p. 54 in Katharine McDonogh's REIGNING CATS AND DOGS:
>>The Tsarevich's assement of the dog's,<< [Joy's]>> intelligence was astute: in December 1917 Alexei wrote to Petrov, his Russian-language tutor, relating how: "Joy is getting fatter every day as he keeps eating rubbish from the refuse pit. Everyone chases him away with sticks. He had a lot of friends in the town and is always running away." <<
In 1915 Nicholas II thought to take advantage of Joy being photographed with Alexei and wrote to Alexandra the following:
>>How charming Alexei's photos are, the one standing ought to be sold as postcards-- both might be really---pleased, be done with Baby, also, for the public and then we can send them to the soldiers.<< >>..Fredericks asked my opinion, whether to permit that cinema of Baby and Joy can be allowed to be shown in public; not having seen it, I cannot judge, so leave it to you to decide. Baby told Mr. Gilliard that it was silly to see him 'faisant des piroutettes' and that the dog looked cleverer than he.<<
AGRBear
See more about Imperial pets:
http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=2541.0