The ladies were bombarded with a small pack of pug dogs - those thick-set, wrinkly-faced mini-bulldogs which seem to be somehow so quintessentially British (even although the breed was famous in ancient Tibet).

Read any standard encyclopaedia entry about these loveable animals and you are treated to a deeply unflattering physical description - they�re neither as sleek as greyhounds or as glamorous as Afghan Hounds.

But study a little farther and you discover these squat, snuffly, lively little dogs also have fantastic �personalities� - they�re loving, full of fun, and bursting with joie de vivre.

It was no mere coincidence that the set of Loose Women was over-run by a pug invasion, meanwhile, since the super-popular programme is fronted by the iconic Stan the Pug of Vernon's Bingo.. Given the show�s pulling power with viewers - and given the British obsession with dogs - it perhaps goes without saying that the team at Vernons Bingo, which sponsors Loose Women, were delighted to spend a hilarious day filming with a group of pugs (collectively known as a �grumble�).

The pugs were primadonnas to a pup while on set, revelling in all the attention and lapping up their sudden fame for all it was worth. Viewers are now familiar with Stan as he advertising image of Vernons Bingo, as it�s a quirky motif which is easy to remember - instantly capturing the pug�s sense mischievous, rumbustious temperament.

As a popular icon it strikes an obvious chord with dog lovers - millions of them - everywhere.

However, as Loose Women discovered, it�s not some sudden fad or super-star�s trend, because pugs have a long and surprisingly distinguished history, down through the centuries - for example a pug reportedly travelled with William of Orange and Mary when they seized the throne of Britain from abdicating James II and VII in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. In the 18th century the famous English artist William Hogarth was a pugs fanatic, and owned a series of them throughout his life - and in fact his 1745 self-portrait, now in London�s Tate Gallery, includes his very own Stan the pug, not hidden in a corner of the painting but rendered full-size, right beside his own image in pride of place.

That, from a great painter, is surely the ultimate token of devotion.

It�s true, as we�ve noted, that these days every other film star seems to own a pug - for example Paris Hilton, George Clooney and even Gerard (�This is Sparta!�) Butler, but, again, this is just a modern continuation of a well-established trend.

Practically worshipped in the ancient Far East, they are also depicted as prized pets of Russian princesses and other exotic foreign nobility - and seldom as a mere accessory such as often found (for example) in classic images of hunters with their hounds.

There are more exotic breeds, of course, and also much-loved traditional British breeds such as the aptly-named King Charles Spaniel, but while they all have their strong points there�s surely something about the pug that is specially endearing in a way that appeals to virtually everybody.

Only someone with a heart of stone could fail to love an Old English Sheepdog, a Yorkie or a Scottie - but Vernons Bingo surely scored the winning number with the great British dog-loving public when they chose Stan the pug as their own special mascot.

And of course for those of us who adore pugs but don�t find it practical to keep a real one there�s always the option of acquiring a Vernons Bingo cuddly toy Stan the Pug ... it�s not quite �Hogarth� style, of course, but it�s certainly fun.