And he does tick a bit — when he’s about to drift off to sleep, there’s this unnerving ticking of the whiskers on the sides of his nose.
He is, of course, nothing more than a mongrel: a weird cross between a red fox Labrador and a poodle, so The Boss tells me. Although I still reckon he looks like a Vizsla.
I’d prefer him to be a Vizsla, to be honest, on account of the pumped-up reputation that poodles have acquired over the years. Poodles are the national dog of France, so that makes them of dubious use in a fight, for a start.
That doesn’t mean every French household has one either — in recent years, the French have actually shown a striking preference for the Australian shepherd, according to The Economist. It recently reported on the popularity of different breeds around the world and noted that, back in 1970, the poodle was the fifth most-popular breed in France — but that popularity encouraged rapid over-breeding, which, in turn, led to mean-spirited and snappy dogs, so the French started looking elsewhere.
But here’s the hurt: The Economist then quoted a psychologist, Stanley Coren, who researches the intelligence of dogs, and he insists the poodle is the second-most intelligent dog breed, after the border collie!
Not that I’ve seen any instances of intellectual brilliance from him, although we happened to be watching New Boy when he had his first swim a few weeks ago and there was none of that high-pawing you often see in a young dog — he was following a wood duck into a billabong when the water suddenly got deeper and he moved seamlessly into a swift paddle.
Even more awkward was The Boss next to me, nodding his approval. “I recall you trying the upright posture first, General, on several occasions … before you got the hang of it,” he said, rather unnecessarily.
Not that intelligence is a big motivator for buying a dog. It turns out that people all over the world are more influenced by films and television shows — even comic strips — than they are by natural smarts. Although practicalities carry some weight, if you look at the Japanese.
Back in 1955 just four chihuahuas were registered in Japan — they are the smallest recognised dog breed. But after a chihuahua named Qoo-chan appeared in a suit and tie in a television ad around 20 years ago, the Japanese went crazy over them and now — in their land of tiny apartments — chihuahuas are the second -most popular dog after (you guessed it) the toy poodle.
Charles Shultz made the beagle famous in his comic strip, Peanuts, and the Disney film 101 Dalmations set off a craze for the spotted dogs, with every re-release setting off another surge in buyer-popularity … followed by a decline when they realised how active those hounds are. German Shepherds were on the nose after they were used as a symbol of national unity by the Germans in World War I — but then Rin Tin Tin came along, starring in 27 films after being rescued as a puppy on a French battlefield by an American GI.
Then there’s the French bulldog, which has displaced the poodle in French popularity and now runs second to the Australian shepherd — thank Lady Gaga and Reese Witherspoon.
The Labrador retriever remains the clear favourite in Britain, America, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand, but not here. The insurance industry says Australia’s most popular dog is now the Cavoodle — a cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and, no kidding, a poodle. Woof!
• The General is The Boss’s dog. For more yarns, visit sheppnews.com.au/thegeneral
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