Morus the shop dog at Fred Aldous Manchester
For a dog with such little legs, Morus (pronounced Morris) the Corgi has a pretty big personality. He's the resident dog at Manchester's beloved art shop, Fred Aldous, and since being a puppy he's been helping out in the basement warehouse. I got to visit him at work and just as you would expect from an art hound, he spends most of his days stealing balls of wool and various other art supplies to play with. Who can blame him? I think we're all a bit guilty of wanting to dive into the well stocked shelves at Fred Aldous?
I stopped by to get some photos of Morus the Fred Aldous mascot, capturing his typical day at work.
Morus thinks Fred Aldous is his shop. Everyday when he arrives at work, he will do a quick lap round, just checking who's in, who's eating breakfast and who he's going to demand belly rubs from. Some members of staff have even been lucky enough to receive the 'Morus howl' - a happy declaration that you are now part of his pack.
“He can make or break somebody’s day. He will either walk past, ignoring you (breaking your day) or roll onto his back for a belly rub (making your day). ”
While I'm there it takes a while for him to trust me and my camera. But I soon learn how to win him round - cue warehouse playtime.
Throughout the day, Morus loves to instigate a chase, and with so many twists, turns and secret corners in the back, it's the perfect maze for Morus. While I'm there, Mark (his owner and one half of Freds) starts to chase him with a wooden broom. I wait patiently around each corner, snapping his excited little face; pausing, tongue out, before he darts off again. He knows every inch of the historical Fred Aldous building. Even on his way out for a wee, he'll trot round the shop floor, just checking everything is as it should be - getting lots of cuddles off the customers as he goes.
Another favourite pastime is to play football or frisbee. As soon as he hears the football drop onto the polished concrete floor, he's up, ready to play, acting like the big dog he's not. And when playtime's over, he's snoozing - either in his under-the-desk bed, or at the feet of his co-workers.
Adorned with fan art, toys and all of his little bits and bobs, Morus has got what can only be described as a design den. Hanging on his peg wall, there's a battered umbrella, another one of his favourite toys - he loves to jump up, biting and barking at it, tackling it to the ground.
“It’s impossible to walk with an umbrella or any large bag as he wants it instantly and he’ll jump up and bark until he gets it. I’ve caught him eyeing up other people’s umbrellas and large bags before, and had to rein him in! ”
Like most of the cool, quirky independent-shop workers in the Northern Quarter, Morus ends his working day having a few bevvies at the local pub. Or he'll head to Angel Meadow, a city centre park where he'll catch up with his mates. He's a bit of lady's man, and often sees Charlie the Basset Hound, Mitzy the Yorkshire Terrier, Olive the Frenchie, Alma the Bedlington-Whippet and Tita the Jack Russell, to name a few. Again, he teases to be chased, too fast to be caught. He only lets Charlie the Basset Hound catch him. She pins him down and once she's sat on him, there's no escaping.
Morus is such a big part of the Fred Aldous workforce. Already a mascot in a graphic design sense, he also contributes to the brand ethos. Just him being there, with his design den and his playful nature adds another quirky layer to this 130 year old brand. It emphasises just how relaxed, creative, dedicated and incredibly Manc Fred Aldous is. That's what stood out most to me on my visit to the shop. They're all just a naturally cool bunch.
If you would like some photos of your little work pal, get in touch to arrange your Pet Stories photoshoot.
Visit the Fred Aldous website and Instagram to see more of what Morus the Corgi gets up to.