Are These the Most Famous Dogs in the World?
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Assouline’s newest book, Chic Dogs, traces how dogs have been part of the fabric of our lives for centuries—and how they have been the companions of famous individuals, such as Queen Elizabeth, Maria Callas, and George Clooney. As the publisher notes, “In a world where fashion, history, and fame often collide, Chic Dogs is a whimsical ride through time, showcasing our four-legged friends not just as pets but as true stars of history and culture, while capturing poise, elegance, and a touch of celebrity glam.”
The book concludes with a list of 50 famous dog names. Here, T&C excerpts a smaller curation of ten pups, including Kate Middleton and Prince William’s beloved Lupo, who passed away in 2020, and the fictional Toto from the Wizard of Oz.
In alphabetical order:
Balto
This Siberian husky cross, the hero of a 1995 animated movie, was a sled dog and star of a team that traveled some six hundred miles in the Far North to bring an anti-diphtheria vaccine to Nome, Alaska, in 1925.
Bo
President Barack Obama’s Portuguese water dog, nicknamed the First Dog, was joined in 2013 by another Portuguese water dog, Sunny.
Guinefort
A legendary dog considered the patron saint of greyhounds. In the thirteenth century in France, Guinefort saved a baby by killing the snake that had come to kill him.
Hachiko
A white Akita who accompanied his master to and from the train station every day. When his master died, the dog waited for him at the station every day for the next nine years. He became famous in Japan, and a statue was erected in his honor in Tokyo. He was the subject of three children’s books and a film starring Richard Gere.
Lupo
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s late cocker spaniel.
Mamma Mia
A rescue beagle of the Duchess of Sussex, former royal patron of London’s Mayhew dog and cat shelter, where she made her last official visit before she retired from public life in 2020.
Meghan pictured at Mayhew in January 2019.
Moujik
Yves Saint Laurent owned four French bulldogs, all with the same name—Moujik I, killed by a scorpion in Marrakech; Moujik II; Moujik III; and Moujik IV. Andy Warhol, whom Yves Saint Laurent met in 1968, created a portrait of Moujik in 1986.
Saint Laurent paid them a double tribute in his 1991 “Love” poster, stating: “This is him, Moujik, my dog painted by Andy Warhol. I am Yves Saint Laurent.”
Muick and Sandy
The last two corgis of the Queen of England were entrusted to Sarah Ferguson following the death of the Sovereign, who is said to have owned around thirty throughout her life. Among them were Carol, Crackers, Ranger, Sugar, Smoky, Monty, Holly, Tinker, Pickles, Chipper, Piper, Harris, Berry, Cider, Candy, and Vulcan.
Olive, Fig, Sage, and Simba
The three English cocker spaniels and cockapoo (Simba) of the Beckham family are among the most popular dogs in Great Britain.
Victoria pictured here in 2008.
Toto
This fictional pup from The Wizard of Oz was immortalized on the silver screen by a rescue cairn terrier who went by the name of Terry.
Chic Dogs
Chic Dogs is now available online.
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