Yesterday marked a rather special birthday. The Dulux dog turned 65, and I was delighted to be there to sing Happy Birthday to the latest star of the role – a delightful young Old English Sheepdog called Dorothy, or Dot for short.
She will soon be appearing in a new TV advert, launching in the next week. It’s a proper old-fashioned commercial – the kind that tells a story and makes you stop and watch, much like the iconic Gold Blend adverts once did. And importantly, Dorothy isn’t just a background “ident” – she is front and centre.
What struck me most was just how dog-loving the entire Dulux team is. In conversations with their marketers – and even someone who had previously worked on the Andrex campaigns – it was clear they understand something fundamental: dogs connect with people in a way nothing else can.
The Andrex puppy itself came about by accident. In the 1970s, the original concept featured a child unravelling toilet roll, but regulators objected to the idea of encouraging viewers’ children to waste the product. The solution? A puppy. And with that simple switch, advertising history was made.
Dulux has a similarly serendipitous origin story. At an early shoot, the ad manager brought along Dash his own Old English Sheepdog. At the time, the breed was hugely fashionable, adored by celebrities including Paul McCartney. The dog kept bounding into shot while children played football in the mud – and when the footage was reviewed, everyone fell in love with the unexpected canine cameos. Dash dog became the first Dulux dog, and the rest is history.
From there, the Dulux dog became a true celebrity – complete with chauffeur and even a guest appearance on the prime time Morecambe and Wise Show. The character embedded itself into British culture, to the point where one of the most common questions Dulux staff still get asked is: “Have you ever met the Dulux dog?”
But there is a more serious side to this story.
Those early adverts didn’t just sell paint – they drove demand. As often happens when a breed becomes fashionable, puppy farmers moved in. Old English Sheepdog rescue organisations soon felt the strain, as ill-prepared owners struggled with a high-maintenance breed. At Dogs Today, we covered how rescue efforts, including those led by Gill Harwood, were supported in part by Dulux themselves.
It’s a reminder of the responsibility that comes with putting dogs into the spotlight – something the Union of Good Dog People continues to highlight. Visibility must go hand in hand with education and ethical breeding.
There was also a lovely historical thread that even Dulux hadn’t fully appreciated. One of our readers, Pauline Baines from Windsor, campaigned tirelessly to see a Dulux dog with a full tail, in an era where docking was still common practice. Her efforts helped inspire our Tailwaggers Against Docking campaign, including the wonderfully eccentric “Rear of the Year” competition, televised on Channel 4’s Big Breakfast.
Her own dog, Jezebel, won – and not long afterwards, Pauline’s dream was realised with her being the first ever tailed Dulux dog.
Meeting Dorothy today felt like a continuation of that story. A joyful, waggy young ambassador for a breed with a rich past – and, we hope, a secure future. The advert will hopefully remind the world that British native breeds still exist.
Interestingly, I only recently discovered that Old English Sheepdogs do not naturally carry a tailless gene, unlike some other breeds. Their docked appearance was entirely man-made – another reminder of how traditions evolve.
And that brings us neatly to today.
Dulux now has its own heritage paint range – which feels like a perfect parallel. Because surely our native and historic dog breeds deserve to be recognised in the same way.
Through the Union of Good Dog People’s National Treasures initiative, we are working to ensure that breeds like the Old English Sheepdog are valued, protected and understood as part of our living heritage – not just as passing trends.
And when we get it right, they become icons for all the right reasons.
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