Can a dog be your plus one? Justin Theroux's dog at awards event reminds us of these other celebrities

Table manners may be an issue. They probably won’t await the normal social cues to begin tucking into and licking their plate. Dogs, however, are becoming the new best date to take to awards ceremonies.

Justin Theroux was seen with Kuma, his pit bull mix, at the 16th annual CNN Heroes in New York on 11 December. She even has her own instagram to document the evening’s events on, if she so wishes... which she did, I've just checked.

Justin adopted Kuma back in 2018 after she was rescued from a devastating hurricane aftermath and brought to a high-kill shelter.

The Leftovers star has paid tribute to Kuma: “I know you can't read Kuma, but thank you for being so open, making me laugh, sleeping in later than me, going everywhere by my side, reminding me to stay in the present, to let things roll off me, to have gratitude and joy for everything, even just waking up.”

As lovely as this relationship is, we understand that Justin allows Kuma to not only share the bed with him, but also have her head on the pillow, and coincidentally the actor is single. Could the two be linked? It’s uncertain.

Justin’s former wife, Jennifer Aniston, is also a huge dog fan, which must have helped in their relationship. She often shares an instagram post showing her love for her dogs.

Jennifer is also a fan of rescuing dogs. The Friends star has three dogs named Lord Chesterfield, Clyde, and Sophie and all are adopted from rescue centres. She has taken her dogs to photoshoots and TV studios, although we are yet to see her take a dog to an awards ceremony.

Other celebrities who have been taking their dog as a date for the red carpet include Dai Time, the singer, who recently brought her dog Daiko to the City of Hope's inaugural Halloween for Hope Benefit.

This also is a trend among other celebrities with Simon Cowell often seen holding onto his pooch when attending an awards ceremony or press junket.

The actor Jeff Bridges brought both his dogs to a premiere in June 2022, and the acress Nicky Whelan brought her dog, Yoda, to an event dedicated to animals in October of this year - the Last Chance For Animals 2022 Compassion Gala.

Why are these suitable companions? They're the best stress-busting accessory you can hope for at a star-studded event. If the venue says 'yes, dogs are allowed' then it's very tempting to bring along your best furry friend. They won't have alternative plans and they can't upstage your dress attire - although they may upstage you generally as photographers love to snap a cute canine.

Is it appropriate to bring your dog to an awards ceremony or film premiere? Let's be honest, these celebrities have assistants who can remove the pooch if they start to become restless or need a toilet break. For most people, bringing your much loved pet wouldn't be practical to a big occasion.

Can you imagine taking your dog as a plus one to your friend's wedding? Unless your friend is dog mad and has said yes to bringing them along, otherwise it would be a social faux pas.

Dogs as dates in general? Yes! They won't start an argument as you're leaving the house and they won't stress you out as you go on a walk at the event, in fact they'll be pulling you along to sniff out the best spots.

We're here for this dog guest trend. Your plus one waggy-tailed friend maybe hasn't made their debut yet, but celebrities often trail-blaze what becomes mainstream so expect to have Pluto the dog with you for future big events.