I’ve always loved dogs of all shapes and sizes and Dachshunds (or sausage dogs) have been a breed I’ve liked for such a long time, for their personality as well as their looks. We spent a lot of time researching and looking into finding a great breeder, which we did and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a dog that’s 1.5 dogs long and 0.5 dogs high? I don’t feel as though we named Bono, I feel as though Bono granted us permission to even speak to him. He’s just a Little Rock star.
Describe him in three words
Regal. Aloof. Intense.
What difference does he make to your life?
There was a life before Bono? He’s really made our house a home, or more; his home and just a place we frequent at his pleasure.
We hear he attended an after-match press conference. Does he accompany you when you travel to matches?
He has visited me at one or two tournaments, but his instinct to chase anything that is round, yellow and flies through the air makes this a little tricky. He’s great on the practice court though.
Any favourite places – cafes, parks, pubs?
Without question, Battersea Park is our favourite. It’s a beautiful park, full of dogs and I absolutely love it. There’s not much better than a cold autumn walk there, stopping for breakfast at the dog-friendly Pear Tree cafe – the food is wonderful.
If you could take him on a pet-friendly break where would it be?
I would love to take him to the Scottish Highlands. Although he spends a lot of time in the city, he’s a country boy at heart and loves nothing better than trekking through the countryside sniffing everything and never quite catching a squirrel. Obviously he would need a nice log-burner in the room when we get back to the hotel – he needs his R&R and belly-rubs like the rest of us.
Any thoughts on pet welfare?
Personally I love to see well socialised happy dogs, but something we’ve really looked into with Bono is food. He’s on a raw food diet and he’s so much better for it. He’s healthier, happier, shinier – just an all-round better version of himself. I would suggest everyone who has a dog should look into raw diets and do your research.
Thank you to Johanna for sharing her insights on pet welfare and stories about her lovely mini dachshund Bono.