The English Dog at Home

When I last wrote of dogs, many of you suggested that I buy a copy of Felicity Wigan's book, The English Dog at Home, as you felt it was one of the best books to profile two of our favorite things: dogs and English interiors. Well I did so, and you were right. It's a completely charming book that profiles pampered pooches in posh houses. Forget the life of Riley; I want these dogs' lives!

I admit that at first, the book's occasional dark humor threw me for a loop. In the first chapter alone, Sir Tatton Sykes mentions an uncle who had a penchant for "heroin shooting, lipstick, powder and paint." Then there was Sykes' beloved bull terrier, Lambchop, who despite being loving towards her master was a murderous mother. "She only allowed one puppy to survive as a crippled monster which now lives in the village." I suppose that Lambchop wasn't cut out for motherhood.

But really, this isn't a book that is full of black humor. It's just a little tongue in cheek, that's all. And as any dog lover knows, living with our four-legged friends requires both a sense of humor as well as the patience of Job.




Matthew and Mollie with Mrs. Nutting at Chicheley.






Humphrey with Mr. David Metcalfe. According to the book, "A fascinated crowd has been known to gather in the street below to see Humphrey's daily trick of chasing the blind up the drawing room window."




Mr. Loudon Constantine with Mr. Whistle, Lady, and Puzzle.



Phoebe in bed with Caroline Keith.




The Queen Mother held the rapt attention of her Corgis thanks to a box of chocolate biscuits.




Sir John Wiggin with his pups at Honington Hall.





Mozart with Mrs. Charlie Palmer-Tomkinson


All photos from The English Dog at Home by Felicity Wigan; Geoffrey Shakerley photographer; 1987.

A Cavalier Attitude

Funny things happen when you become a dog owner. First, you find yourself taking lots of photos of your dog. See the photo above? It's just one of many photos that I've taken in the last month alone. Seriously.

The other alarming thing that I've noticed about myself is that I now take a keen interest in any and all tchotchkes that have a Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel emblazoned on them. I have bought magnetic note pads, stationery, and even socks (yes, socks) with Cavaliers on them. If I'm not careful, I'm going to become one of those squirrely dog owners who wears Cavalier sweatshirts and drives around with a Cavalier license plate on the front of the car. Well, I can't let that happen, so from here on out, I'm going to focus on collecting Cavaliers like these:





These two 19th c. English paintings of Cavaliers both have provenances listed as "Parish Hadley". Available through William Secord Gallery. I love that the two dogs have feathers and slippers just like Alfie. Alfie's tail, however, is much longer than those above.



Such a sophisticated Cavalier, one who is "Admiring Audubon"; Pamela Hall was the artist. Unfortunately, Alfie doesn't seem like much of a reader. (Painting available through William Secord Gallery.)






A c. 1860 micromosaic brooch by Castellani. Auctioned at Christie's London in 2006.



A c. 1890 Tea Caddy made of lacquer and papier mache. Available from Hamshere Gallery.





A c. 1780 Snuff Box depicting a King Charles Spaniel. From Taylor B. Williams Enamels.



A pastel drawing of "Roulette" by Marjorie Cox, 1963. Sold at Christie's in 1999.

Dogs in Good Spirits

So, you've got your vodka, gin, bourbon, scotch, double old-fashioneds, bar pitcher, ice bucket, swizzle sticks, mixers, jiggers, and ice tongs raring to go on your drinks tray or bar cart. What else might you need to complete your bar set up? Well, if you're a dog lover, how about a dog shaped crystal or glass decanter? It's not something with which I was familiar until I stumbled across a photo of one on the internet recently.

While I'm usually not an advocate of cute things, I do think one of these decanters might add a little humor to your drinks tray. A bar or bar cart is one place where whimsy is generally deemed acceptable. Just beware of the vintage ceramic dog decanters that are in abundance on eBay. Now those aren't so cute.

Asprey glass dog decanter, c. 1937, available through Guinevere



C. 1910 English hand blown glass dog decanter that sold at auction around four years ago.



Antique Austrian dog decanter, c. 1900, from The Three Graces



An antique silver plated and crystal dog decanter from Nelson & Nelson Antiques




A collection of silver pieces, from the Estate of Queen Juliana of The Netherlands that was auctioned at Sotheby's last year. Included in the lot was a silver-plated dog spout and a sterling dog mount for a decanter.




Not quite a decanter, but rather a sterling tantalus modeled as a dog house that holds two decanters.


Cartoon at top from The New Yorker, August 11, 1997, by Leo Cullum

For The Love of Corgis

"Elizabeth, Princess of York, the seven-year-old granddaughter of the King of England, has set her fancy on a corgi or Welsh cattle dog, one of a very ancient breed. But, strange to say, this old farm dog variety has come under the notice of the bench show public only during the last ten years. "
-House Beautiful, February 1934


We all know of Queen Elizabeth II's love of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. For as long as most of us can remember, she has been surrounded by a coterie of beloved Corgis. In fact, it's the Queen who is often credited with popularizing the breed. According to a 2007 Telegraph article, the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret first fell in love with Corgis after seeing those owned by the Marquess of Bath. In 1933, both girls received their very own Corgis, Dookie and Jane. Dookie, who you can see above with Princess Elizabeth in 1936, was named as such because upon his birth, he was selected to be given to the Duke of York's household.

I recently stumbled across the brief, newsy paragraph that leads off this post in the February 1934 issue of House Beautiful. Back in the 1930s and 40s, most of the house and garden type magazines devoted a few pages in each issue to dog news, breeding, and shows. It seems quaint now, but at the time, dog breeding and showing was a rather aristocratic pursuit. It's remarkable, in a way, that after almost eighty years, Queen Elizabeth is still devoted to the same breed. I guess what they say is true: first loves never die.

Princess Elizabeth with Dookie, by Marcus Adams, 1938. The Royal Collection © 2011,Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.



Queen Elizabeth II with her corgi Susan. Studio Lisa, 1952.



Queen Elizabeth II welcoming her corgis on board, 1984.




A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Michael Leonard, painted in 1985-86.