It's all Rover for the sneaky pint!

2:46pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

Comments (8)   Have your say »

FOR years men have spun their wives a shaggy dog story by claiming they were taking the family pet for a walk when in fact they were popping down to the pub for a quick pint.

Now, it seems, the tail is wagging the dog with the launch of a new beer for dogs at Pets at Home in Chippenham.

Pets at Home's Gillian Buttree said: ""Dogs have always been man's best friend when it comes to finding a reason to pop out for a pint but now that excuse has gone walkies."

Imported from Holland where it is sold as Kwispelbier, Dog Beer is made using a traditional brewing process, using all the same ingredients as normal beer, but it is formulated for a dog's taste buds, and without the alcohol.

"Dog Beer is much more than a novelty product," added Buttree. "It encourages drinking which is good for the dog's kidneys and is a great source of B vitamins. Most importantly, it means pets are even more a part of family life as they can enjoy a beer too."

Dog Beer started life on the back of a beer mat in a pub in Holland.

After a day's sport with their dogs one of the owners commented that it was a shame the dogs couldn't join in the drinking.

One of the group owned a brewery and within months the beer was rolling off the production lines.