Before London
Bob
Chuck remembered Bob as a dog from his childhood. He belongs to Chuck’s personal story before the Hobo family began.
The early family and working years
Original London
Chuck’s original partner and the first dog to play Hobo on screen.
Thorn
One of the best documented early dogs, described in contemporary accounts as a son of London and active in demonstrations, film and television work.
Toro · born c.1960–61
A member of the early family and television group, distinct from later dogs who reused the name.
Little London / Litlon
A younger early performer who worked alongside the other dogs.
London Jr.
A younger London documented from 1963 into the early 1970s.
Successor London · born c.1960
Another principal London whose documented working years overlapped with the younger dogs.
Lance · 1961 publicity
A young dog remembered for the 1961 parachute-jump publicity episode.
Cairo
Chuck mentions Cairo in Stop! Sit! and Think. In one undated account, Cairo shuts a gate or door, fetches a newspaper and brings it back. We have not yet found enough information to know when Cairo lived with Chuck, where Cairo fits among the other dogs, or much else about his life.
Lady
Chuck also mentions Lady and, in another account, says that London and Lady were Thorn’s parents. We have not found pedigree records to confirm this, and we do not yet know which London he meant in that particular account, but Lady clearly belongs somewhere in the family story.
The travelling family
Hobo
An individual dog, separate from the use of “Hobo” as a screen character name, traced through surviving accounts from about 1968 to 1974.
Venus
Chuck wrote in 1968 of a Venus whom he described as a daughter of “London, The Littlest Hobo” and said had gone to live in Odessa, Texas. A dog called Venus was travelling with Chuck by 1970 and appeared with him on The Pet Set in 1971. These may well be the same dog, but we can’t be sure from the information we’ve found.
Raura / Roura
A young travelling dog seen with Chuck around 1970–71 whose name survives with more than one spelling.
A new television generation
London · 1981 television team
Named in June 1981 as the dog then used in most scenes.
Bo / Beau
A major Hobo performer, named Bo in 1981 and Beau in 1987 reporting. Bo and Beau were very probably the same dog, though the exact division of work between the dogs remains unclear.
Toro · 1981 television team
A member of the 1981 television team, kept separate here from the earlier and later dogs called Toro.
Lance · 1981 television team
A member of the 1981 television team, kept separate here from the 1961 Lance and the younger 1987 household dog.
Thorn · 1981 television team
A member of the 1981 television team, kept separate here from Chuck’s early Thorn.
Later years
London · 1987 household
Reported as thirteen years old in 1987. He may have been the London named in 1981, but we cannot be sure from the information found so far.
Lance · born c.1985
About eighteen months old in early 1987 and therefore another dog carrying the familiar name.
Toro · born c.1986
Ten months old in early 1987 and distinct from the Toro documented with the 1981 television team.
Aura
A German Shepherd Chuck kept as a companion after he stopped working professionally with dogs.
Can you help?
If you remember Cairo, Lady, Venus or any of the later dogs, or have photographs, programmes, newspaper cuttings, pedigree information or first-hand memories, we would love to hear from you. An approximate date, place or name can be useful too.
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