Man Hunt
I’ve been wanting to catch this episode of Dad’s Army for some years. I can only ever remember seeing it once with C and that would have probably been in the 1990s. I can also remember her roaring with laughter, when our intrepid heroes acquired a tracker dog, which suitably for them was an English Setter. Two of the English setters, we had are shown in this post, which makes the episode even funnier for me. Some dogs are comedians, but English setters are almost the most natural straight-men of the dog world.
I found this on a page of English setter trivia.
English Setters are excellent with children. They make very good family dogs. However, they make terrible watchdogs . They are almost excessively friendly and will wag their tails and try to make friends with anyone who comes to your house. They may sleep through someone trying to break in. This is not the dog to get if you are looking for protection.
It sums the breed up well. I always remember the time, we mated our dog, Charlotte. Her husband-to-be had a very grand pedigree, but the two of them had no idea, what they were supposed to be doing, bringing this statement from the Brummie lady, who owned the dog.
If it hadn’t been for humans, English setters, would have died out years ago.
They were playing the straight-dog again, which is exactly what the dog called, Bran, did in Dad’s Army tonight. You should be able to catch it on iPlayer for a few weeks.
A Dalmation on the Tube
Dalmations don’t have the reputation of being the brightest of dogs and perhaps this is why you don’t see too many. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen one since I moved to London.
So it was quite a surprise to see one behaving very well on a lead in the depths of Highbury and Islington station this morning.
A Pro-Staffy Advert
Staffies have a bad press, but the Battersea Dogs Home have a serious problem, in that so many get turned in.
A Pro-Staffy Advert
This poster is trying to redress the balance.
It’s an interesting idea.
Everybody Wants a Corgi
And not just any corgi, but a Pembrokeshire, like the Queen.
This is a statistic from the Kennel Club and it’s probably all down to the Diamond Jubilee.
There Are Now Guard Whippets On London Buses
Because of the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, specially trained whippets like this one, are now being carried on London’s buses.
A Guard Whippet on a London Bus
I spotted this rather smart grey one on a 141 bus this afternoon.
I had a brief chat with the handler and they said, they were a bit short of whippets, so they’re going to have to use beagles and coney dogs as well!
A Comedian With Cerebral Palsy
BBC Breakfast this morning showed a comedian from Newcastle, with cerebral palsy called Lee Ridley, who works under the name of Lost Voice Guy. If he appears near you, I think he would be worth seeing and not for the curiosity value.
It reminds me of a time in the United States, where there was a blind comedian with a guide dog. I never saw him, but there is one in New York now called Brian Fischler. In the act I heard of, the dog got into it, by reacting appropriately to some jokes.
Dog Control Orders
I have heard of the controversial control orders before, but never ones related to dogs.
Dog Control Order in Newham
They don’t seem to be as oppressive as those beloved of NuLabor.
Every Religion Seems To Have Its Mad Side
When I read stories like this, I despair of religion. I suspect most of my practicising friends do too!
Sometimes, there seems to be a contest to see which religion can be the maddest and cruelest.
Why can’t they stick to the agenda that most religions seem to agree on, about looking after your fellow man and trying to make the world a better place?
Surely stoning a dog to death doesn’t do that! Especially, as they’ve asked the local children to do it.
The Palm Dog
Most cinema enthusiasts have heard about the Palme d’Or awarded at the Cannes Film Festival for the best film.
I hadn’t realised until today, that there was also a Palm Dog, awarded to the best performance by a canine. The award this year was won by Uggy, a Jack Russell, in a film called The Artist.
Dogs Will Be Dogs
Apparently, one of the sniffer dogs went amok and ate a photographer’s sandwiches.
The Anonymous Widower 