Bigguysmalldogblog

Richmond Riverside, London

 

This is Billy, The Dog Man of Richmond. So called because he had not one, but four little dogs. I also thought it might be the first (and last) time that I die on the job. The moment I got my camera out and started snapping, so did they. Imagine that, death by small dog. I only got 3 of them in the picture before the crowd turned on me. But before that, the very charming Billy told me that he liked these little critters (Dexter, Alfie, Kenzo and Tula) because they are ‘easy to transport’ and ‘you can’t tire them out’. I believed the last bit as I limped away.

Portobello Road, London W11

 

I literally hunted this man down in Portobello Road the other day as I first spotted him whilst I was having my hair done in the local salon. This is Clinton with his two Chinese Pugs, Nancy & Missy Elliot. Upon questioning, Clinton admitted that he had grown up with Pitbulls but that they were ‘too much hard work’, whereas these were ‘cuties’ - which I cannot disagree with. They didn’t always belong to Clinton. He muttered something about an ex England goalkeeper and a divorce and we left it at that.

Church Street, Twickenham

Earlier today (when it was still summer), I bumped into Nick. Now this is a bit of cheat because as it turns out, ‘Bobby’ doesn’t actually belong to Nick. He is looking after him for a friend – or so he says. No, seriously, it really wasn’t his dog and the whole point of this blog is to find out what motivates a big fella to pick a little dog over a more substantial one. But I couldn’t resist Bobby. Also, if I were The Sartorialist, I would have congratulated Nick on his smart shirt/sunglasses combo but now I’m really going off the point.

Queens Park, London NW6

 
I accosted today’s ‘victim’ as I left Queen’s Park last Friday afternoon. As far as I am concerned, a Jack Russell – or anything closely resembling it – is the small dog with the big dog mindset. And whilst his owner confirmed that Whisky does indeed start fights with Staffordshire Bull Terriers (and btw, can ‘run like a rabbit’), he was a proper little gentleman whilst I was there.

Whisky’s owner agreed that there were practical reasons for having a small dog – ease of portability and having a small living space - but Whisky’s main brief was to bring some lightness and fun into everyone’s lives after his owner’s mother sadly fell ill. True to form, Whiskey’s cute overload factor has bought a smile to everyone’s face.

Arlington Streen, Camden NW1

 

Today’s dog owner pretty much couldn’t stop laughing when I told him I was writing a blog about big guys with small dogs. For one second, I even thought I saw him looking over my shoulder, just checking to see when the men with white coats would spring out from behind a bush and take me back from whence I came.

I can’t lie. I didn’t even get round to asking him why he had a small dog* but he did tell me this: Regents Park is chock full of geezers walking toy dogs. I think you know which bush I’ll be hiding behind this weekend.

*Stern but appealing Schnauzer called Mercury.

The corner of Great Titchfield and Cavendish Street, London W1

Alfie and his owner were on the verge of hailing a cab when I spotted them on one of the coldest days of the year so far but I had to know. Number one, what kind of dog is that? And number two; is he a fanny magnet or WHAT?

Alfie is probably the cutest little nugget of dog-ness that I have ever encountered and I’m a cat owner. I didn’t get to ask his delightful owner’s name but he did stop long enough to explain that Alfie is a Pomapoo – half Pomeranian and half Poodle - and that his girlfriend ‘thinks it’s a gay thing. She thinks I should get a Rottweiler’.

I couldn’t agree less. I admire a man who is prepared to embrace his female side and own a small dog. Its taken exactly four small dogs to convince me of this point. New Man is man enough not to need back up from a dog. 

The North London Tavern, NW6

I found Doran and his Chihuahua lurking in the murky darkness of the North London Tavern. Is this your dog? I demanded to know. Indeed he is. In fact, Winston is what his owner refers to as An Unplanned Dog. He originally belonged to two friends who were going through a rough patch. They asked Doran if he could take care of Winston for a couple of weeks and the rest is history. Or, as Doran puts it, two weeks turned into a lifetime commitment.

Doran concedes that Winston probably isn’t great for his hetero credentials and that had he had a choice, he wouldn’t have picked a Chihuahua in a MILLION years. However, Winston doesn’t bark and they like going to the pub together. What more could a man want from a pet? They looked like a cute couple sharing a pint of Guinness to me. 

Portobello Road, Carnival weekend, August 2010

My luck was in last Saturday as I sat outside what is frequently referred to as ‘the left wing coffee shop’ on Portobello road. Who should walk by but a young man by the name of Taye Armani, the owner – my accomplice informed me – of a miniature French Bulldog. 

Taye informed me of two facts. One, that he was a model and TV presenter, and two, that he was friends with Paris Hilton – he had the photo on the screen saver of his phone to prove it. Of course what I really wanted to know was this: how come you’ve got such a teeny tiny little dog. Simple, he said, I live in a small flat and I don’t have much space. This seemed like a perfectly logical answer to me.

Camden Town, NW1

Is it a conspiracy? I don't know but I can guarantee you this, the second you have read this post, you will see them everywhere. Men walking tiny dogs. Great big hulking Lemmy look-a-likes walking teeny tiny Paris Hilton style pooches. I kid you not. Its an epidemic. I set out to discover the truth about this. Is Staffordshire Bull Terrier Man a thing of the past? Has Post Millennium Man finally come out of the closet? Or are cute dogs all just part of a cunning plan to attract mugs like me? Let’s find out.

I bagged my first 'victim' yesterday in Camden. I was too excited to ask his name as I could barely take my eyes off Milo, his tiny orange dog. Nor did I ask what breed of dog Milo is but his owner did impart this imformation. Milo is his girlfriends dog and at first, he was mortified about walking him but now they like each other, he doesn't mind at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say this about Milo and his human friend. They looked terribly happy together. Here they are: