Saturday 19 May 2012


Britain finally gets it... Dogs aren't the problem, it's the dumb owners




Since Stan romped into our family, we have hardly stopped laughing. Or, indeed, cleaning up his mess

Stan the man's best friend: Tony's dog
Stan the man's best friend: Tony's dog
After years of getting a rotten press, this is the year that the dog bit back – although not ­literally, of course.
A dog dominated the Oscars (Uggie in The Artist). A dog won Britain’s Got Talent (Pudsey blowing the humans away).
And while it would be an ­exaggeration to say that a dog is the new star of the Royal Family, Kate and William’s cocker spaniel Lupo has to be more popular than, say, Prince Andrew.
Dogs are suddenly everywhere. And not the “devil dogs” we are used to hearing about, but good dogs, kind dogs, smart dogs.
They are not all star turns. Some of them are the dog in the street.
After disabled Victoria Shaw blacked out in Wrexham, her Yorkshire Terrier Louis followed his training and pressed her panic button, summoning help.
“I’m no dog trainer but I just got to work on him,”  says Victoria.
“He is my best friend and my soul mate. I can’t bear to be without him.”
As I said to Stan, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, just the other day, the bond between a dog and its owner is built on unconditional love, sustained with trust and nurtured with laughter.
Stan was attempting to mount his favourite stuffed toy, a zebra, at the time, so I can’t be certain that he heard every word.
But I think he would agree with me.
Since Stan romped into our family, we have hardly stopped laughing. Or, indeed, cleaning up his mess.
Somehow the hard work is worth it, and life without Stan is unthinkable.
Every day Stan accompanies my daughter and I as we walk her to school.
When she goes inside, Stan whimpers with sadness at seeing her leave.
Then he spots something interesting – a pigeon, a fag butt – and cheers up.
Stan makes us smile and we love him.
These simple yet profound pleasures are why the dog ­population is at an all-time high – up to 8.3 million last year.
And that figure will increase now that judges are being given new guidelines to lock up owners of out-of-control dogs for up to 18 months.
Britain finally gets it. There are no devil dogs.
Only dumb owners, who shouldn’t be allowed to own Stan’s stuffed zebra. 

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