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4 weeks ago
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image copyrightReuters
image captionThere are many ways for an owner to distract a dog set on leg-clingingHe has been accused of mischievous behaviour, such as chewing furniture and lifting his leg on a handbag.
But now Boris Johnson has revealed his dog Dilyn really does have one seriously unpleasant habit.
The two-year-old Jack Russell-cross likes to express his "romantic" urges by clinging on to people's legs, the PM has said.
Dilyn's friskiness is "endless", he explained as he chatted to officers at Surrey Police's HQ in Guildford.
The comments came after Mr Johnson had watched a display by the force's canine unit.
He asked the handler of a German Shepherd called Zorro: "Do you have to worry about his romantic urges?"
The officer replied in the negative, but the prime minister continued by saying that "my dog is endless... on people's legs".
image copyrightPA Media
image captionDilyn arrived in Downing Street in 2019 after being abandoned by puppy farmersThe prime minister also chuckled as he recalled the activities of the rescue pet he and his wife Carrie adopted soon after they entered Downing Street in 2019.
He did not, however, specify whether special advisers, civil servants, general staff, fellow ministers or visitors had been the particular objects of Dilyn's desire.
Amorous leg-clinging, according to experts, is not a behaviour restricted to unneutered male dogs. Those who have had the snip, and even females, are known to partake.
Stress and anxiety can be contributing factors, as can boredom - and distraction techniques are recommended.
