Tilde Hits The Office, A Christmas Miracle

At least fifteen people were working in the office that day and all heads turned towards the door, to see who was coming inside.

Tilde stopped in her tracks, closed her mouth and took one step back.

Even for Miss Social herself, it was a lot of people, looking at her all at once in a new environment.

I took Tilde with me to the office in Holland that day, during the week before Christmas. Partly because I have a "tradition" to take the dogs with me to work. After all Kenzo almost grew up like an office dog as we started the company on the 1st floor of my house, now a long time ago. During the years, the office moved out of the house, but we never stopped making regular office visits with Kenzo and Viva.

The other reason was more melancholic. Me and my partners sold the company, it has new owners now who will fully take over at the end of the year with a lot of new rules, and it might be the last possibility for Tilde to experience going to an office with me.

When we arrived, I noticed the giant and beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the lobby. The building's concierge who was behind the reception desk talking with the receptionists, joked at me while we passed the tree, "If it has to leave a message, it should be at that tree over there", pointing towards the outside.

"We make no promises", I joked back, while I had a flashback to Kenzo's Christmas tree incident, and wondered if the letters G.U.I.L.T.Y which were written down on my back that day, could still be visible today.

We made it passed the tree without any drama though, took the stairs up to the 2nd floor where our offices are located, and in we went.

It just took a second in which Tilde made that step back I mentioned. But looking at so many smiling faces, her bold self returned in the blink of an eye and she bravely stepped forward again. Tilde started greeting every single person in the room. Her wiggle was contagious, and while "what a cute puppy!" mentions were flying though the room like a song accompanying Tilde wiggling through her round, she said hello to everybody. A couple of people opened their arms when she came closer and Tilde accepted the invitation to jump in for some even more ecstatic cuddles and kisses.

Tilde rested under my desk while I did some work, followed me to the printer, to the canteen, the coffee machine, joined a meeting, made a couple of more rounds along the people she just met, and already singled out the two that opened their arms before to be appointed as her preferred royal cuddle suppliers for the day.

Everybody had a great time and everybody loved Tilde. One co-worker seriously upped his wishes to have his own dog, "it would be so great for my kids and the family", while he cuddled with Tilde one last time. I ran him through my obligatory "Never-Take-A-Hovawart-As-Your-First-Dog" speech, but I could fully understand the puppy-effect Tilde played on him.

We left after a couple of hours. I guessed Tilde would get bored eventually if she would have to spent a long time in the office. When we stepped out of the door, I wondered what just happened? Or better said, what not happened?

It all turned out very differently from what I expected. There was no tearing down the Christmas tree, surf office desks, stealing people's paper and pens, knocking over coffee cups, nibbling on their laptop power cords or the Christmas decorations - like she did at home, see the photo on top as proof.

All I observed was Tilde behaving on her best.

No incidents. No mischief.

It was a miracle.