Dulux Dogs

Dulux was the first paint brand to advertise on television, and in 1961, the Old English Sheepdog “Dulux dog” made his debut.

The first Dulux dog was Shepton Daphnis Horsa (or Dash, as he was affectionately known), who carried on for eight years before Digby – real name Fernville Lord Digby – won a contest to find his successor.

Of all the Dulux dogs, Digby was the best-known. But he was not very bright, and for special tasks, three identical dogs were trained by Barbara Woodhouse. They were Digby’s ”stunt dogs”.

Digby was picked up by a chauffeur-driven car and treated like a superstar. He even had a stand-in for lining up camera angles – a specially made large stuffed dog. And Digby even made a celebrity of his owner, Cynthia Harrison (they even met the Queen and Prince Philip).

Digby went on to feature in his very own movie, Digby the Biggest Dog in the World (1973), starring Spike Milligan.

Digby died in 1978, and Cynthia Harrison (believing her fame to be over) committed suicide the following year.

There have been 14 different Dulux dogs since 1961, each of them with a bold and beautiful personality. All Dulux dogs (apart from Dash) have been breed champions, with five of them proudly taking home ‘Best In Show’ prizes.