Dog of the Day - 7th March 2013

The weather returned to being damp and miserable today, so the camera stayed at home. Hopefully the spring will return again soon; it was so lovely to see the crocuses out in the sun earlier in the week. So today's Dog of the Day is another dog seen at the English Bulldog meet-up last Sunday. I can always spot a cocker from a mile off, and have to go over and say hello (it's been a little habit of mine for the past 30 years!). This little beauty is Dusty, a three-year-old chocolate roan show-type cocker spaniel. She looked like a 5-month-old puppy, but looks can be deceptive!

Dog of the Day - 5th March 2013

Today's Dog of the Day is one of the bystanders at the English Bulldog meet-up that I went to on Sunday. There were lots of other dog-owners walking their dogs. Some of them stopped to have a gawk at the spectacle. This dog sat patiently as its owner checked out the bulldogs, but looked rather bored. She's a basset hound, but doesn't have the droopy eyes and jowels that you sometimes see; perhaps she's crossed with a beagle, or perhaps it's just a sign that the droopiness is being bred out... I particularly liked the little white patch at the base of her tail and the black around her eyes, as if she was wearing kohl eye-liner!

English Bulldog Meet-up in Kensington Gardens

A few days ago I chatted to one of the local dog-owners about his English Bulldog, Frankie. He told me about a monthly event that I decided I had to go and check out for myself, regardless of the fact that my dog is a cocker spaniel, not a bulldog. On the first Sunday of every month, a group of people meet in Kensington Gardens (the western part of Hyde Park) with their English Bulldogs. I headed off there this morning, armed with my camera, but minus my spaniel (he just wouldn't have fit in).

It was certainly an unusual sight, seeing about 30 or 40 of the same breed of dog all pottering around together, chewing sticks together, sniffing each others' bottoms, trying to hump each other, cocking legs up trees, snorting, breathing heavily and just generally hanging out having a great time with their mates and owners. Just like any other breed there was a Molly and a Poppy, a Harry and a George, a Nelson and, er, a Knut (the chap in the first photo!), among others.

I tried to count all the dogs, and think that there were about 30 or more at any one time. Apparently once summer comes the turn-out gets even better - so I'll have to return.

Lots of people walked through the park looking rather bemused, and asked me what was going on, or rather, what the occasion was (it was pretty obvious that it was a meeting of English Bulldogs!). I found the whole spectacle rather bizarre too, but would love to see the same type of event for English Cocker Spaniels - maybe it's something I should organise...


More dog photos can be found on my website, and are available for purchase as prints, personal downloads and for RM licensing. For more information on the event, check out this link.