The internet is obsessed with a golden retriever who visits the veterinarian every day—because his owner works in the office.
Cheddar the golden has become a social media star after his owner’s workplace, Sploot Veterinary Care, shared a video of what it’s like to have the four-legged staff member in at work.
Cooper Samp, who works at Sploot’s office in Denver, Colorado, told Newsweek that Cheddar joined his family as a puppy, “and he started his ‘career’ the next week.”
“Socializing him early with a rotating cast of people and pups is probably why he’s so outgoing—for better or worse,” Samp, whose Instagram account @denvercheddarjones is dedicated to his dog, joked.
Describing the average day in the office with Cheddar by his side, Samp added: “Let’s just say you need the right kind of work culture for a dog like Cheddar. His unofficial job description is ‘professional distraction.’
“Thankfully, Sploot is the perfect place for nose nudges, desk-side stares, and the occasional hijacking of a team meeting!”
Cheddar’s antics have now gone viral, after Sploot’s official TikTok account, @splootvets, showed what it’s like “anytime someone is working instead of paying attention to him.”
In the video, posted on September 3 and viewed close to 900,000 times, Cheddar stands partly on a desk and partly on someone’s lap before he’s picked up to be taken out of the way.
He lies against a staff member for cuddles, swings around on an office chair in someone’s lap, plays tug-of-war with a leaflet, and stands on a sofa where someone is trying to work.
Haleigh Watts, brand and community engagement manager at Sploot, told Newsweek that Cheddar “will frequently crawl onto people’s laps in their office chairs, despite being like 70 pounds. He also has an affinity for crawling on tables during meetings, and none of us are mad about it!”
“It’s such a morale boost having dogs around,” she added. “We probably have 3-7 dogs running around the office at any given moment, and it’s not only good for their socialization, but it’s also a lighthearted reminder not to take things so seriously.
“When you’re having a stressful day and all of a sudden you get booped by a wet snout, it really breaks you out of your mind and back into perspective. It’s also a great excuse to get up and go on a walk during the day!”
TikTok users loved the video of Cheddar, one commenter admitting: “I would be the most unproductive person in the whole world if there was a dog where I work.”
“This is the only ‘office culture’ I’m interested in,” another said, while one asked: “Does your office have any job openings?”
And one leaped to defend Cheddar: “I’m not trying to be rude but it looks like he’s the only one in the office that’s doing any work. The rest of you are just sitting underneath him, lifting him off things he shouldn’t be on, imprisoning him and not sharing with him. If it wasn’t for him nothing would be getting done.”
According to a vet-reviewed report in PetMD from Steven Feldman, president of the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute, there are many benefits to bringing your dog to the office.
Pet-friendly offices can contribute to better productivity and improved mental health for employees, promote teamwork, and result in less burnout, according to the report.