The authentic 'perreo'

Dogs, like humans, react to music based on the tone. It seems they are more likely to bark when they hear heavy metal, a sound that frustrates them, than when they hear a classical melody, which has a calming effect. Perhaps this is true. What is a fact is the starring role this animal has played in the work of hundreds of singers throughout history. In some songs, their presence is only metaphorical, such as in 'Hound Dog' by Leiber and Stoller via Big Mama Thornton, popularized by Elvis, about a philandering hunting dog; in 'Dogs' by Pink Floyd, about the ruthless business world; or the more explicit 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' by Iggy Pop's Stooges about submission.

Less symbolic is 'Walking the Dog' (1963) by Rufus Thomas, where his walk with the dog is embellished with whistles and calls to the pooch, as any owner would do. A canine anthem that has been recreated by the Rolling Stones, Roger Daltrey, Everly Brothers, Aerosmith, Doctor Feelgood, and The Flamin' Groovies, among others. And yes, there are many happy songs from satisfied owners in the repertoires of the Beatles, Cat Stevens, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Dolly Parton, Norah Jones... And also bittersweet stories, like 'No Dogs Allowed' (1969), in which José Feliciano recounts his experience landing in London and being denied entry for his guide dog unless it underwent a six-month quarantine. The Puerto Rican flew back the same day.

Guide dogs are also well known to Canarian singer Fabiola Socas, who recorded 'Ella' for 'Orlee', a Labrador trained at Leader Dogs for the Blind, an institution in Rochester Hills, north of Detroit. Another blind artist, Serafín Zubiri, dedicated 'Kron' to his Labrador retriever, capable of guiding him at high speed on an inline skating track.

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There are many stories, some wild, like the one told by Jorge Muñoz-Cobo, leader of the Gijón band Doctor Explosión: "In my house in Villa Conchita we had 'Nerón', a black dog famous in the neighborhood for his excessive aggressiveness. One day, after escaping, he attacked the two black swans that the town hall had released in a nearby park. Not even the feathers were left." But "things got worse because 'Nerón' was about to kill the neighbor who brought us eggs. They stopped him when he was about to bite her neck." The animal was immortalized in 'Perro de convento' by his parallel band Las Munjitas del Fuzz.

The story of Navarrese Pello Reparaz, leader of Zetak, a current Basque music phenomenon that will fill the San Mamés stadium twice next year, is more moving. In 2023 he adopted 'Mahats' from the @sos_abuelos platform for elderly animals. "There appeared the ad of an older, blind dog found in a forest in Ciudad Real. Without thinking twice, I took the car and brought her home to Arbizu." And although she was given a year to live "because of her problems—a heart murmur, arthritis, a tumor...," they have already spent two years together.

The contribution of Antonio Arias, former bassist of 091 from Granada, is also moving. "During the mixing of an album by Lagartija Nick, along with Fino Oyonarte, my little dog 'Leia', who was under the mixing desk, suffered an epileptic seizure. Fortunately, there was a veterinarian nearby who was able to give her an injection in time. Thus was born 'El shock de Leia', the title of a song and our 2007 album." The memory of Olegario Méndez, bassist of the Asturian band Los Berrones, in Tolivia, is more mountainous. "Climbing to Peña Mea, at 1,560 meters altitude, the 'perru' suffered a heatstroke and I thought he was going to stay there. In the end, I managed to lower his temperature with water that I had to fetch from 400 meters or more. I almost burst," he recalls with laughter.

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Kelly Slater's Invention

The 'sports' anecdote comes from José Pellón, a surfer and novelist, as well as a singer and leader of the band Melopea from Suances (Cantabria). "My buddy 'Chico' started pulling on the leash of world champion Kelly Slater's surfboard while he was stretching to enter a heat where he had a lot at stake. Kelly, who also loves dogs, started playing with him and the images were seen around the world." Malaga's Javier Ojeda, singer of Danza Invisible, remembers 'Carmela', "a Catalan shepherd mix who, to reach my father's house, which was very close, waited for someone to open the elevator door and went down on her own. All for some ham rinds."

Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, or Dolly Parton are some of the artists who have sung 'doggy' stories

There is a good number of urban musicians who have found a home with their animals in rural areas. This is the case of Ignacio Garbayo, leader of Zodiacs, who moved from Getxo to Villanueva de la Vera (Cáceres), where he lives "with 'Ringo', a mix of pointer, very smart, and 'Elvis', an Andalusian podenco, very escape-prone and silly." Also, the Bilbao native Juantxu Olano, bassist of La Gripe and Platero y Tú, enjoys in a farmhouse in Muxika with goats, ponies, cats, chickens, and two mastiffs, 'Kira' and 'Canela', rescued in Mérida, and 'Txispa', "a mixed Labrador who chose us at an adoption center in Bilbao, because as soon as he saw us he didn't stop getting our attention."

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Javi Vacas, manager and musician of Sex Museum or Los Coronas, a big fan of the Great Dane, enjoys his home in the Sierra de Guadarrama with 'Merle' and 'Marilyn', proud also of his role as a breeder, because "after raising a litter of six puppies, several of my musician colleagues have the children and siblings of my dogs." But there is still the most romantic story, that of Juancar Parlange, leader of Basque bands like Bonzos, Los Clavos, or Help Me Devil. "After a long walk with a friend and my German shepherd 'Blondie', the girl says goodbye in front of my house and leaves. Once inside, I take off the leash and the dog bolts out to the street, something she had never done. I follow her running and see that a hundred meters further she has caught up to my friend. They had never seen each other before, but she must have felt something and wanted to show it to me, because that friend is now my wife."

There are almost as many stories as there are musicians with dogs: Granada's Amparo Sánchez, Amparanoia, sleeps with her chow chow mixed with golden and her two chihuahuas, while Olaia Maneiro, from Tanxugueiras, greets newly arrived pilgrims in the Plaza del Obradoiro with 'Tanxu', her mini pinscher, and Jesús Cifuentes, singer of Celtas Cortos, takes a walk "with Deva, a mixed breed of twelve years" through the Girón neighborhood of Valladolid. Valencian Ovidi Tormo, from Los Zigarros, introduces us to his greyhound 'Whippets', and the singer-songwriter from Tibi, Alicante, Inma Serrano, confirms that she prefers collies. Asturian Paco Martínez, Paco Loco, producer and former member of Australian Blonde or Los Locos, has up to five water dogs in El Puerto de Santa María; two previous ones, 'Marietta' and 'Georgia', appeared in a song by Facto Delafé y las Flores Azules.

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And when a friend leaves, artists find their best farewell in a song. This was done by Juanito Makandé from Cadiz in 'Churrete y Ringo', in memory of his dog and that of his friend El Canijo de Jerez; Dani Martín, in 'El cielo de los perros'; Mägo de Oz, in 'Espera en el cielo', and rapper Porta in 'Ausente'. One could continue, but, as Michael Ende, creator of the dragon-dog 'Falkor' in his most famous novel, would say, that is another story.

Ten classic covers with canine protagonists

1. 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' (1969).

   Neil Young With Crazy Horse

Neil and his dog 'Winni', short for Winnipeg, posing in Topanga Canyon, on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

1. 'Déjà Vu' (1970).

   Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

The quartet appears with the band's drummer and bassist, Dallas and Greg, who are mentioned on the cover. The dog is the only one not identified.

1. 'One Man Dog' (1972).

   James Taylor

The artist with his dog 'David', in an image taken by Peter, Carly Simon's brother, when they were at the singer's cabin.

1. 'Tusk' (1979).

   Fleetwood Mac

Polaroid by Peter Beard of 'Scooter', the dog of the album's producer and engineer, Ken Caillat, as he pulls on the leg of his pants.

1. All Shook Down' (1990)

   The Replacements

Stray dogs in Newport (Kentucky) at the corner of 7th Avenue and Brighton Street.

1. 'American Recordings' (1994)

   Johnny Cash

Snapshot by Andy Earl, where two dogs approached the Man in Black and sat beside him. Urban legend?

1. 'Parklife' (1994)

   Blur

Image by sports photographer Bob Thomas, taken at a greyhound race at the Romford dog track near London in 1988. The cover appeared on postage stamps.

1. 'Miaow' (1994)

   The Beautiful South

Painting by German artist Michael Sowa. The cover had to be changed due to a claim by RCA, owner of the image of 'His Master's Voice'.

1. 'Alice in Chains' (1995)

   Alice In Chains

Photographer Rocky Schenck called for people with three-legged dogs to gather in a park for photos. Before that, he received this photo by fax.

1. 'Odelay' (1996)

   Beck

Photograph by Joan Ludwig for a dog magazine taken in July 1977. It features a Komondor, a Hungarian shepherd dog.