The dog’s name is Beast, though he looks more like the Snuggle bear from the fabric softener ads. According to Beast’s page, he lives in Palo Alto with Zuckerberg and Chan, was born January 10, 2011, is a male, and his personal interests include: cuddlin, loving, and eating.

“I am a Puli, which is a type of Hungarian Sheepdog. I was born in Grants Pass, Oregon and now I live in Palo Alto with Mark and Cilla. I am extremely cute,” his bio says.

Beast is sure to be the most popular dog since the Obamas’ dog Bo. In fact, if you go by the top ranking Facebook fan page for Bo, Beast already has him beat by a long shot.

Some are calling Beast’s Facebook page a PR move to make Zuckerberg seem more likable. Can’t a guy just have a dog?

Update: Since the time of this was originally written, Beast has learned to climb stairs (Breaking News!):

BeastJust learned how to climb stairs. I'm such a champion. 2 hours ago · 372 likes · 80 comments

Beast also now has nearly 8,500 fans.

The program sponsored by Iams Healthy Naturals runs from April 15-July 15. The three-month program consists of nine courses that give pet owners better insights into caring for their dogs.

The Dog College curriculum includes courses on physiology, natural nutrition, communication, genetics, environmental science and art history.

"Whether you are just thinking about getting a dog, or already have a puppy, older dog, purebred or rescue, you can learn more about dogs, and how to make the relationship with your pet stronger, by taking these classes,” said Ernie Slone, editor of Dog Fancy and DogChannel.

Each course includes advice and information from dog experts, along with reading material, video and slide shows. To graduate, students must complete all of the quizzes with a passing score of 60 percent or higher.

A valedictorian, chosen from those who score 100 percent on all quizzes, will win a year’s worth of Iams Healthy Naturals dog food provided by PETCO.
 

Okay, okay – those "things" are dogs, and in the opinion of your humble author, even a cubicle in fish factory would be made cheerful by the presence of a canine companion.  Monica Guzman has a video featuring puppies named Brody and Doug that’s definitely worth a look.

Aside from the dogs, though, there are all the standard Google amenities – free food, massages, quirky and comfortable furniture.  And as an added bonus, Nancy Gohring writes, "The offices overlook a picturesque canal.  Workers can clear their heads by hopping in company-supplied kayaks for a trip up the canal, where they can float by the houseboats that line Lake Union . . ."

Of course, none of this will come as too much of a shock to anyone who’s familiar with Google (and for anyone who’s not, we have serious questions about what you’ve been up to).  Still, it’s always fun to check in on the company’s offices, and this glance seemed particularly enjoyable.

One last note: for two more cute pictures of Googlers’ dogs, feel free to check out different versions of an article by John Cook.