Hi! I'm Henry and I'm 8 years old. I'm an English cocker spaniel and I cannot wait to share my new 'tails' with you. Hope you have a PAWSOME read with this new book.
My daddy calls me Henry but my official name is Charterwood Maximillion. I was born on 25th April 2014 in a place called Grantham in England. I had several brothers and sisters but when daddy came to see me we instantly had a bond and I was driven all the way to London.
I never forget that journey. It was my first time in a car and still to this day I love sitting in the passenger seat going for a drive. It's one of my favourite things.
This whole book is about me and dogs and spaniels - we are pretty special creatures but we have so many things that are different to you. We are pretty clever and can reach the same intellgience as a 2 year old, we can understand up to 250 words and also count to five. Ok ok - you are already smarter than we are but thats pretty cool right? Hopefully by the end of this book you will be an expert on dogs and what makes us unique.
my nose-print is as unique as your fingerprint
the longer a dogs nose is the better our internal cooling system is my heart beats 50 times faster than yours I only sweat through the pads of my feet
I have three eyelids and can see in the dark
more than 12 muscles control my ears
The name spaniel comes from Spain ! And right back to 1400's we were bred as hunting dogs. There were originally so many types of spaniel
German spaniel
Russian spaniel
Pont-Audemer spaniel Boykin spaniel
5 breeds of spaniel no longer exist but there are still 18 different types English Springer spaniel
American cocker spaniel
Cavalier King Charles spaniel
Field spaniel Clumber spaniel English Toy spaniel
Sussex spaniel Irish Water spaniel Blue Picardy spaniel Brittany spaniel
Papillion American water spaniel
Welsh Springer spaniel
English Cocker spaniel
Since the beginning of time dogs have been treated like gods by some people. 6,000 years ago dogs were worshipped.
Anubis was the god of the afterlife in Ancient Egypt.
Ancient Greeks believed in a three headed guard dog called Cerberus who would prevent the dead from leaving the underworld !
Xolotl was worshipped by the Mayans of Mexico - he was the god of sunset.
It's very hard to pinpoint the exact time dogs started to become pets more than just hunting animals but here are a few examples of when things might have started to change. In 1914 in a place called Ober-Kassel in Germany, the skeleton of a disabled dog was buried with the bodies of a man and a woman from 14,000 years ago which shows how loved he was!
A dog was found buried in the Czech Republic with a mammoth bone in it's mouth from 32,000 years ago. Back then dogs would hunt mammoth with their owners and it is believed that the dog was 'fed' to accompany its soul to the afterlife.
The first pets were basically tame wolves. Brave wolves that were hungry would sneak up on human settlements to get fed. As time passed by, they no longer needed sharp teeth and strong jaws to hunt for food because it was given to them, Even their noses started to get smaller as they didnt need their senses as much.
Humans then started to breed dogs to help hunting and herding or protecting and carrying things.
I am called an English cocker spaniel but there is a theory that almost 2000 years ago the ancient Romans brought spaniels to the UK for trade. Many believe the very first type of spaniel actually comes from ancient China.
By the 1600's there were so many types of spaniel it got confusing and so it was decided to group some into water spaniels but springers and cockers (me!) were lumped into one category called 'Land' spaniels. Land spaniels were then split into two groups; ';setting' and 'springing' spaniels. Setting spaniels crept forward and pointed towards birds like Guniea fowl and pheasant with their nose and head so their owners knew where to look. Clever huh?
'Springing' spaniels would run through grasses and 'spring' or surprise pheasants and partridges into the air. The hunters would then let off falcons to catch the birds. It's a horrible thing to think about - dogs hunting for birds - but remember back in those days there were no supermarkets and no online shopping. If you didn't want to go hungry and needed to eat then you had to hunt for it and dogs helped with that a lot!
I LOVE my tail but back when dogs were used for hunting they would run through thick bushes and sharp branches to chase birds and a long hairy tail could get caught and tangled up which would be very painful for the dog. So when the dogs were puppies, they would have two thirds of their tail cut off! This was called docking. Ouch!! Because dogs are kept as pets nowadays it's not done so much. But can you imnagine- me with no tail?
Having dogs as pets started at different times around the world. In Europe, dogs didn't really get lucky until about 700 years ago when pet-keeping was popular among the rich and royal families. Very wealthy ladies had lap dogs - a small dog that is happy to be held in the arms or lie comfortably on someone's lap. Men preferred animals that they saw as 'useful' such as hunting hounds.
In 1873 something called the Kennel Club was set up to make sure shows were run fairly and dogs were treated well. In 1891 a huge show took place called Crufts This was the first where all breeds were invited to compete, with around 2,000 dogs entering and 36 breeds. Queen Victoria herself entered six pomeranians into the first show!
What about America? Well, on 16 September 1620, a ship called the Mayflower, sailed from England with 102 men, women and children on board - they were known as pilgrims. But there were also 2 dogs! A mastiff and a spaniel! 25yr old Pilgrim John Goodman, brought them along for the voyage. We don't know the dog's names but they have been recognized in history for helping the pilgrims establish their settlement on Cape Cod. His dogs became essential members of the settlement, providing protection and accompanying him on hunts.
The very first winter was hard - half the population that came on the boat died including John Goodman, but his dogs were cared for by the remaining pilgrims. It is believed his dogs were at the very first Thanksgiving meal - there is a famous painting showing the spaniel at the meal with the native Wampanoag tribe.
If you live in America you won't know this because you call all spaniels 'spaniel' but there is actually an American cocker spaniel and an English cocker spaniel. About 200 years ago it was clear people wanted different things from a spaniel. Most American breeders wanted small, elegant cocker spaniels that were solid coloured. They have smaller heads and beautiful eyebrows.
British breeders wanted dogs that had multiple colours with longer legs and larger bodies so that they were good for hunting. They also have a longer snout (nose). Eventually in 1920 the two types were recognised as different.
Just like England, America also set up a club called the Westminster Kennel Club in 1877 and the next year saw the first cocker spaniel registered. . It holds a contest every year and guess what - the breed of dog that's won most years is... 1st Wire Fox terrier 2nd Scottish terrier 3rd me (English cocker spaniels)
The winning dog becomes 'America's Dog' for the whole year. The dog goes on tv shows and front covers of magazines. The dog also visits the observation deck at the Empire State Building in New York and also opens the New York Stock Exchange by dinging the bell (well the onwer does that bit!)
American Cockers were the most popular breed in the USA during the 1940s and 1950s and again during the 1980s, reigning for a total of 18 years. But can you believe the most popular dog in the USA ever is the Labrador and guess what... It has NEVER won the award for the best dog!!
But in every country there is a different favourite type of dog. Look at these …
UK: French Bulldog
China: Pekingese
Japan: Toy Poodle
South Africa: Boerbel
Portugal: Beagle
Australia: Border Collie
Isn't it funny that people around the world have different dogs they love. What's your fave !? If we look at the whole world there are 360 different breeds of dogs but look at this map - lots of countries share the same type of favourite dog!
NORTH AMERICA: Australian Shepherd
EUROPE: Border Collie ASIA: Shiba
MIDDLE EAST /CENTRAL ASIA: German Shepherd
AFRICA/ SOUTH AMERICA: Rottweiler
Thanks to their gentle personalities and friendly attitudes, cocker spaniels have long been a favorite among the rich and famous. David and Victoria Beckham brought home a cocker spaniel named Olive and Oprah once had one called Solomon. Actor George Clooney has an elderly cocker spaniel named Einstein that he rescued from a California animal shelter.
BUT also the future Queen of England, the Duchess of Cambridge was given a spaniel by her younger brother. His name is Alfie.
Some dogs are super famous - now I know my daddy thinks I'm famous and you might be wearing clothes with my name in but did you know there's a really famous spaniel called Prince! A famous shoe designer called Paul Sperry was amazed at how his dog could walk on ice so easily and started to look at this paws closely. He realised we have wave-like grooves that stop us slipping and so he decided to put the same pattern on the sole of his shoes.
In 1935 he designed boat shoes called 'Sperry's top-siders' which were the first to stop sailors slipping all over the wet surface of boats and didn't leave marks! And guess what - these might also be my daddy's favourite shoes.
Another famous spaniel you might know is called Lady. She is the cute spaniel in the 1955 Disney movie 'Lady and the Tramp' In the 1950s the spaniel was the most wanted dog in America. The film was based on the real story of a dog who didn't cope very well with a new baby coming in the family. If you haven't watched it then ask an adult to let you see it. You will love it.
There is also a super famous spaniel in America on the advert for a sunscreen called Coppertone. The company became famous in 1953 when it introduced the Coppertone girl. An advert showing a little girl in pigtails staring in surprise as a Cocker spaniel puppy sneaks up behind her and pulls down her blue swimsuit, revealing her bottom to have a lighter tone than the rest of her body. Very cheeky - the logo is still used today by the company.
Did you know there are about 45 famous songs about dogs! Your grandparents will know a famous American signed called Elvis Presley who had a song called 'Hound Dog' which was very popular and also around the same time 'How Much Is That Doggie In The Window' The Beatles which were a huge huge band recorded a song called 'A Day In The Life' in 1967 and only revealed 46 years later that they added a frequency only dogs can hear at the very end of the song! Get an adult to play and watch what happens!
My daddy's favourite band is called the Pet Shop Boys and they had a song called 'I Want A Dog' . They are the most successful duo in the U.K. music history so they must know what they're talking about !
Say hello to what might be the cutest pomeranian you'll ever see on Instagram. Jiffpom is the most followed dog on social media in 2021 with over 10 million followers on Instagram. But Jiffpom has some serious accomplishments under his belt (collar?) as well. He's a three-time Guinness World Record holder and he co-starred in Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" music video.
Of course there is another spaniel that's a little bit special. Me! My daddy decided to set up a kids clothing company nearly 5 years ago and named it after me! Since then over half a million clothes have been sold around the world with a little picture of me on every item. Have a look at what you're wearing. Am I on it? There's also a T-shirt with me on the front looking very smiley. Have you got this tee! You can buy it whenever you want it.
But my daddy also writes a book about me every six months - just like this one! So you can wear me and read about me in over 1000 shops across the world. I've even got my own Instagram so ask an adult and you can see my adventures in London and at home.
Us dogs are pretty clever - do you want to hear some incredible stories!? Kevin Weaver has diabetes. He also has a specially-trained beagle named Belle who can sense when his blood sugar levels are off. She licks his nose, and then paws at him to check he's ok In 2006, Kevin had a seizure and collapsed. Belle grabbed his cell phone and bit down on the number 9, just like she had been trained. The number was programmed to dial 911 and emergency workers soon arrived. Belle was later given the VITA Wireless Samaritan Award for those who use cell phones to save lives and she is first dog to ever win the award.
Omar Eduardo Rivera is a blind computer technician who uses a guide dog. On September 11, 2001, Omar was working on the 71st floor of the World Trade Center when a plane hit the building above him. His dog Dorado was under the desk as usual. As the building evacuation began, Omar took the dog's leash off, so he could escape. Dorado ignored Omar's order and escorted his master down 70 flights of stairs. They were separated by the rush of the crowd for a few minutes, but Dorado found his way back to Omar and continued down the stairs. They reached the ground about an hour later and only a few minutes before the building collapsed!
Border collies are known for their intelligence. Chaser is a border collie that belongs to a retired psychology professor. John W. Pilley read about a dog who learned to recognize 200 German words, and decided to see if Chaser could learn words as well. Working with his dog for around five hours a day, Chaser learned to recognize the names of a couple of new objects every day, to a current total of 1,022 words!
Along the way, Chaser got the idea that learning words is her job, so now John who is 82, has a hard time taking it easy, as Chaser demands her lessons!
John is now teaching Chaser verbs and basic grammar.
Dozer, a 3yr old "goldendoodle," saw a bunch of people run by his home and became so excited that he started running with them.
7 miles later, Dozer crossed the finish line of the Maryland Half Marathon, a fundraising event for the University of Maryland's Greenebaum Cancer Center. He returned home the next day, looking so tired that his owners took him to the vet. Word got around, and they realized Dozer was the dog on the marathon's TV coverage. Marathon organizers gave Dozer a special award. Now he has his own runner's page and Facebook fan page -and he's raised $21,000 for the cancer center!
Not all dogs like water, but the ones that do tend to be pretty good swimmers. One breed of dogs called 'Newfoundlands' are so good in the water that for years they've been used as water rescue dogs. In 2016, a brave Newfoundland called Whizz was awarded the PDSA Order of Merit for saving nine people from the sea over his career as a water rescue dog.
Most dogs live 8-15 years Meet Toby Keith - a tiny chihuahua who on 16th March 2022 was named as the oldest dog that's alive on the planet. On this day he was 21 years and 66 days old - that makes him about 101yrs old in human years. He's still full of life and so thanks to a great diet and good balance of sleep and playtime who knows how long he could live. Other dogs that have lived a lovely long life are a Japanese shiba called Pusuke who was 26yrs old ! The dog who has lived the oldest ever is an Australian cattle dog called Bluey who died in 1939 but her was 29 which in human years is about 140.
So it's very sad but us doggies don't live as long as you do. We age quicker than you do so when a dog is 10 years old it really feels and has the body , energy and mind of a 70yr old person. If you have a dog and want to know how they are you can use this chart on the left that shows you - have fun working it out! But it's very confusing and dogs age differently based on our size. Of course the best way to have a dog live a long happy life is for them to be loved and looked after every single day - what does a typical day look like for us doggies? Let's take a look.
Let's have a day with a dog. Let's have a day with me. What do I do and what do I get up to on a day when my walkies mummy Anne can't have me for the day? So let's start with waking up. Or more importantly being asleep. Did you know when dogs fall asleep we fall into a deep deep sleep very quickly. Dogs tend to experience sleep-wake cycles of 16 minutes asleep and 5 minutes awake -over and over -compared to you who sleeps 7 or 8 hours and stay awake 15 or more hours.
But dogs tend to wake up when the sun rises and when I'm awake I'm awake!
Right... now I'm up it's time for a quick pee - did you know dogs can hold off needing the toilet for up to 12hours but ideally we need to go 3-5 times a day. But every dog is different just like every person is different-your dad can go for the length of an entire road trip without stopping to pee, while your gran might need the entire family to stop at gas station every half hour! So depending on our age or size or breed - we pee differently. Now you're very good and use a toilet and you join a line if you have to wait but honestly we are happy to go anywhere .
Have you ever wondered why we pee against trees and lamp posts!? Well it goes back to when dogs used to mark things with a scent so that everyone knew it was our territory. And eventhough we don't need to do that anymore we still do!
Right then. Time for breakfast. My fave time of the day. We like routine and like things to happen at the same time every day like you. Dogs are omnivores so that means we can eat plants and meat like you. And most of the things you eat we can eat but some things are really dangerous for us!! Look at this long list of things you must never feed a doggy!
Alcohol
Avocado
Chocolate
Cooked bones
Too much dairy
Fruit pits + seeds
Grapes + raisins
Human medicine
Onions
Raw meat Old food
Walnuts
Chewing gum Yeast
Sweet things
Dirty water
Make sure you share this list with an adult - there are so many things on the list that people don't know are bad for us! But we do like MOST things - have you ever noticed when you give a dog food we gobble it down super quick. You probably think we're being rude. But back in the day when we had to scavenge for food in the wild , if we didn't eat it quickly someone else might take it - and it's a habit that has stuck with us. Also our digestion is different and doesn't start until the food reaches our stomach - so we don't need to take time to chew it before we swallow it like you do.
little snooze toy time
bird watch
exhausted ball obliteration rearrange bed linen
little rest shoe collection time
shattered
wait for daddy to come home staring at the door helps
..and waiting
When you walk in the door it's our happiest moment. And probably also walkies time! Lots of studies have been done on dogs brains and what happens when we see you come home. We are genuinely excited. We are happy to see you in the same way you are happy to see a good friend. We don't just love that it means our boring day is over and that we get food but we genuinely love you and are literally happy to see you.
When we lick we are also trying to taste and smell you to figure out where you've been and what you've done during the day. I'm usually so excited I have to grab a toy immediately - I can't cope with the excitement that Im going to get a walk.
Walkies time...! There are so many dogs in London it's very easy to get lost if you let a dog off the leash in a park so be careful. Once I see a squirrel I am off. Luckily I have electronic tags in my ear so if I do ever get lost my daddy can track me. How cool is that! Can you see me in the park?
Back home...as it gets later it's time for cuddles and hugs time. There's nothing nicer than sitting with my daddy watching TV and having belly rubs and letting me put my head or paw on daddy's tummy. Relaxing together is a big deal for dogs. It makes us feel less worried and confident that you will never leave us and we are bonded with you. It also releases chemicals and hormones that make us feel happy.
Time for bed. Going to bed when you go to bed is our fave thing. It means more cuddles! So some dogs sleep in crates in the kitchen - some dogs even sleep outside. I sleep with my daddy in the same bed and love every second. Really a dog should sleep where've you think you and the dog will get the best sleep. It changes all over the world. In USA 72% of dogs sleep with their owners. In England only 50%. But it can also do great things for you like help you sleep better, decrease loneliness and depression. It also gives YOU a sense of security, reduces stress and even lowers blood pressure !
Did you know there were several ways us doggies can show how much we love you!! Well one obvious way is if we wag our tail. But did you know if we wag our tail to the left it means we are nervous.
We don't hug with our arms - we like a cuddle but we don't actually like bear hugs. We DO actually hug with our eyes though. There are scientific studies that show if you stare into your dogs eyes and they stare back it raises levels of a the love hormone called oxytocin in both of you so a dog's stare is a big sign of true affection for you. Dogs that really respect you make eye contact a lot.
Have you ever thought your dog is smiling at you. Well if a dog is relaxed in your company it has a loose mouth and a loose tongue which looks like a smile and it shows a dog is really close to you and happy to be with you. So it is a smile in a way And if you yawn and your dog yawns that's called mirroring - if they copy what you do then that's it. You have the best closest friend ever.
If you leave the house and your dog is quite relaxed and doesn't go crazy then it's because they know you're coming home and they feel comfortable and content that at some point their family will be fine and back together shortly.
So this book has been about dogs dogs and dogs but how can we talk about dogs without also talking about a dogs enemy - the cat!
But is it really true? Well. No
Cats and dogs have different personalities and live their lives in different ways. Dogs come from wolves which hunted in packs. Cats also hunt but they do it alone. Both like to hang out with us but cats take longer to trust a human than dogs do. Dogs love to run and chase small animals often just playing. But when a cat sees a dog coming up really fast it's naturally reaction is to run -which the dogs loves even more and think the cat is playing so it runs after it even faster. If a dog wags it tail it's happy - if a cat moves it's tail about like that it means it feels threatened or is about to be aggressive. But cats and dogs can be friends and if they grow up together and are taught to socialise together early then they understand each other's behaviour better. I love cats and when I go to my walkies mummy Anne she has a cat and we always snuggle
So now you are a dog expert! And you know all about spaniels and ME! Because this is a very special book and a very special year, my daddy has made a collection of special t-shirts, shorts and polos that you can buy. If you tell and adult to go to the store where she got this book you can get more clothes with me on and you can even buy a jigsaw!
thankyou for reading my book and thank you for wearing my clothes
it's now time for a lay down
follow the real Henry on his adventures in london @realhenrydog @meandhenrykids @meandhenry ...and buy the new collection of clothes available at a store near you and www.meandhenry.com written by Mark Jeynes
illustrated by Carolina Torres Carmo