France is holding local elections and the candidates are falling over themselves to appeal to a peculiar demographic: dog lovers. A candidate in the south-west city of Albi is promising shared human-dog drinking fountains, with the upper level for the owner and the bottom level for the pet. Her opponent has bitten back with a plan for a pet cemetery. Other hopefuls are proposing dog-friendly parks, food banks for needy mutts and dog-friendlier policies on public transport.  

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Dog ownership is up in France, particularly among the country’s ageing electorate, so canines have become an indirect electoral force. I can’t help thinking that British politicians may be missing a trick. Britain is a nation of dog lovers: more than 36 per cent of UK adults own a dog and a significant number of the dogless are also fans of our tail-wagging pals. A candidate who managed to win over the doggy demographic could probably glide into office while the rest of us were distracted throwing tennis balls. 

If a British politico wanted to understand the psychology of dog people, then, the obvious place to start would be Crufts, which reaches its climax tonight. This eccentric event has a proud history, and, like a........

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