Something for the weekend: The Russian military has revealed it is not just its officers that get to enjoy work-life balance during the holiday season, as the 3,000 dogs who are employed within the army also get to enjoy some down-time during the first week of January.
Russia is about to celebrate Christmas, which according to Russian Orthodoxy falls on 7 January. With this in mind, The Russian Ministry of Defence has ensured that its furry employees are joining in the revelry of the festive period by giving them a break from its intensive training programme to play in the snow.
The Russian Ministry of Defence shared a video on its YouTube account showing the latest batch of recruits at the 170th Dog Training Centre of the Russian Armed Forces having playtime and being pampered with tummy rubs from their human colleagues. With plenty of treats on hand, there is plenty of tail wagging and excitement to be seen, highlighting the fact the armed forces organisation cares about the health and wellbeing of the pooches that live and work alongside the military.
Russian dogs have been valued members of the military for a long time. In the Second World War, anti-tank dogs were taught to carry explosives to blow up tanks, armoured vehicles and other military targets, saving the lives of thousands.
Here at Employee Benefits, we quite like the idea of having a dog join our team. Maybe running around after a puppy could help us stick to our fitness-related new year resolutions...