Dookie (dog) facts for kids

Dookie, also known as Rozavel Golden Eagle, was a special dog. He was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, a type of dog known for its short legs and fluffy tail. Dookie joined the British Royal Family in 1933. He was the very first Pembroke Welsh Corgi to live with the royals! Princess Elizabeth (who later became Queen Elizabeth II) loved Dookie very much. She even named him "Dookie" to honor her father, Prince Albert, who was the Duke of York at the time.

How Dookie Joined the Royal Family

A Royal Dog's Beginning

In 1933, Prince Albert, the Duke of York (who later became King George VI), wanted to get a dog for his daughters. His daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, had visited the Marquess of Bath's children. They had fallen in love with the Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed there.

Choosing the Perfect Puppy

Thelma Gray, who owned the Rozavel Kennels, brought three Corgi puppies to the family's home in London. The princesses and their parents had to choose just one. Dookie was picked because he had a slightly longer tail than the others. The Duchess of York (who later became Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) thought a dog should have "something to wag." This way, they could easily see if the dog was happy!

Dookie was born in 1933 at the Rozavel Kennels in Surrey, England. His birth name was "Rozavel Golden Eagle." He was a bright red puppy. His parents were two champion dogs: Ch. Crymmych President (his father) and Ch. Golden Girl (his mother).

Dookie's Life with the Royals

A Loved Family Member

Dookie quickly became a cherished part of the Royal Family. People described him as having a unique personality. He was known as "unquestionably the character of the Princesses’ delightful canine family." He was also called "a born sentimentalist," meaning he was very loving. The princesses loved him so much that they even fed him by hand!

Dookie's Companions

Three years after Dookie joined the family, another Pembroke Welsh Corgi was bought. Her name was Rozavel Lady Jane. She was meant to be Dookie's friend. Lady Jane's father was also Crymmych President, making her Dookie's sister.

Because they were related, Lady Jane was instead paired with another Corgi named Rozavel Tafferteffy. Lady Jane and Tafferteffy had two puppies together. Their names were Carol and Crackers. Crackers became a very close companion to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Crackers even moved with her to the Castle of Mey in Scotland when she retired there.

See also

• Royal corgis
• Susan (dog)
• List of individual dogs
• United States presidential pets
• Pets of British royalty
• Pets in the United Kingdom