At MDI, our dogs are part of the family. We have a dog-friendly design studio and on any given day there will be at least a couple of our furry friends hanging out with us. Today we’d like to introduce you to Benji, a six-year-old Morkie Poo who belongs to Abigail, our office and design assistant.

A Morkie Poo is a blend of Maltese, Yorkie and Poodle. Abigail adopted Benji when she was a senior in high school. Her family had always had big dogs that lived outside, and she desperately wanted an inside dog. They relented – as long as the dog didn’t shed. After much research, she discovered Morkie Poos are hypoallergenic.

Though her buddy is six, Abigail says looks like a puppy and is full of puppy energy. For example, Benji is obsessed with socks. He dives into piles of clean laundry, finds a sock, and takes off running. He also loves walks. “Benji would literally go on twenty walks a day if we let him. He must sniff EVERYTHING, even though we usually walk the exact same route,” Abigail says.

Benji has just started coming to work at MDI, and he loves all the attention. “He looks like a little mouse compared to his big coworker, Mable,” Abigail says. When he’s not working at MDI, he hangs out on the guest bed where he can people- and dog-watch from the window. He knows a few tricks, including “give kisses” which involves licking your hand or face. Abigail says if he’s mad at her, he’ll turn his head away and won’t do it.

Welcome to the Designing Dog team, Benji!