When Craig Burton, the founder and managing director at full service recruiter The Works Recruitment.com, relocated his trusted canine companion to the UK, he discovered that in terms of obeying commands, it was all French to black labrador Henri.

Burton returned to the UK to run his business as the recession took hold and now reports the business has had its best year in more than a decade. However, success in teaching young Henri English has been less forthcoming.

Burton told Recruiter that Henri, born in South-West France near Pau and named after Henry IV, lived in his native France until eight months ago and is too confused by English.

“English is too confusing for him. Assez and sit sound the same so he responds to that. It confuses him because when he goes back to France I leave him with French people who don’t speak English. Here, we leave him with English people who don’t speak French so anyone that has him here has to have commands spelt phonetically so they know what to do with him. People think he’s stupid and he’s not — he just doesn’t understand you.

“Henri comes into work everyday. He’s part of the business and a calming influence for everybody. In the office, everyone knows commands in French. People think you’re being pretentious speaking to your dog in French but we don’t really have a choice — they can think what they want.”