Wag Wednesday: Wolfgang Birk & Moby and Ria

wag-wednesday

Over the past year, we’ve interviewed many members of the hospitality industry, and one constant among the interviewees has been a profound love for their pets. We thought it would be great to share this love with our readers. That’s why we launched an ongoing feature called “Wag Wednesday” to showcase industry peeps and their pets. Know someone who wants to be featured? Email us at bark@miamifoodpug.com.

This week, we’re featuring Wolfgang Birk, Executive Chef of Area 31, and his Rottweilers, Moby and Ria.

Your Name: Wolfgang Birk

Your Pet’s Name: Moby and Ria

Sex: Male and Female

Ages: 5 and 8

Breed: Rottweiler

How did you come to own your dogs? What drew you to them?

My wife gave me the first Rottweiler in 1996 when we moved from Soho to Brooklyn to make me feel safe.

What’s the story behind your dogs’ names?

Both dogs are purebred and came from Germany. They got their names from the breeder by birth in Germany. Ria came as Ria vom Klosterwappe and Moby came as Moby vom Carraba.

How would you describe your dogs’ personalities?

Moby has a good soul with the heart of a tiger. Ria loves life and people, but will take care of business if needed.

How has owning a dog made your life richer?

Owning a dog is a lot of responsibility, as any pet depends on you, the owner. There are no bad pets, just bad owners. Having dogs — and especially of this breed — has shown me that Rottweilers have a bad reputation because of how they are raised. So the additional responsibility to make sure they are good dogs has helped me to appreciate animals even more.

It’s said that dogs reflect their owners and vice versa. How does this apply to you and yours?

My dogs are very loyal and would do anything to protect me and my family, very much like myself.

Tell us a funny story about you and your dogs.

They will do anything for a snack, and I mean anything at all. That being said, Ria and Moby are guard dogs so they’re very disciplined but their playful side comes out from time to time. I can’t pet one without the other trying to jump on me and wanting to play. Every time I want to take a picture with both, I end up on the floor with both of them on top of me. This is why I don’t have a picture of the three of us!

Are you involved in any pet organizations or philanthropies?

AKC and ADRK, two organizations for Dogs and especially Rottweiler’s.

We follow a lot of dog social media accounts like Doug the Pug, Rocco’s Contemporary Life, and Menswear Dog. Do you? Which are your favorites?

I am not much into social media, but I really enjoy Miami Food Pug!

See past editions of Wag Wednesdays here.