High-end hounds and cossetted canines are having to learn new tricks in this pesky lockdown. Not only are the legs being walked off them on a daily basis but home, usually partially deserted at given times, is a now constant whirl of activity. There are endless Zooms, round-the-clock supervision and no sneaky snoozing in the master suite.

The life of lockdown dogs is harder than it seems. Their owners’ tempers are frayed. No one is going to the office or school or gym or golf or even for a coffee; teenagers are acting out, mothers haven’t a second to themselves and men, having taken possession of prime real estate at home to WFH, have extended their dominion to rule every kitchen.

How are dogs and their owners faring in lockdown? We invited owners to share, and want you to share too … tag @theglossmag in your pictures and videos on Instagram and use the hashtag #GlossyDogs.

Jen Purcell and Scrappy

Barrister-to-be Jen and her beloved dog Scrappy love to roam the fields in Trim, Co Meath …

“2020 was Scrappy’s year. He is blissfully unaware of the madness 2020 brought with it. He had never been used to having his humans home all day every day. The constant walks, belly rubs and naps became part of his daily routine. Although all of this attention has given him a lot of confidence, he now believes coming inside to lie by the fire is his right. He has started ‘fake barking’ recently, he will bark like crazy if he’s outside, which would normally mean someone is at the gate, but we will open the door and he will just run on in. He’s a smart dog!

“Our house is surrounded by fields so Scrappy has a lot of room to roam. He often sets off for a wander/sniff every morning. I watch him from my WFH station as he wanders the fields with his nose down. His FAVOURITE activity is being brought for a walk in town though. We bring him for walks in Trim and he absolutely loves it. Getting him out of the car when we get home is often a struggle, he would walk the town for hours if he could! Scrappy has the strangest post walk routine – he arrives in and goes straight for the hedges. He lies underneath them and just chills out with his tail wagging. Either that or he will just lie by the fire.

“We have a lovely river walk in Trim with The Olive Tree café and BOSCA either side of it. Scrappy loves these stops as he finds even more things to sniff!

“Scrappy is a wise old man used to the confines of the countryside so he’s not overly ‘chatty’. He has a lot of admirers but tends to keep the nose down and keep walking when he passes other humans. But he often stops to smell the other dogs. Last week he even tried to chase a few sheep on our river walk!

“He is oddly obsessed with empty water bottles, he spends hours trying to screw the bottle top off. He would also be fond of searching for the remnants of his humans’ dinner – he now knows all the tricks and recently retrieved a full roast chicken for himself!

“He is a very well-known pooch on Instagram. He can’t bark without being snapped. My family and I are constantly sending each other pictures of him. We are all obsessed with him. Anytime someone is away for more than a night you can almost guarantee a photoshoot will be conducted to update his human on his wellbeing.

“The walks have been such a blessing. He encourages me to get out more often. I always feel ten times better after our strolls. So good for the mind. Whenever I’m having a bad day, Scrappy is always there to cheer me up. I don’t know what it is about pups, they just bring so much joy to our lives!” @jenniferrpurcell

Richie Killeen and Misty and Nala

Adventurous excursions with his faithful hounds help trainee solicitor Richie Killeen navigate a busy third lockdown …

“Our family are the proud owners of two dogs. Misty, the 12-year-old Golden Retriever, and Nala, the one-and-a-half-year-old Cockapoo.

“For Misty, it has been a wonderful year to demand, by huffing, puffing and barking, more treats than usual. Whilst there’s not as much life in those legs as there used to be, she has realised that when Nala comes in from the garden, she usually gets a treat. She has devilishly concocted a plan on this basis. With the spring of youth on her side, Nala is always willing for a run outside and Misty will bark at us to open the door for her pal then sit in her bed until the young buck returns only to then stand to attention and demand her share of the treats.

“For Nala, she has spent the majority of her life in lockdown and has presumably (like many of us) forgotten what nine-to-five office life is like. She is content to have the run of the sitting room and kitchen where she perches on a shoe box or – when we’re not around – a chair or stool, to guard her domain from any cats or squirrels that dare trespass. The shrieks of excitement when she spots a furry tail outside the window has interrupted more than a few Zoom calls! The fact her loving owners are around means she has the run of extra rooms, which means even more vantage points for wildlife watching.

“She has enjoyed the extra walks more than anything. She knows at 6.00pm when I come downstairs, it’s walk time, and she rushes to the back door ready to go. There is even a communal walking-jacket the entire family has used for walks in the colder months. Once that jacket comes out, the tail goes ninety! Whilst Misty is no longer able for the long walks, she has also figured out that Nala getting a walk means some extra treats for her – happy out!

“On a somber note our family did lose a dear companion during the summer. Spooky, our 16-year-old Yorkshire terrier (who despite being the smallest was very much the boss) passed away. Whilst quarantine and lockdowns seemed a pain, it meant we all got to spend the last months of her life with her and more importantly she spent them surrounded by us. It was bittersweet yet comforting for us to look after her so closely as after all she had looked after us through tough times for so much of our lives.

“We – and really, the dogs – are blessed in Rathmichael, as our 5km offers everything from sea to mountains. The dogs have done everything from swim on Shankill beach to climb the leadmines and Carrickgollogan. The lure of some countryside at the edge of the suburbs has drawn so many walkers to our area that it’s beginning to resemble the Santiago del Camino – which for Nala means more people and more importantly other dogs to say hi to on her run. She has not quite grasped the 2 metre social distancing yet!

“When the sun was high and the 5km lifted, both dogs enjoyed a trip to Dun Laoghaire or Bray. The flat walks suited the old dog whilst a well-earned 99 usually suits the owners as well!

“We love a caffeinated stop-off and the coffee shops around the pier and the Killiney Hill tea rooms are perfect, as well as the new spots around Bray. Catalyst coffee located on the seafront as well as with a smaller shop just off Main Street and Glovers cafe serve great coffee and treats. The dogs have ended up with the remnants of customers’ sandwiches a good few times!

“Nala and I often take off on our own up the hills or with my girlfriend Aoife. Nala experiences a far more sociable life with my sister Lucianne who brings her up Killiney Hill or to Cabinteely dog park with her friends. Nala has made friends dog and human alike on these outings. She’s managed to go to more lunches and brunches this year than the average person!

“When Misty gets out you’d swear every person she meets is a lifelong friend. With her friendly face and slow, gentle pace, she is particularly popular with kids, and will slump at the feet of anyone willing to pet her for a few moments. And she has a careful approach to her walks – everything is worthy of a pause and a sniff. She can no longer be walked on a lead because she needs to stop every three feet to inspect each leaf as if it might contain the key to the Covid vaccine. She will lie down if you try to interrupt this and refuse to move so it is easier for everyone to let her off the lead and let her go at her own tortoise pace…

“In contrast to Misty’s methodical approach is Nala’s maniacal and relentless sniffing of everything around her. No object gets more than a fleeting sniff as there is simply too much going on for her to focus. Her nose is routinely glued to the ground with her tail pointed straight up. We often say you can’t lose Nala in a field as her tail is like an antenna or a periscope floating a foot above her at all times. In the dog park she can be seen at the front of a chasing pack or rolling around with her new friends. She will always come back to check in on her owners to let us know how much fun she’s having!

“The aim of the game with our walks is to exhaust the dogs, particularly Nala, so that we ourselves can relax! If Nala has not had a long walk she will resemble an eight-year-old after several cans of Coke, an endless stream of toys and playful growling whilst doing parkour off of the furniture. So when we do get them out we try to ensure that when they return they have the energy levels of a teenager returning from Electric Picnic… Ideally they will slump on their beds or a blanket for the evening. A lockdown routine of ours has been Sunday movies, you’ll rarely see two pooches as relaxed as when they join us in front of the fire to watch a Sunday flick.

“I would imagine our dogs are up there with the most photographed dogs in Dublin at this point. Personally I rarely post on social media but if I’m out with the dogs they will likely feature in a nice Instagram story. Similarly, Lucianne will usually get a picture of the dogs up on her Instagram if she has had them out and about. When our older brother Simon returns home were convinced it is only to see the dogs as usually they will feature on his social media without anyone else getting a look in! Who can blame him, a few months in lockdown away from the dogs would make you miss them.

“The dark evenings and the build up of work in the pre-Christmas lockdown as we approached year end meant that exercise and fresh air weren’t prioritised, and I definitely felt the effects. With that in mind, I now ensure I get out every day and the difference to my mental health can’t be underrated. It can often be easy post-work to neglect getting out, but since the dogs now expect the walk it has added pressure. Any thought of leaving it and collapsing on the couch goes out the window when you see those eyes looking up at you. With that I try to get out rain or shine with the ever-willing Nala at my side to keep me company, I have to say the world just melts away for that 45 minutes. I owe it to the dogs for pushing me every day to do it!

“Without shadow of a doubt the dogs have been a help during this most difficult year. The fact there are two living creatures in the house who don’t understand what is happening in the world can be a great contrast to the mood. Whilst we all get down, and worried and frustrated, the dogs don’t. So whether it’s a cuddle, a game or a simple pat on the head, they are always here and excited to see you. The dogs will never tell you today’s daily Covid cases or talk about politics, they will just give you their love in their own way. It may seem trivial but seeing your dogs get so excited for a walk every day does remind you that often it’s the little things that actually make you happy, and even in the height of doom and gloom, those little things can be found.” @richie_killeen