WHAT?  Portraits of Dogs: From Gainsborough to Hockney 

WHERE? The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN

WHEN?  Now until 15th October 

WHY GO?  To wow dog lovers everywhere!

Pet pampering is nothing new as this sweet, sentimental exhibition portrays. It confirms that man’s best friend has been immortalised by artists the world over from Edwin Landseer to Lucian Freud, even the great Leonardo himself. What's so special about this charming little show is that it focuses entirely on the dogs themselves, with affectionate back stories about why each and every one was so adored by their owners, from the great and noble, to the artists themselves, that were commissioned to paint them. 

David Hockney’s companionable dachshunds Stanley and Boodgie wind up the show with an entire room devoted for us to lap up their cuteness.

There are a few curiosities too, like the stuffed Pekingese Ah Cum, who was smuggled out of China in 1896 to become the first British patriarch of the breed.

IN THE KNOW: For ‘best in show’, don’t miss The Queen and her Corgis, a separate one-room display to honour the late Queen’s love of Pembroke Welsh corgis. She owned over thirty of them throughout her reign. It runs until 25th June and is free.