Stray dog forces reporter to abandon live cross

A stray dog has interrupted election coverage on a US TV network after it took a liking to a reporter and refused to be shooed away.

Fox13 reporter Earle Farrell was covering the race for the Republican nomination from a field in Memphis overnight when a brown dog began excitedly sniffing and jumping towards the veteran journalist.

"I've got a dog that's apparently taken a liking to me," Farrell told the host back in the studio.

"Down boy! Get of here".

But the dog chose to ignore the instructions and Farrell's hand pushing it away, forcing the reporter to give up.

"I tell you what, we're gonna come back to you. I can't get this thing to leave me alone" Farrell said as the stray continued to pester him.

"Okay Earle. I know you're sometimes called the dog whisperer but it doesn't seem to be working in this particular situation," the host said.