supervisor Vanessa March, 44, takes Bernie along to her workplace daily for companionship, and helped us provide this profile.

Name: Bernie March.

Age: Two.

Job title: Retrieval and entertainment specialist.

Daily work tasks: He retrieves paperwork from the counter and brings it to staff, chases away the galahs outside that rip up the turf and entertains clients who visit the office. He once put a pig’s ear in the photocopier, but that was not in his job description.

Relationship status: He has two girlfriends. A friend of mine comes in to the office quite a bit with two Brittanys, he loves them both.

Personality in a word: Quirky. He’s a chill bean, but very selective about with whom he interacts.

Nickname: Noodle. While other puppies are burning around the place, you can pick him up and he’ll flop in your arms like a wet noodle.

Alternative name: Bernard. He doesn’t like that because when you call him by the full name, he knows he’s in trouble.

Likes: Dog sports, sleeping, chasing galahs, agility exercises. He already has a few sporting titles.

Dislikes: People that ignore him. He’s not a fan of puppies, but he likes small dogs, strangely enough.

Tricks: He can jump through hoops, rollover, play dead and give high fives.

Favourite food: Chicken nuggets.

Favourite sport: Fly ball.

Career goal: To be able to sleep as much as possible at work. He’s also lobbying for a pay rise (more chicken nuggets).

Vanessa is a registered dog breeder who has had Bernie since his birth.

“Dogs ACT is my first workplace where I can bring in Bernie. I’d like to see more people doing it and more dog friendly offices,” she said.

“It’s not for every dog, though. They need to be people friendly and tolerant.”

People2people says it recently conducted a Dogs at Work Survey, which showed 90 per cent of pet owners would rather work for a pet-friendly office, while 75 per cent of workplaces’ employee turnover improved after they became pet-friendly.

“The incredible benefits that dogs bring to our lives and mental well-being are truly extraordinary, and their importance has become even more evident in recent years as remote work has surged. Dogs possess an uncanny ability to lift spirits, boost morale, and foster team unity. When it comes to enhancing workplace well-being, there’s no better companion than a dog,” managing director Catherine Kennedy said.

Winners of the Oz Top Dogs 2024 categories will be announced at an awards ceremony at 12:30 pm on Friday 30 August 2024. Results will be livestreamed on the people2people Facebook page.