Moose played Frasier Crane's father's dog for 10 years

The Jack Russell terrier passed away of old age last week at trainer Mathilde Halberg's home, she told People magazine and the Access Hollywood show.

"He just had an incredible charisma and was a such a free spirit," Ms Halberg said of Moose, who appeared in 192 Frasier episodes from 1993.

Moose shared the part of Eddie with his son, Enzo.

He made his first appearance on the long-running Cheers spin-off in the first episode on 16 September 1993, retiring 10 years later in 2003. The show finished in 2004.

'Consummate professional'

His fictional owner, retired policeman Marty Crane (John Mahoney), announced the dog's full name was Eddie Spaghetti: "Because he has worms."

Moose's ability to stare at lead actor Kelsey Grammer for extended periods became a running joke on the programme.

Moose was renowned for being able to stare at Kelsey Grammer

During the height of Frasier's popularity, Moose received more fan mail than any of his human counterparts.

"He's like a robot," Mahoney told Animal Press magazine in 1994. "A consummate professional who works hard learning his tricks."

Moose also played the title role in 2000 film My Dog Skip.

According to Ms Halberg, Moose was 16-and-a-half when he died on Thursday.

Other sources, however, quote his birthdate as 24 December 1990, which would make him 15 at the time of his demise.