Literary tribute to top dog who made huge impact
Bored? Lonely? Then take your English Mastiff out, says Shropshire's Graham Pennie, who has written a book which celebrates the life of his dear, departed, George, one giant of a dog.
Because wherever he went, George would make a big impact.
"As my wife often says, you are never alone with a mastiff. A queue of admirers wanting to touch a dog they have never seen before and ask the inevitable questions is a good sign there may be a mastiff in the centre of that crowd," said Graham, from Betton, near Market Drayton.
However, he added: "If you need to do something quickly leave your mastiff at home. Mastiffs are, as a breed, very tactile. They need to be near you, touching you, or preferably sitting on top of you."
His book "Gentle George" is a limited edition of just 100 hardback signed copies, and can be bought direct from Graham for £20 plus postage at grahampennie@hotmail.com.
Although Graham never originally intended to show him, George was to take the honours as the UK's top Mastiff.
"Like many large dogs, George’s life was not a long one. He did, however, leave an indelible impression on all who met him, sometimes accidentally, quite literally. If the English Mastiff is an unfamiliar breed to the reader, it is worth noting a full grown male can often weigh in around the 100kgs mark."
His first encounter with an English Mastiff was when he and wife Jean were on holiday in America in the autumn of 2006 and wandered into a bookshop in Damariscotta, Maine.
"While browsing the shelves, out of the corner of my eye I became aware of a large, solid shape moving quietly along the aisles. The size of a Shetland pony and walking off-lead, he was apparently a regular visitor and no-one else batted an eyelid. I was completely smitten.
"There and then I made my wife promise me that we would get a mastiff as our next dog."
The couple had already had Rottweilers and rescued Neopolitan Mastiffs, but after their old Neapolitan Mastiff died the following March, and finding no mastiffs needed rehoming, they decided their next dog would be a puppy.
"Jean contacted the then Secretary of the Old English Mastiff Club, Glynn Payne, and events were put in motion which saw us driving down to Surrey in August to be interviewed as prospective owners."
They were gently quizzed as to their suitability by Glynn's partner Karina Le Mare.
"There were six puppies in the litter. As we wanted a male, the girls were taken away and we were left with the three boys. We sat down on the grass and played with the 10-week-old puppies crawling all over us. We knew straight away this was the breed for us.
"After a while two of the boys began to tire and went back inside their kennel. One stayed with us, reluctant to follow his brothers. Effectively he chose us. We went back in the house, dealt with the paperwork and set off home with Glynn and Karina’s best wishes and not a little advice, given that we were new to the breed. Life has never been the same since."
Although they had no intention of showing George, Glynn encouraged them to do so, and his illustrious career began with a second in the large puppy class at the Scottish Kennel Club show.
"He won his first Challenge Certificate in May 2010 and was made up to Champion that year and was top Mastiff dog in the UK. He was also top Mastiff in 2011. We travelled all over the country with George and to Ireland, the Outer Hebrides, France, The Netherlands and Belgium. He was the perfect travel companion, always well behaved and very sociable.
"While en route to The World Show in Paris we stayed at a motel in Calais and as we walked in the receptionist whispered, in French, “that is a dog, THAT IS A DOG, THAT IS A DOG!' And that is the reaction we got from the public wherever we went."
George, or if you want to be formal about it, Champion Fearnought George Formby, died in 2013. Fearnought is the breeder affix and Graham and Jean both lived in Formby many years ago.
"This book has been written to celebrate his life and serve as a memorial for those people who loved him. During his life we lived in a small village between Penrith and Ullswater and we moved to Shropshire in 2015.
"It was on our not infrequent journeys to dog shows in Builth Wells and Malvern that we found how beautiful Shropshire is, so George is responsible for our move south.
"George was regularly found on the Discover Dogs stand at Crufts. Mastiffs are one of the most popular attractions because of their sheer size and generously welcoming nature. Granted the dogs chosen to be on the stand are probably those with the most reliable temperament, but their patience at being patted and photographed all day is something to behold."
Graham added: "I work as a fee-paid member of the judiciary but have retired from my ‘day job’."
His canine companion now is Nesbo, an apricot mastiff.
"He is not a show dog – he simply does not have the temperament – but he is a loving and much loved pet."
