lassie voted best loved TV dog of all time

Posted: 26th November, 2008

In the battle to be mans best friend Lassie the loyal Collie has stolen the nations hearts. The TV dog has charmed millions since she was created for the short story ‘Lassie Come Home’ by Anglo-American writer Eric Knight in 1938.

The story was made into a movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall in 1943 and went onto to spawn further films and popular television series in the UK and America.

Lassie, who was always played by male dogs due to their size and coat length, beat Scooby Doo in a poll of 3,000 people, commissioned by Nat Geo Wild Channel to celebrate the brand new and exclusive series of The Dog Whisperer premiering daily at 8pm (available on Sky, Virgin TV and UPC).

Talking dog Scooby and his Mystery Inc pals Shaggy, Freddie, Velma and Daphne first hit our television screens in 1969.

Third was Bryan from Family Guy who walks on two legs, drinks Martinis, smokes cigarettes and engages in human conversation.

The Littlest Hobo, played by a German shepherd dog and aired firstly in Canada in 1958, who wanders from town to town helping people in distress then hitting the road again was fourth.

Shep from Blue Peter was fifth. The loveable border collie took over as the show’s resident pet when Petra died in 1977. Shep and presenter John Noakes became inseparable and his common refrain ‘Down Shep’ went on to become a common catchphrase.

Yesterday Cesar Millan, renowned dog behavior expert and star of Nat Geo Wild’s The Dog Whisperer , which commissioned the study, said: ”“We call dogs ‘mans best friend ‘ for good reason. These fictional pet dogs are great examples of just how strong the bond between man and his best friend can actually be. In fact, Lassie is one of the reasons I wanted to become the best dog trainer in the world! When practicing exercise, discipline and affection, as I do, you fulfil the needs of your dog, allowing for the real physical & emotional relationship to become even stronger, making our dogs a proper, well-trained family member.”

Other canine television stars to make the list include the late Well’Ard, the sidekick of Robbie Jackson - played by Dean Gaffney - in Eastenders.

Robotic mutt K9 from Dr Who also made the top ten as did Santa’s Little Helper from The Simpsons.

Bouncer from Neighbours and Snoopy, completed the top ten.

It also emerged that more than half of the British public watch television with their dog while one in four always left it on for the dog to watch if the owners went out.

BEST LOVED TV DOGS

1. Lassie

2. Scooby Doo

3. Bryan (Family Guy)

4. Hobo (Littlest Hobo)

5. Shep (Blue Peter)

6. Well’Ard ) Eastenders

7. K9 (Dr Who)

8. Santa’s little Helper (Simpsons)

9. Bouncer (Neighbours)

10. Snoopy

For exclusive preview clips, games and training tips from Cesar go to: http://natgeowild.co.uk/dog