Boy, London's First Celebrity Dog

The image used to depict Boy at the top of the pamphlet.

Boy, a hunting poodle, was given to Prince Rupert of Bohemia to keep him company when he was held hostage in Germany. The dog had an odd haircut that was meant to enhance his duck hunting skills - bare at the back to aid swimming, hairy at the front to keep him upright. When Rupert brought Boy back to England the strange-looking animal became an instant celebrity.

"To him pudel" is perhaps the greatest battle cry ever.

A pamphlet of the time entitled Observations From Prince Rupert's White Dog Called Boy listed the dog's powers and insinuated his use of witchcraft:

"He can prophecie"; "He hath the art of finding out concealed goods"; "He is endued with the gift of languages, which yet he hath the art to hide very well"; "He is weapon-proofe himself and has probably made his master so too"; "He can goe invisibly".

Alas Boy was not as weapon-proof as the pamphlet made him out to be and was a casualty at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.

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