The Jazzy Hooch

Meet Hooch, an 11-year-old Staffordshire Bullterrier.

I bumped into Hooch outside the Brixton tube station on a rainy evening, as he was busking along Selwyn, his owner. As commuters were rushing out of the station in a steady stream, Hooch was looking on, his chunky sturdy body, and his wide friendly face unperturbed by the the crowds milling around him. His relaxed attitude had a bit of a real Hooch about him, rather like a warming shot of whisky on a cold day like today, so I just had to stop and have a chat.

His owner, Selwyn, was busy talking to a passer by, so I made my introductions to Hooch myself. Hooch, a true professional, knew how to work a fan straight away. At the first mention of the word treat, followed by my looking for the box in my bag, Hooch stuck his wide face inside it and proceeded to muzzle around, helping me to find it.

Several treats and suggestive looks later, I was seduced. Hooch was not only fabulously expressive in his manner, shooting surreptitious glances at the treat box, tilting his head and being an absolute charmer, but also very polite and gentlemanly, offering his paw and placing it firmly in my hand.

Selwyn, his owner, told me that the Hooch used to stay at home when Selwyn went out busking. Hooch, the natural born entertainer that he is, used to mope about being left behind, so Selwyn decided to take him along, on a condition that Hooch would busk too. And sure enough, once the saxophone sounded the first couple of bars of Gershwin's Summertime, Hooch joined in with a low howl, fully in keeping with the soulful jazzy tune!

Hooch is a real performer and loves dressing up. His favourite outfit is a policeman's uniform, but unfortunately, Hooch was not on duty today. Selwyn promised me that he will wear it next time around so stay tuned!

The light was not that great at the entrance to the station so when I initially looked at the pics of Hooch, I was a bit worried that they did not convey the full character of this very special dog. Then I decided to turn them black and white, and bingo! Hooch looked like a 30s jazz star in a smoky club.

I must say that meeting Hooch was a real highlight of the day. A dog with such a personality and panache is a real find. See you around Hooch!

To meet other London terriers please click here.

Days of Thunder

Meet Thor. Not the Norse god of thunder, but an adorable Labrador puppy, who I bumped into in Brompton Road, just around the corner from the V&A museum.

Words cannot describe how adorable he was, with his chunky paws, happy clumsiness of a puppy, bounding enthusiastically on the leash, in very high spirits despite the miserable weather. Labrador puppies are known for their looks, and it's not a coincidence that the most famous puppy in UK is in fact a Labrador, the 'Andrex' puppy ads dog voiced by Rik Mayall, has become a part of the colloquial language and British culture.

Thor was, in fact, so vivacious and full of beans, that my friend Dean had to assist with the photo shoot, which resulted in one of the funniest shots on The London Dog to date. Just look at the paws akimbo, and the sheer radiance on his face (Thor's, not Dean's) - simply irresistible!

Thor's owner clearly adores him, and has gone through a lot of trouble to ensure that he got the healthiest and best Labrador pup he could find. Mind you, when he told me that Thor was first at his feet, chewing on his fingers and generally making himself immediately indispensable, it seems that it was Thor who chose and found his owner, not the other way around!

Thor is extremely sociable and his main hobby is pursuing other dogs in the park to play and frolick around. His owner also produced a chewed up rope toy from his pocket, which Thor loves to chew and play with in the park.

His puppy manners aside, when I offered him a treat, he was very well-behaved, titlting his head in a cutest way possible, and taking the treat very gently from my hand, so I do have very high hopes indeed for this young gentleman. Good luck Thor! I am sure you will grow up to be a real Labrador stunner.

To see other Labradors and Retrievers please click here