It's a dog's life

There are few things better than a pub with a resident dog. As the pair behind new book Great British Pub Dogs, Abbie Lucas and Paul Fleckney wouldn't disagree. I feel sorry for poor Buster, who "has a phobia of drunk people" and so may be in the wrong line of work, and am now very keen to visit the Smack Inn in Whitstable just to meet Barney the cocker spaniel, who "has a bald patch on his tail from wagging it against things".

The gallery reminded me of the Kite in Oxford, whose landlord regularly took in waifs and strays from the West Oxford Animal Rescue Centre, making the pub seem like a doggy daycare centre that happened to serve beer. I'll not forget the time I was waiting at the bar and turned to my left to see an Alsatian perched on a bar stool staring at me as if to say, "I was here first, mate".