I thought it might be fun to have a look at the various different celebrities who share a love and passion for our favourite little dogs…the English Cocker Spaniel.
Cocker Spaniel owning celebrities come from all sorts of different careers. From film stars, to politicians, to celebrity chefs; no one is immune to the Cocker’s cheeky charms! Let’s meet the stars who share their lives with the friendliest, waggiest dog on the planet!
The Royal Cocker
Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge are the owners of a beautiful, black English Cocker Spaniel called Lupo. He was bred by Catherine’s parents in 2011. Lupo sounds like a real character and apparently got his head stuck in the gates at the couple’s home in Berkshire. The Fire Brigade were sent to free the disaster prone pooch, but he escaped just before they arrived!
Lupo is a great favourite of the couple’s son Prince George and has featured in several photos with the young chap. Apparently, Lupo helped to choose George’s name; as the Royal couple scattered prospective baby names on the floor and Lupo’s paw happened to step on the piece of paper with George on it. What a Princely pooch Lupo is!
Tinseltown Hounds
Next, we are moving from Royal circles to the heady world of Hollywood! Many many stars over the years have owned English Cockers, from the Golden age of Hollywood to the present day.
Glamourpuss Marilyn Monroe was a devoted dog lover. She owned many different breeds throughout her life, before it was tragically cut short. One of her canine chums was a spaniel called Muggsie. Marilyn owned him in the 1940s, when she was still Norma Jean and just before she became famous. Sadly, poor Muggsie apparently died of a broken heart, when Marilyn hit the big time and didn’t have so much time to devote to her spaniel, how tragic! Marilyn was quoted several times of her love for dogs, famously saying ‘Dogs never bit me, just humans’.
Fellow star Elizabeth Taylor owned several different types of dog in her life and is best known for her love of Maletese Terriers. However, she was the proud owner of two English Cockers, named Twinkle and Preto. Several images remain of Elizabeth and her spaniels, I love this one of her bathing them and the look of resignation on the dog’s faces that we can all recognise when we have to wash our hounds!
Further back into Hollywood’s Golden Age, renowned heart throb and lothario, Rudolph Valentino had a soft spot for all types of dogs & owned many different breeds throughout his life. He was gifted an American Cocker Spaniel, just before his untimely death and this photo of them both just exudes that bygone era!
Political Pooches
Sticking with exceedingly glamorous Cocker owners, perhaps the most elegant woman who ever lived loved our favourite little dogs! Jackie Kennedy Onassis. In fact, practically the entire Kennedy clan were Cocker admirers and owners…with both JFK and Bobby Kennedy owning spaniels.
The President’s favourite dog was a Cocker called Shannon, who had been gifted to the family from Ireland’s then President Eamon de Valera. Shannon wore a beautiful golden shamrock decorated collar and was a real family dog. JFK would often play with all of his dogs and children out on the White House lawn, all of them rolling around on the grass without a worry in the world! Apparently, Shannon was the only dog Jackie Kennedy kept after the tragic assassination of her husband, the President.
Literary Cockers
Away from the glamour of U.S. based Cocker owners, our very own beloved writer Beatrix Potter was photographed as a girl with her Spaniel Spot. What a shame she never included a Cocker character in any of her beautiful books!
Pop Pups
The world of pop also has its fair share of Cocker lovers. Sir Elton John reportedly owns over 30 dogs, of which his favourite was an American Cocker called Arthur, who was the best man at his wedding to David Furnish in 2005. Arthur died a few years ago at the grand old age of 14 and got ‘married’ to his other American Cocker Marilyn. Arthur and Marilyn went on to become the parents of Sir Elton’s third American Cocker, Isobella.
Designer Dogs
Fashion Designer Caroline Herrera might have got some of her stylish ideas from her beautiful Cocker Red, whom she owned at the age of 16.
Cookery Cockers
U.K. celebrities are no less likely to adore Cocker Spaniels and one Yorkshire born chef’s pooch is almost as famous as him! James Martin‘s Blue Roan English Cocker Spaniel Cooper regularly appears on James’s ITV cookery show ‘Saturday Morning with James Martin’, with a prominent role in the opening credits!
Fabulous!
Another U.K. celeb who loves his dogs is John Barrowman. John says ‘over the years I’ve loved and been loved by five Cocker spaniels’. His original beloved spaniel was named Penny, who went on to have two litters of puppies. John took a puppy from each litter, the little pooches were named Cilla and Lewis. The ‘fabulous’ star also adopted two Cockers from The Dogs Trust named Charlie and Tiger. John is a real doggie-mad celeb, as he also has a Jack Russell, named after his Doctor Who & Torchwood character Captain Jack!
Keep checking back for the second part of our celebrity Cocker Spaniel owner compendium…coming soon!