Captain Moonlight: Disadvantaged dogs

THIS, anyone will tell you, is the Column That Cares. That is why I want to tell you today about some fascinating Swedish research which suggests that dogs brought up by single mothers are more delinquent than those with two parents. Lena Bengtsson, the owner of two Tervuerens, Winnie and Victor, started as she meant to continue by ensuring that Victor was present at the birth of his first eight pups. 'I wasn't sure how Victor was going to react,' Lena has told Dogs Today. 'He was very curious, and every time a new pup appeared, he wagged his tail.' Today the eight get along well with other dogs, according to Gothenburg dog consultant Nina Roegner, because Victor played an active part in their upbringing. Victor's adoption of the new dog role was, though, not without its teething problems. There was, for example, some initial discomfort when the puppies 'confused Winnie's teats and Victor's genitals'. I mentioned all this to Eubank, the Captain's guard dog, but he somehow seemed less than keen.