A new book explores the bond between dogs and their owners, including a tribute by the then Duchess of Cornwall to her own rescue terriers
As a subject in literature, dogs have had a ‘ruff’ ride. OK, we’ll leave the canine puns to one side for now, but it is true that good books about dogs are thin on the ground.
Only the deeply peculiar literary figure JR Ackerley managed to weave magic in his 1956 memoir My Dog Tulip, about his equally strange Alsatian bitch. Far from being the cosy, loyal, cuddly pet many people dream of, she was difficult and dangerous. She was prone to biting at will and soiling carpets but Ackerley adored her, despite having come to dog ownership late in his bachelor life.
He took her everywhere, much to literary London’s annoyance, and the invitations soon dried up. Ackerley didn’t care. She was the love of his life, and his book is a must-read for anyone who shares that deep and unwavering respect for an animal. As the critic Elizabeth Marshall Thomas observed: ‘Who would imagine that the bodily eliminations, impacted anal glands, and sexual dysfunction of an ordinary dog could inspire a story so delicate, so sensitive, so clearly understood, and so purely and delightfully composed as to rival an Elizabethan sonnet?’
Something similar could be said about Top Dogs: A British Love Affair, a beautiful new book that celebrates the unique bond between humans and dogs, including a touching tribute by HM The Queen Consort. It was written by Georgina Montagu and photographed by Dylan Thomas over an 18-month period and features more than 30 figures from the worlds of society, fashion, art, design, and business alongside their dogs, mostly photographed at home.