Little Miss Fabulous

Meet a very charming lady called Pearl. I met Pearl in Islington on sunny Friday afternoon. As I walked home from work, I saw a beautiful whippet gently trotting along in their characteristic light-footed gait. Her looks and bearing reminded me of a whippet I used to know called Erin. In fact, she bore more than a passing resemblance to her. I picked up my courage and approached the dog and her owner, asking whether it was, indeed, Erin. It turned out that it wasn't her at all, but that the owner knew Erin, and what's more, we knew each other! We met once very briefly, a few years ago, via a mutual friend, and it was then when I met Erin and took this photo of her, which, incidentally, was one of the first entries on The London Dog.

Becca, Pearl's owner, has long been a whippet enthusiast, and it all started with her looking after her friend's whippets - Bas and Erin. Eighteen months ago, she decided that it was time to get her own share of whippet delight and she got Pearl. And real Pearl she is too. Dainty and delicate, with a silky smooth coat, and the stunning physique of fine runner, Pearl is a true gem. She really wanted to make the acquaintance of my Dachshund Kevin, who, despite his angelic looks and rather dimunitive size, isn't dog friendly. Kevin was watching, boot-faced, safely tucked away in my husband's arms, as I chatted away with Becca and was stroking and petting Pearl. He kept quiet until I started feeding Pearl treats. He immediately launched into a barking tirade, whilst Pearl, a real lady, was watching the little rogue, with a look of gentle puzzlement on her aristocratic, perfectly shaped little face.

Pearl loves running around it the park, and true to her hunting pedigree, she chases pigeons and squirrels. Becca also confesses to letting Pearl sleep in bed with her, which isn't at all surprising. Surely, you wouldn't let a princess like that sleep in a dog bed!

Whippets are hunting dogs, originally bred for sighting and outrunning small prey. In looks and posture, the whippet looks like a smaller version of a greyhound and, like greyhound, is an iconic English breed. They are especially popular in the north of England. In Crufts 2004, a whippet called Deedee won the Best in Show award, to the delight of all lovers and enthusiasts of this fantastic breed. Loyal, gentle and devoted, whippets make fabulous pets.

It was such a pleasure to meet an old friend and her fabulous dog. Being a massive fan of all sighthounds, I once again swore that a greyhound or a whippet will one day join our family. And Kevin will just have to learn some manners!

To meet other London hounds see Alfie, Mac, Conan and Teasel, and of course, Erin.

To find out more about Whippets visit The Whippet Club

Best in Show

After a long break, the London Dog returns with a Crufts report! Crufts is the biggest dog show in the world and a real treat for any dog lover. As a proud owner of a Dachshund, who belongs to the hounds group, I decided to attend Crufts on the third day, when the hounds and terriers are shown.

Crufts takes place in the enormous NEC exhibition centre in Birmingham, and the sheer scale of the event is truly mind-blowing. Not only do you get to see hundreds of dogs being judged and learn all about different breeds in the Discover Dogs section, but also you can pay your dues to Doggie Mammon, in the shape of hundreds of stalls selling canine goods.


This beautiful delicate dog is a Saluki or Persian Hound, one of the oldest breeds in the world, and featured on Egyptian hieroglyphs. Salukis were used to hunt gazelles, similarly to their English cousins, the greyhounds, who were used to hunt large prey like deer. Salukis look very much like greyhounds, with the addition of tasselled ears and tail.




I was rather taken with the fabulous Borzois, also known as Russian Wolfhounds. They are amazing looking dogs; their heads are long and beautifully shaped, crowning a lean body covered in silky, curly hair. They are also quite tall, with a slightly aloof and aristocratic look worthy of a Russian prince from a Tolstoy novel.





Basset Hounds sat patiently in their boxes with their characteristic hang-dog air about them, preferring the philosophical approach to life in which the best things come to those who wait.




My favourite, greyhounds, were lounging lazily in their boxes, mostly fast asleep, making sure that they got their beauty sleep before going into the show ring. I also managed to have a chat with extremely friendly ladies from the West of England Greyhound Rescue as they sat in a special stall surrounded by these beautiful dogs, all rescued from dog racing tracks. I must say that I left that stall with a heavy heart. It is shocking that, in this day and age, abuse of racing greyhounds goes on largely unchecked and unpunished in a country like Britain and the dogs who retire from tracks still end up killed, maimed or simply thrown out by the side of the road, left to fend for themselves. It is thanks to greyhound rescues, the donating public and the amazing people who work for these charities, that greyhounds are being cared for, rescued and given another chance.






Dachshunds were not only visible but also audible from a long distance. There was much barking and macho posturing in the Dachshund section as they were waiting to go into the ring. All Dachshund varieties were present and it was joy to see them all, especially as, sadly, the Dachshund population is declining in the UK. These two ladies were exceptionally well-behaved and chose to rest before strutting into the ring to be judged.





This stunning Afghan Hound caught my attention as he was standing nearby with his owner. When I started to take photos, he posed with a calm air of a dog who knows that he is the true star of the show. He even collapsed on the floor in a sea of silky smooth, fawn-coloured hair, staring indifferently into the distance for a dramatic effect.





So all in all, it was a wonderful trip with the chance to see lots of beautiful dogs, many of whom I have never seen in real life before. I shall be definitely be back next year.


Click here to see more Crufts photos.