I am not usually asked to give references, but to answer questions about my dog. Likely because fearing that anyone so often travelling on business with a dog would have no clients and therefore no references.
I came to my dogs more than ten years ago. Their breed is Bouviers de Flandre. Their job is to protect the missing-link-institute. Bouviers are very placid and this is good for events here and travel alike.
This is Godzilla, my forth Bouvier after Elchi (elk), Hannes and Zoffel, derived from Zottel (lock or curl) and Stoffel (boor). Godzillas secret weapon is his silent but deadly fart, not everybody's cup of tea.
Ill-wishers say he is my CPU-standard 64 K memory. I use him as my 'argumentation amplifier.' So comes this dog to become for me, that which for example is for Karl Lagerfeld the ponytail and sun glasses, and for Udo Lindenberg, the hat.
In firms I visit, should he not accompany me, I am usually asked about the welfare of my dog. Nobody actually inquires after my welfare but just a how-are-you-doing? All expect a „fine!“ for an answer. And certainly not a personal barometer reading of how all goes with me.
Frankly, what is expected of me is not to make any problems, aside from those already created by my dog, but rather just to solve them.