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My little Stinkie. It has been two weeks since Theo crossed the rainbow bridge and left this world. Theo was the original American boy, he came all the way from Washington State in the USA, and he was my first attempt at bringing a puppy here to the UK to show: Artemis La Scala Lancia di Coccolare (Imp USA), to give him his very long registered name.
Theo may have had a fancy registered name but he was just the goofiest, happy go-lucky little dog.
The original American boy
Theo was bred by the lovely Linda Kennedy and the breeding behind him was from Lilian Barber’s famous La Scala kennel – Lilian literally wrote the book on IGs. On paper, Theo had everything you’d want to see behind a show dog. In reality, my little Stinkster had other ideas but I didn’t care – I fell in love with him – a gangly, scrawny little puppy dog who had a way of making every single person who met him fall in love.
Charley was Theo’s first target. Charley was not sold on the idea of having a new little brother, but in those first few weeks after Theo came home, he followed Charley everywhere – Charley’s little shadow. Charley didn't really have a choice but to give in, and soon the two of them would be mooching about together, getting up to mischief, annoying Anna, and of course, snuggling together for snoozes.
Theo also set Granny Chau in his sights - he absolutely adored her, and Granny Chau was smitten. If Granny Chau was around, it was as if I didn't exist! Theo would be stuck to Granny Chau's lap without fail whether that was at home or out grabbing lunch in town.
Theo was a real monkey though. Some of our Facebook and Instagram friends may remember the saga of the office romance - Daisy the Jack Russell and Theo's unrequited love for her. True to form, Theo set out to woo Daisy - and boy did he try. Once again, eventually Daisy succumbed to his charms and the moment Daisy was interested, Theo went all cool on her! So naughty.
Theo's Happy Dogs
When a visitor arrived at home or at the office, Theo would race over to the visitor, wagging his tail furiously with a Happy Dog in his mouth. Some visitors thought he was giving them a welcome gift and would reach down to take Happy Dog from Theo but he would have none of it – he’d duck out of the way and go off again, to return only after hiding the Happy Dog!
One of Theo's 'Happy Dogs' - the name we gave to this very particular style of dog toy – plush, long and sausage-shaped, usually in the guise of some cute animal or other. And it had to be just right - if we bought a toy that wasn't the right feel he would ignore it.
Theo had Happy Dogs hidden in all kinds of places - he stashed them all over the house, the office and even at Granny Chau's. The weird thing was, even if we hadn’t been to mum’s house for a while, Theo always knew where his Happy Dogs were. One of the hardest things is that I keep finding Happy Dogs tucked away, safely hidden from the other dogs, waiting for Theo to bring them out again.
Stinkie in the showring
Stinkie – little Stinkster – Stinkie Monkey. For some bizarre reason, Theo used to stink when he was young. He had the same bathing routine as all the other dogs, but Theo would soon smell, well, fruity. It was a pungent aroma unique to Theo. The smell dsiappeared when he was around 4 or 5 years old, I have no idea why to this day, but while the stink disappeared the name stuck.
Theo's biggest win in his short show career - 1st in Limit Dog at Crufts under a very well respected Swedish judge.
Theo didn’t have a stellar show career - he was almost too cute for the showring - but at his last Crufts the judge awarded him 1st place in a strong Limit Dog class and wrote, “Very typical dog of lovely shape and classical outline, beautiful movement, sound fore and aft, ok in head and eye, he is not ultra masculine, but I liked him a lot and he was another serious contender in the dog challenge.” High praise indeed for my little Stinkie!
From showring to top dog model
Whilst the show ring wasn’t Theo’s place to shine, he came into his own as Charley Chau’s top dog model. Theo’s gorgeous little face can be found on almost every product page of our website, and I think he’s probably a good candidate for the most UK media appearances by any Italian Greyhound in history.
Theo - the photo of him that was chosen as the front page photo for the Sunday Times Home section on 27 December 2020. I was such a proud dog mum - forget about the publicity for Charley Chau, it was the fact that my little Theo was on the front page of a national newspaper that was so exciting!
My little Stinkie graced the front page of The Sunday Times Home, the pages of Country Life, the FT's How to Spend It, Elle Decoration, Tatler, The Telegraph, and many, many more – and all because he knew exactly how to work it.
Theo nailing the brief. The most photogenic dog of all our gang. I absolutely loved photographing him. It's genuinely hard to capture shots of dogs at their best but Theo was always a pro and delivered every time. As soon as I put a dog bed out on my studio backdrop, Theo would be straight there, striking the most beautiful poses. He’d settle down, get comfy, and then just gaze at the camera until I was finished, or he’d fall asleep whilst I sat with my camera waiting for the perfect shot. I had to take some photos this week in the office, and for the first time in 15 years, Theo wasn’t the first one to jump into the bed. The realisation of just how much Theo was part of my everyday life has been visceral.
Til we meet again
Theo was 15 when he passed away. I shared almost every day of my life with him for 15 wonderful years. I can’t even begin to express how much I loved this little dog. He was a true companion in every sense.
Theo came with me everywhere. He loved to sleep tucked inside the jumper I was wearing. I filmed the video above whilst out grabbing a coffee - Theo tucked up and fast asleep inside my jacket. At bedtime, I’d open the stair gate, and while Brutus and Ray just raced up the stairs, Theo would bark once – just once – as if to tell them off, and he would wait for me to head up the stairs and then trot up behind. He’d sit on my bed, and once I was ready for bed, he’d look at me and wait for me to lift the duvet. Only then would he burrow down under the covers where he would stay all night.
Theo was diagnosed with a heart problem just over two years ago – Mitral Valve Disease and DCM. He went straight onto meds, and the disease was really well managed right up until the last. There was no slow, prolonged chipping away at his quality of life which I am so thankful for. Theo had his last scan in July with Av, his heart vet, and they showed that his heart was getting worse but from day to day, no one would ever have known he had a funky heart. I can only thank Av for the care he gave to Theo over the last two years. Without Av, Theo wouldn't have lived such a long and happy life.
The end was sudden. Late at night two weeks ago, Theo became short of breath. I rushed him to the emergency vet, but he deteriorated quickly, and I knew I had to let him go. I held Theo tight and told him how much I loved him while he was put to sleep in my arms.
Theo was one of the happiest dogs I’ve ever met. The video of him on my rug is how I will always remember him. At some point, it will be easier to think of him without this dreadful feeling of grief. I've struggled to write about Theo in any meaningful way - the words that I find don't do him justice.
Run free, my little Stinkie. I know you're with Charley and Anna, monkeying all together again. I’ll keep a Happy Dog and I will bring it for you when I go to meet you on the other side. x
In Memoriam: Theo