Huw Le Lytle answers all your questions in his column of wit and wisdom, For the Asking!

Huw’s for the asking!

BY Huw Le Lytle

In today’s questions …

 Dog Breeds and Small Screens

Q: Dear Huw, my mummy is very allergic to dogs but has said we can get a dog. What advice would you give me to choose a dog and what is your favourite dog?
– Charlie, Penarth, UK

A: Dear Charlie, what a lovely mummy that she is trying to find a dog for you, even though she is allergic. There are two dogs that would be at the top of my list for being almost faultlessly hypoallergenic.

The first is the Poodle. The Poodle is a most stupendously wonderful dog. Human has had three poodles – Bart and Phoebe the Toy Poodles, and Kevin the Standard Poodle. And our Uncle Yum Yum, who lives with Grand Human, is a Miniature Poodle. Poodles are a lot of fun and are famous for being extremely intelligent. And they love swimming! You would probably have a wonderful time with a Poodle. As for size, maybe a Miniature Poodle would suit you best.

However, I have to confess that I may have a bias in favour of the most awesome hypoallergenic dog in the world – the Bedlington Terrier! The Bedlington Terrier is quite an old British breed, and some of us know our families as far back as 1782!

There are lots of reasons to choose a Bedlington Terrier. The first is Leo. The second is me. And then there are many more important reasons as well. One of the really important reasons is that we are a very healthy breed. We have two things that might worry us. The first is Copper Toxicosis, but reputable breeders test regularly and so the risks are lessening. And the second is that we are rather prone to cataracts in our old age. But who isn’t? And it’s only because we live so long because we are so hardy – in fact, we are known for living longer than other breeds of a similar size. And apart from CT and cataracts, we are a really healthy bunch! And if you don’t like the haircut, you can have a holiday clip or teddy bear clip, whatever you like to call it. And they are the cutest! And temperament-wise we are also known for being very adaptable. Whether you want a house dog or an agility dog, we can do it all. In fact, we are famous for being really wonderful with children. And did you know that Bedlingtons are also known for their swimming skills? Leo used to love paddling in the sea, and he would often trot into the lakes in Hampstead Heath and stand in the water up to his belly, simply enjoying himself!

But sadly, the Bedlington Terrier is a breed that is in danger of becoming vulnerable. Unfortunately we are being overlooked in favour of some currently more fashionable breeds. And I simply do not understand why. We are just unbelievably awesome! So if you get a Bedlington Terrier, not only will you have a very wonderful and special dog, but also you will be preserving a bit of British history in your very own home!

As for me and whether I have a favourite breed – well, I do love the Otterhound and I do love the Bedlington but my love is borne from the dogs I have known – Finnegan, Leo, Jeff, and Howard. My favourite dog is family.

Good luck with your search, Charlie, whatever you decide it will be a very lucky dog indeed!

Q: Dear Huw, do you think dogs should be able to watch television?
– Bella, Penarth, UK

A: Dear Bella, thank you very much for your question. And yes indeed, dogs should be able to watch television. In fact, there is even a global TV channel designed just for dogs! And DOGTV is now available in the UK, so I am asking Human to add it to our subscriptions.

Sometimes dogs get lonely when they are left alone, and some clever scientists have shown that television may be the best media of all for keeping us happier in those situations, even better than the radio. A lot of this is apparently down to how good television is now with all our HD TV!

We all watch television here. Human always leaves it on for us and sometimes we just sleep in front of it, sometimes we take a closer look, but we always enjoy it. If we are alone, we tend to watch the romance channel or the family channel as we don’t like it when people bark at each other. Sometimes dogs in the television bark and, depending on whether it’s a real bark (or a made-up one), it may get our interest! We don’t tend to watch any nature channels as Jeff and Howard get concerned if animals start growling at each other. So, yes, the romance and family channels are our usual choice. After all, we watch television to relax, not to engage in high drama. And everyone is always so happy on those channels! And most of the time they also end up opening a B&B or a bakery, so we get to see lots of cooking and cakes, which we like.

Sometimes we watch cartoons as well. The kitties seem to love cartoons, and Lora Logic will even pat the screen, playing with the images. And cartoons are fun because there is always at least some of the colour that we like best, like blue and yellow, and lots of stuff going on. But very soon it will be round the clock Christmas movies! Nothing but sparkles and jingles from November!

So, whatever we like to watch on television, the important thing is that we dogs should definitely watch television!

If you would like your questions answered by Huw, please send them to woof@bethatdog.com or use the form below. He’s Huw for the asking!