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      Jip the Dart Playing Dog is a Hit with Regulars

      12.10.2011

      Dart playing dogForget prancing pooches on Britain's Got Talent, a talented dog at a Rochdale pub has
      hit the bullseye with drinkers after amazing them with her  darts playing skills.

      Watch her antics!

      Regulars at The Royds Arms owned by Lancashire-based brewer Thwaites have made Jip, an 18 month old border collie, the official pub mascot and an honorary member of the pub's darts team.

      Jip, trained by landlord and dog lover Kenneth Hughes, retrieves the darts from the
      dartboard by leaping into the air and carefully plucking them out. The athletic
      pooch then places the darts at the feet of the darts player ready to fetch
      again.

      Fetching darts is just one of Jip's many talents. Mimicking customers, she also likes to
      order a pint of Thwaites Smooth, pretending to put her money on the bar by
      placing her paw next to the pint after being served and having a cheeky lick of
      the head. She also amuses drinkers with her coin finding skills - sniffing out
      money hidden or rolled into different rooms in the pub and faithfully returning
      them to the owner.

      Said Kenneth: "Jip really is a great asset to the pub and the darts team! Visitors
      to the pub are amazed by how friendly and welcoming she is - it's like having
      an extra member of staff. This is a family pub so Jip plays with the children
      and customers often take her out exploring and on local rambles.

      "I bought Jip as a Christmas present for my partner Carol and I've spent a lot of
      time training her to do tricks. I've always had dogs and like to train them as
      they are so loyal and friendly. It's safe to say that Jip really is one of the
      family here at The Royds Arms. I might even take her to the auditions for the
      next series of Britain's Got Talent!"

      Andrew Buchanan, pub operations director at Thwaites said: "Jip really is an amazing

      dog and plays a huge part in the success of The Royds Arms, a great community
      pub. Kenneth, Carol and the team have been running the pub successfully for the
      past two years and Jip is a real character. We're delighted that she's such a
      hit with the regulars and a key member of the team. We'll be sending her some
      treats to be getting on with in honour of her services to the darts team!"