Sherman came to Edison in a roundabout way. Several years ago, a dog breeder Edison knew selected some furniture in an exchange the two loosely considered a possible deposit for a dog one day.
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Austin Furniture in Worcester is home to hundreds of pieces of new and used furniture. And, one Olde English Bulldogge named Sherman.
He comes into the shop everyday to lounge on the couches and chairs with his and the store’s owner Al Edison. A constant fixture at Austin Furniture, customers routinely pop inside just to say “Hi” to the 100-pound brown-and-white hunk.
“He's a local celebrity,” said Edison.
Sherman came to Edison in a roundabout way. Several years ago, a dog breeder Edison knew selected some furniture in an exchange the two loosely considered a possible deposit for a dog one day.
Then in 2021, just over two years later with no communication, the acquaintance walked into Austin Furniture and told Edison his dog was waiting for him in the truck outside. A dog with Sherman’s pedigree and coloring would typically be sold by the breeder for around $9,000, but because of the previous furniture exchange, Edison only paid $660 in cash.
“I got a good deal,” he said.
As random as Sherman’s arrival was, it was equally serendipitous. He came into Edison’s life shortly after his divorce and has since become his total and complete companion.
Accompanying his father to the furniture store six days a week, Sherman makes friends with most anybody, said Edison.
Although there are some customers who are afraid of dogs, Sherman’s calm, almost sedative nature, usually wins them over.
“They ask me ‘Is the dog okay?’ And I'm like ‘I can't even tell if he's alive right now. What are you talking about?’” said Edison.
While Sherman is undoubtedly easygoing, he also embodies the epitome of a pushy bulldog, said Edison, one of his most favorite qualities about him. If you’re standing in the doorway and Sherman wants to get by, he’ll make his wants known.
“He’s a 100 pounds, and he knows how to use it,” said Edison.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
