Onion: Celebrity Bull Terrier

Charting the rise to celebrity of a miniature bull terrier with a taste for the limelight. Onion has been in Ewan McGregor movie 'Scenes of a Sexual Nature', has a light modelled on her bullie curves, and is the face of the canine social event of the year: Peckham Pet-tastic! It's a starry life for a pampered pooch.

Tuesday, October 31

Let there be Onion Light!


Every celeb worth their dog biscuits must have a product created in their name. Behold, the Onion Light, modelled on Onion's shapely curves, and now on view in SKK, Lexington Street, in London's Soho!



Onion had to check it out for herself!

The Onion Light was sculpted by Myra Heller and created by light guru Shiu-Kay Kan. It will be available on Onion's website, www.oniondog.com from mid-November!

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Friday, October 27

Bliss on a budda bag

Does anyone else’s canine claim the most comfortable chair in the house? We got a budda bag because we thought it would be a great place for us owners to curl up, but guess who claimed it...

It's mine...

all mine!

A quick nap...

...still tired...

...sweet dreams!

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Tuesday, October 24

Is Onion really a canine celebrity?


How do you know if you're living with a real-live celebrity? We had a good think about this, as Onion seems increasingly convinced that's what she is. We concluded that to be part of the celebrity culture you should
1. be in a movie (Onion is in Scenes of a Sexual Nature)
2. have a pop career (Onion appears in A-ha's 'Cosy Prisons' video, see above and YouTube)
3. behave like a diva!
In which case, Onion definitely qualifies. Time to bring out an Onion perfume?!

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Friday, October 20

Be Not Afraid!


Onion has had one of her busy weeks – busy sleeping: on the sofa, on the bed, on the budda bag and occasionally even in her basket. And bull terriers have such a fearsome reputation! When we’re out and about, grown men have tried to climb walls to avoid Onion, mothers often whisk their offspring off the ground in her presence. Strangers are not readily convinced that Onion is straining at the leash in order to greet a friend rather than eat a foe… And they don’t know what we know – that bull terriers can be among the cuddliest dogs there are!

By chance, though, we early on discovered a way to dispel the fear -- through trickery! If those around you need convincing that your “savage hound” is safe, try a trick or two. Onion loves the attention (and treats) she earns from tricks and learns incredibly fast. So now when we meet wary parkgoers, we put Onion through her paces: on command she spins like a top, rolls over on a hand signal, whispers, walks backwards and waves a paw at her imaginary adoring fans! And we get instant converts to the Onion cause!

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Monday, October 16

"I was dubbed!"


If anyone's wondering how Onion was persuaded to run around Tom Hardy barking for her role in Scenes of a Sexual Nature, the simple answer is that she wasn't! She did run towards him because 1. she had been clicker-trained to sniff dropped trousers (it's all true, see the presspack on Onion's website for an in-depth article!) and 2. there was tripe stick liberally scattered about his feet. But she didn't bark. She ran about wagging her tail, happy to be involved in a game with new friend Tom Hardy!
By the magic of cinema, the barking was added later, but the woof was not her own. Despite extensive investigations we have as yet been unable to discover the true identity behind 'the voice of Onion'. What is certain is that Onion has not lost her bark. Asked for her opinion on the red carpet at the premiere, she responded on cue with a loud bark!

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Friday, October 13

Video footage of Onion on the red carpet

Moving pictures of Onion on the red carpet last Sunday! Oh, we're so proud! Thank you, Tinpan Films!

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Bull Terrier cuts down junk mail!


We have discovered that owning a Bull Terrier drastically affects what is delivered through our letter box... In our front door we have a catflap, a legacy of a long-departed feline resident of the flat. Onion has decided to make full use of this mod con, not as a door -- she may be a mini, but she's far from cat-sized -- but as a viewing station. The sequence generally works as follows: (1) the front gate squeaks, alerting Onion to the possibility of visitors; (2) she hurtles to the front door and *bang*, her head explodes through the catflap like a battering ram; (3) (usually) the person delivering the takeaway menu / religious tract / minicab card hesitates then, realising that the letter box is positioned below the newly arrived dog-head, beats a hasty retreat without attempting delivery. Result: a noticeable reduction in junk mail!

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Monday, October 9

Onion on the Red Carpet!


Onion is now officially a premiere pooch! She is here pictured on the red carpet at the screening of Scenes of a Sexual Nature, the film in which she makes a brief but memorable appearance. She is wearing the fabulous pink collar and lead designed for her by Michelle Alexander, and sitting against the backdrop of Alison Willoughby's bull terrier skirt (inspired by Onion herself).

The film was screened as the finale to London's Raindance Festival, and Onion attended the awards ceremony, the film itself and the after-show party. She was recognised by everyone and much feted, patted and generally adored! It was an exhausting night, and by the end she lay snoring on the sofa!

For more about the film see www.scenesofasexualnature.co.uk
For more about textile artist Alison Willoughby and her skirts see www.alisonwilloughby.com

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Sunday, October 8

Pampering?



There are few things Onion dislikes more than a bath. In fact, she fights so hard to escape this indignity that it has become unsafe to bath her indoors (all that soapy scrabbling about in the tub was liable to cause injury to Onion or owners). But much must be sacrificed in the name of celebrity, and Onion had to endure a thorough wash last night (after the great collar adventure) in preparation for tonight’s film premiere. You can see how much she enjoyed it...
The bath aftermath, however, being towelled down and wrapped, spa-style, in a clean towel, is far more to Onion’s taste, dog diva that she is! So now she is sweet-smelling and couture-collared, the only question is whether she will behave like a perfect pooch at tonight’s premiere and party. Wish us luck...

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Saturday, October 7

Onion’s Knight in Shining Armour



Yesterday evening it looked as though Onion would be denied her bespoke pink leather collar. Designer Michelle Alexander had been up all hours completing it, but fate and the post office timetable conspired against us. The couture collar was in Newcastle, the Scenes of a Sexual Nature premiere in London. What to do? A phone-round of couriers proved fruitless; the film company, always supportive of their canine mini-star, checked the guest list, but no one was travelling from Newcastle for Sunday’s screening. Onion would have to wear her everyday off-the-peg collar for the big night.

Then a last-ditch plan was hatched. Michelle volunteered to go to the railway station in the hope of finding a modern-day knight in shining armour to save Onion’s day. In an age when people are justifiably suspicious of packages, it is all credit to Michelle that she was able to explain our plight and persuade a stranger to act as courier for a dog! And thanks to Charlie, the handsome stranger (see photo!) who agreed to accept the mission, CinderOnion not only gets to go to the ball, she also gets to look fabulous (dahling)!

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Friday, October 6

OnionWatching

Onion has today made an appearance on CelebrityDogWatcher.com. She is the only celeb canine on the site who has overcome the very real obstacle of having non-celebrity owners!

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Thursday, October 5

Trailer flash...


A word from Onion: "The trailer for Scenes of a Sexual Nature is up...and I'm in it! Only for a moment, but it really is me. Take a look on YouTube!"

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Wednesday, October 4

Designer Dog: Onion prepares for the red carpet

Some dogs cannot help but attract attention. Onion is certainly one of these, a limelight addict, a dog diva! And as this Sunday, 8th October, is the premiere of her debut movie, Scenes of a Sexual Nature, she finally gets her chance to lap up all the attention she clearly feels she deserves.

Of course it is traditional for actresses to wear something fabulous on the red carpet, so on Onion’s behalf we contacted Michelle Alexander, recently tipped by Vogue as one of ‘15 designers to watch’. She agreed to create something special for Onion’s big night, and discussions began about colour, size, style, trimmings etcetera. It was decided that something elegant and understated was in order and as I write, Michelle is working against the clock to create a fuchsia-pink leather collar and lead for the occasion, giving Onion the feminine edge generally absent in the butch image of the bullie.

For the rest, Onion requires no makeover, no revealing attire: a quick wipe-down with a damp cloth and the application of a few drops of almond oil and our little canine celebrity will look her tiptop movie-star best! So come Sunday night Onion will step out in her designer dogcollar to attend the West End premiere along with stars such as Ewan McGregor, Catherine Tate, and Sophie Okonedo!

For more about Onion, visit www.oniondog.com
For more about Scenes of a Sexual Nature visit www.scenesofasexualnature.co.uk

Fashion designer Michelle Alexander graduated from Northumbria University in 2006, winning the Graduate Fashion Week Accessories Award for her collection of dog accessories, and has been tipped by Vogue as one of their 'Hot Fifteen' designers to watch.

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Monday, October 2

A CANINE CELEBRITY

There was always a chance that, overnight, my actor-boyfriend would hit the big time and I would find myself co-habiting with a celebrity. Strangely enough, Fame has indeed visited our home, but the stardust has fallen not on the boyfriend - who is currently "between parts" - but on the dog, Onion.

When the boyfriend secured a role as "Jogger with Dog" in a Ewan McGregor movie, it seemed natural that he jog with his own dog. Better the devil you know. As the filming date approached, however, the message came that the "Jogger" was surplus to requirements. But could they still have "Dog"? We had entertained no celluloid aspirations for Onion, a miniature bull terrier with characteristic Roman nose but, drawn by the prospect of a summer's day on Hampstead Heath as dog wranglers, we accepted, the boyfriend's ego only mildly bruised by his change in role.

Onion performed her part - sniffing round sexy half-naked actor Tom Hardy (Elizabeth I's lust interest in TV's The Virgin Queen, see image) - with aplomb and was seconded for a further scene, which graces the credits of Scenes of a Sexual Nature, due in cinemas on 3 November.

Inspired by Onion’s silver-screen success, the boyfriend recruited an animal agent. Within weeks, Onion was a "pop bitch", appearing in the video for "Cosy Prisons" by eighties pop band A-ha, sung to her by chisel-cheekboned lead singer and one-time heartthrob Morten Harket.

So it's official, we are living with a minor canine star. Onion's diary is filling up: she has sat for a sculptor, has a website, a modelling contract, and is invited to the movie's premiere on Sunday 8th October... So after years at drama school and surviving the penurious existence of an actor, the boyfriend is finally living the celebrity life - as a plus-one to his dog!

NEXT BLOG: Read about how Onion is kitted out for the premiere, Oscars-style.

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