According to the AKC Dog Lovers Blog site, today, is “take your dog to work day.” Every day is take your dog to work day for me. I’ve recently read that many writers and freelancers enjoy the company of their dogs as companions in a work at home environment. Mine is slightly different, but it still involves a socks-on commute down the hall to open the office of the motel where we reside.
Joy, the five-year-old Golden Retriever, lives here and works alongside us as motel ambassador or greeter occasionally. Joy gets more mentions on TripAdvisor than the managers do.
Canine ambassadors in hotels is not brand-new concept. The Fairmont Hotel chain has an entire page on their website dedicated to full time hotel ambassadors of the canine variety. Joy seems to be in good company.
Managing space and balance with an overly friendly Golden Retriever is no easy task. Command performances have to be managed and supervised so that letter carrier chases don’t take place. It’s all about the treats, and most Golden owners know their dogs can be pigs about food. That’s just a fact.
The most amazing feat about a Golden Retriever ambassador is their memory for voices and smells. Some guests only visit once a year. While I may recognize names on registration info and connect faces with surprising familiarity, Joy seems to know the most repeat guests. 
Just ask her where “Uncle Jim’s” room is? Joy can ramble up the stairs and sit outside room 200 and wait patiently for the guest even if Uncle Jim is not staying at the time.
Family pets reside only in our lobby and immediate outside area. With only 38 guest rooms, the motel rooms are not pet-friendly. There are several hotels within a short distance that fill the demand/need for the destination and we frequently make recommendations.
The Beach Shack is one of Joy’s favorite places to visit. She drags dad in there after work. Honestly, we only go there as a reward for Joy’s hard work.
Joy is a sweetheart!