Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly's Graeme Hall reveals the sad reason why he didn't get a dog until his mid-40s
He waited a very long timeDogs Behaving (Very) Badly star Graeme Hall is now synonymous with calm authority around the most unruly dogs, a reputation that earned him the nickname The Dogfather.
Viewers see a man completely at ease with canines, yet his journey into dog ownership arrived far later than many might expect.
Graeme was not allowed a dog as a child – and he did not welcome his first until he was well into middle age.
That absence, Graeme later revealed, came from a deeply emotional place rather than a lack of affection for animals.
Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly: Graeme Hall’s childhood
Graeme, who grew up in Yorkshire, has shared that his father refused to let him have a dog because of the inevitable loss that follows loving one.
“My dad always said ‘It’s too upsetting when they go’,” he told Waitrose Weekend.
Those words stayed with Graeme long into adulthood and shaped how he viewed dog ownership for decades.
It was not until his mid-40s that he finally adopted his first dog, a Rottweiler puppy named Axel.
Within nine months, Graeme had added a second Rottweiler, Gordon, to the family.
Committed to doing things properly, he enrolled both dogs in puppy training classes.
At the same time, he had been made redundant from his white-collar job at Weetabix Limited.
While at the classes, it was suggested that Graeme should become a trainer himself due to his ability to communicate clearly and calmly with people.
That moment quietly marked the beginning of the career viewers now associate with Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly.
Yet the emotional warning from his father would eventually prove accurate.
‘Grief is the price we pay for love’
Graeme faced that heartbreak when Axel and Gordon later died.
He experienced the same grief again in June 2025 following the death of his dog Jonny.
Writing on Instagram, Graeme announced Jonny’s passing after 16-and-a-half-years together.
He described Jonny as a gentle and kind soul, hoping he had reunited with the rest of his dogs.
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He said: “I can’t quite believe that a little over a year ago we had three dogs in the house and in such a short time they’ve all gone (none of us outrun old age). The place seems so, so empty without them. Heartbroken… .”
Graeme encouraged others to cherish their dogs, urging owners to forgive small mischiefs and hold onto every shared moment.
“Give yours an extra cuddle tonight. Forgive them their trespasses (they always forgive ours). Make memories and cherish every moment, friends…” he added.
Reflecting again with Waitrose Weekend, Graeme acknowledged the pain his father had feared.
“Yeah, of course it is,” he said, when asked if losing a dog is upsetting.
“Ultimately it is really sad, but grief is the price we pay for love, and it’s a price I’d pay 10 times over.”
Well said, Graeme.
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