Awful by Towser

Puzzle explanation

All instances of R, which is known as the dog letter (from the sound of a growling dog), are omitted in the grid entries. The main diagonal contains the first line of the old joke, “My dog has no nose” (“How does he smell?”, “Awful!”). Accordingly, the thematic entries are dogs missing their initial letter (as well as any instances of R).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
2 TAFFIA AFFAIR * with T for R
8 ACHENE ACHE + NE(w)
12 KERRY BLUE KERRY + BLUE
13 SAFARI PARK (A + FAR + I) in SPARK
16 ANDROIDS AND + ROI + DS
17 ALHAGI (b)A(b)L(a)H (b)A(r)G(a)I(n)
18 SPOONFED FED after SPOON
21 LAME LAME(d)
22 AMAZONS AMAZON’S; 2 meanings
23 ENID DINE <
24 KHAN K + HAN
25 REPULSE RE + PULSE
28 INTIMAE INTIMATE − T
29 OOBIT OBI in OT
31 BEAGLE B + EAGLE
32 ROSINATE (EATS IRON) *
34 BULLDOG DOG after BULL
36 AUNE A + UNE
37 SILK S + ILK
38 BEWITCH WEB < + ITCH
42 UGLI homophone of UGLY
45 POMERANIAN (ROMAN TARPEIAN − TAR) *
46 ATTEND (b)ATTEN D(own)
47 PISTOLE (jum)P IS TO LE(ave)
48 CORTISONE (ONCE RIOTS) *
49 STRAUSS SUSS around ART <
50 THECAL THE + CAL
51 ODENSE O’ + DENSE
Down
1 MEASLES (ME + LES) around AS
3 ABDOMINAL (MAIN LOAD) * around B
4 FLOORED RE in FLOOD
5 FURRING UR in FRING(e)
6 BASSET ASSET after B
7 GREAT DANE GREAT DANE; ref. Odense, Denmark
8 AFARA (A + RAF) < after A
9 SHIH TZU SHIATZU with H for A
10 REPAY REP + AY
11 REKISSED (SKIES RED) *
14 AL CAPONE A + L + CAPO + NÉ
15 AGIN A + GIN
19 SPANIEL SPAN + IE + L
20 FEHME FEME around H
24 KILOTONS (SOON KILT) *
26 LITIGIOUS (LUIGI IS TO) *
27 STELLAR TELL in SAR
29 POINTER POINTER
30 SUBTRACT TRACT after SUB
32 BOAR-HOUND homophone of BORE + HOUND
33 PEKINESE (KEEPS IN) * + E
35 DIMERIC DIM + ERIC
37 SUNTAN SUN + TAN
39 ERATO (O’ + TAR) < after E(verest)
40 EMPEROR (REP in ROME) <
41 ROASTER A in ROSTER
43 SETTER SETTER
44 IDOL homophone of IDLE
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