Top Dog winner: Clive

The 2021 Winejobs Top Dog competition received entries from more than 150 hard-working canines (and their human helpers), with one cheeky entry even coming from an identity-confused wine cat.

Dogs play important working roles in the grape and wine sector, being skilled at their occupation and valued members of any vineyard or winery team. With its usual focus on filling wine businesses’ staffing needs and finding jobs for two-legged workers, leading industry employment site Winejobs wanted to recognise the invaluable roles of our furry, four-legged working companions.

The hunt for the dog with best job in an Australian or New Zealand winery or vineyard resulted in pups from regions far and wide putting up their paws to be recognised as Top Dog. Our panel of pooch lovers found it a bit ruff at first to choose between all the paw-sible winners, but one dog’s tale eventually stood out.

2021’s Top Dog winner is Clive, affectionately described as ‘the Bung Boy’ and hardest working member of the Sigurd Wines team. His human employer says Clive is “always ready to go to work, waiting in front, under or on top of the ute”. In the winery, as can be seen from the photo featured on the cover of this issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker, Clive makes sure all the tennis balls or bungs are safe and conveniently located next to people’s feet, ready to throw. We’re told the only thing that can distract him is the forklift, and therefore another part of his job is keeping company with and protecting the forklift’s driver, usually by locating himself on the driver’s lap. Some further advice is given regarding this talented canine’s essential job in the winery: “if you lose the barrel bung, call Clive – he’s your (good) boy”.

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