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

Dog and the City

As I nipped out of the office for a breath of fresh air, I spotted a beautiful black labrador sitting outside a cafe next door cafe, staring intently at the entrance of the local Marks & Spencers. I assumed that she must have been waiting for someone and I decided to keep her company. She was distractedly accepting my stroking her and, despite me whispering assurances into her silky ear, she would not be persuaded to take her eyes off the door. I was shortly joined by an Italian gentleman who was watching her too from a nearby table, and was rather taken with her, and a couple of people who stroked her lovely head and complemented her on her good looks. It seemed that Jess was a bit of a hit with the busy City crowd.

Finally, Jess started wagging her tail enthusiastically, and I saw her owner emerging from the shop. Jess is a 4-year-old labrador bitch, and has recently had five lovely puppies. She lives in the country and comes down to London with her owner who works here. She definitely has that country girl freshness about her. Her coat is so amazingly shiny that, even on that dull, rainy day, it had a glow of polished ebony. She was very well behaved and sat down for treats with her intelligent and sweet face staring at me with almost questioningly, as if to say "Do you have any more?".

Her owner tells me that her favourite pastime is chasing rabbits and pheasants across the fields. This, of course, is not surprising, as labradors are a quintessential hunting breed, originally bred to retrieve waterfowl for gun. They have a thick coat and sturdy physique, well suited to swimming in cold water. Labs, as they are also known, are one of most popular breeds in the UK. Intelligent and energetic, with that characteristic happy-go-lucky attitude, they make fabulous pets but need a lot of exercise, as they are a working dog and, without the stimulation and challenge, they get bored and unhappy.

Jess gave me a spring in my step, as I walked away to the hustle and bustle of the office. Come back Jess - we love you in More London Place!

To meet other London labs please visit Bria and a guide dog - Lucy.

Working Girl

I meet Lucy in the crowded London Bridge tube station on Friday. As people were rushing to start the weekend, Lucy sat unfazed and completely indifferent to the crowds buzzing around her. Most dogs don't like to be in a crowd and will turn to their owner for guidance and protection. This time it is the other way around. Lucy has a job to do, and an important one, so she remains focussed and calm at all times. She is a guide dog to Christina, who is visually impaired and needs Lucy to help her in every day life.

Lucy is a 5-year-old labrador retriever. She is a beautiful girl, with a friendly face and kind and thoughtful eyes. She is an experienced guide dog and has been with Christina for 3 years now. She loves long walks and Schmackos dog treats. I tested the latter, and I can confirm that she indeed is a great fan of them. She wolfed down three Schmackos while staring at me intently, although she was looking at Christina out of the corner of her eye to make sure that her owner was OK.

Lucy shares her name, breed and job with probably the most famous guide dog in the UK. Lucy, a black Labrador, was the guide dog to the former Home Secretary David Blunkett and featured in the media quite a lot, whilst on duty with her owner.

Labradors are very intelligent and eager to please, which makes them ideal for training as a guide dog. Guide Dogs For The Blind Association is an organisation that trains puppies to become guide dogs. It takes around 18 months to train a puppy, and another several months training with the future owner to make sure that the dog and the owner can communicate effectively. They work for about 7 years before retiring and being replaced with a newly trained dog. This means that a lot of new dogs need to be trained up every year. You can help by sponsoring a puppy at GDBA.

Special thanks to Christina for chatting to me and letting me take photos of Lucy. I only spoke to Christina as I saw her waiting with Lucy seated by her legs. Never talk or offer food to a guide dog who is working. They have a job to do and should not be distracted, no matter how cute they look.

See Bria, a Labrador Retriever I met in Hyde Park Corner.

More about Labradors Retrievers: Midland Counties Labrador Retriever Club

Keeping it in the family

I met this lovely family in the busy Grovenor Place, just off Hyde Park Corner roundabout. The owners told me that they had a long standing family tradition to give their dogs names starting with a B, hence Bamba (top) and Bria (bottom).

Bamba is an unusual cross of the rare Pharaoh Hound, also known as an Egyptian hound. That is where she gets her lovely, distinctive ears, which give her a very charming, inquisitive air. Bamba is a new London dog, as she arrived to London only a few days ago from Spain with her owners. She has a beatiful, rich copper colour coat and amazing amber eyes. She has something of the timidity and gentleness of a greyhound about her, until she pricks up her big ears and all of the sudden you can see her Pharaoh Hound ancestors in her. I am sure that once she settles here, Bamba will be very happy.

Bria is a 9-year old serene and placid retriever. She has a beautiful creamy, almost white coat, unusually light colour for a retriever. She belongs to Bamba's owner's Mum, who was kind enough to let me take photo of Bria too. She was rather indifferent to my camera, which was justified. Bria is a dog of habit and it was past her dinner time, so she wanted us to know that it was not fair to keep her waiting any longer! She sprawled on the pavement with all her four paws out, never minding the traffic and noise.

More about Pharaoh Hound: Pharaoh Hound Club of America

More about Labrador Retriever: Labrador Retriever Club in UK