When teen son was little, one of his favourite films was 101 Dalmations and we spent many a wintery afternoon on the sofa watching it. MAD and I came to know the script off by heart and one of our favourite lines was when when Pongo says to Perdita (stick with me here !) 'if our puppies are anywhere in this city, the London dogs will know'. We still quote this line a lot and its surprising how many times you can actually drop it into a conversation.
Now that we have a London dog of our very own, we do notice that the London dogs are indeed a special bunch. I wish I was a better illustrator, as I would love to draw the wide variety of fabulous dogs I now encounter on a daily basis in our local park, and can see how Dodie Smith was inspired to write 101 Dalmations.
The dogs of London have many shops, activities and opportunities to pamper and play, that would probably make most country dog owners wince or LOL (that's laugh out loud for you non text speak people!). Maybe London dog owners feel guilty at the lack of countryside and our need to employ dog walkers, or maybe we simply want an excuse to buy more stuff, but it seems there are more and more dog shops and activities popping up all over the city.
Lily's Kitchen Diner, in Pimlico is the latest canine experience set up to appeal to Londons pampered pooches, offering a doggie dining experience for your furry friend. Open seven days a week, the pop up shop/restuarant, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner (aren't they all the same if you're a dog?), which include limited edition recipes and free range chews!!! There is also a 'snooze zone', a 'romp and rip' play area, a 'belly rub' bar, MOT Station, a herbalist, and diet and behaviour experts on hand to help out with any problems.
Lily's is only open until the 23rd of December, so if you fancy treating your dog to an evening out, best to book now!! The only draw back is, according to my new dog walking friend who went with her dog Barney last week, there is nothing for the owners to eat or drink, so it's hardly a doggie dinner a deux!!