Is Buddy top dog? Ross-shire pooch to star in BBC Scotland TV series Scotland's Best Dog
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
FRENCH bulldog Buddy has been through a lot of life.
He moved to the Highlands from Nigeria, lost an eye after developing an ulcer and then there were fears he would lose the other due to the same condition during lockdown.
But the nine-year-old is about to appear with owner Sarah Perrins, of Muir of Ord, in the BBC Scotland series, Scotland’s Best Dog.
He was selected to take part in the programme which sees the contenders tested alongside their human companions on three key challenges – recall, agility and bond.
Filmed over a weekend at Crieff Hydro, he competes against Harper, a black Labrador from Rosyth and Skye, a collie from Mull. Like all dogs in the series, they are everyday family pets with no professional training and it is up to the judges to decide who will be top dog each week and make it to the grand final.
Buddy – along with three-year-old Old English bulldog, Frankie – is very much part of the family for Sarah, who works for a software company, and her Nigerian husband, George Onoktite, who works for Highland Hospice, and their twins Alexander and Duncan (7) and Lois (3). The couple got him soon after Highland-born Sarah moved to Nigeria and he has been a constant presence ever since.
“He is like the first child my husband and I first had – he has been through everything we have been through together so far,” she said.
When they decided to move to the UK in 2014 after she became pregnant, Buddy relocated too – a move he took in his stride, adapting to his new surroundings and change in temperature.
“He probably prefers the slightly cooler weather – but two of his favourite things are lying in the sun and in front of the fire!” Sarah said.
But life has not always been plain sailing for Buddy, who lost an eye after developing an ulcer – a condition which can affect his breed.
“I noticed one day that he looked like he was blinking in a strange way,” said Sarah who took him to the vet and he was referred to specialists at Scottish Vet Referrals at Inverness Campus. Despite treatment, Buddy lost the eye. Unfortunately, during lockdown, his other eye developed the same issue but vets were able to save it.
“He has coped really well with one eye,” Sarah said. “Our main concern was that we save the other eye.” Sarah says Buddy brings the family real joy. “I think he has a lot of character,” she said. “He has been through a lot in life.”
- Buddy is on Scotland’s Best Dog on December 9. The series also features Nodens, a deerhound, Staffie and American bulldog mix from Inverness, on December 2.
