Unfortunate Portrait

The picture over the mantle piece was old and stained by the centuries of fires that burned beneath.
When the 38th Earl of Whatnot took over he decided to have to picture restored. It was odd that the other paintings in the mansion were regularly maintained, while what should have been the centerpiece of the collection was not.
Off to the restorer it went. It would cost a small fortune, but it would be worth it, he thought. The painting came back and was rehung, revealing the first Earl in all his glory, standing on the neck of a puppy.