As I See It Marianne Heron Doggone it! Who let the dogs in?

Our four-legged friends have been dogging the headlines of late: a sign of how the status of canines has changed. No longer con ned to a kennel in the yard, dogs have wagged their way into our homes and our hearts and the passing of a pet can be akin to the loss of a family member.

e death of President Michael’s D’s beloved Bernese Mountain dog Brod got column inches with pictures in the leading Sunday papers. Brod and companion Bernese Misneach became celebrities with their own social media accounts and a key role in welcoming visitors to the Aras.

Home, for which O’Grady was an ambassador, formed a guard of honour. ere was mourning of a di erent kind when listeners called in to Live Line to protest over the fact that in some instances pets are not allowed in council or privately rented property. Faced with a choice between property and petlessness in several cases, families turned down places on o er, despite the housing crisis, rather than live without their pooches. Treating dogs like family members has led to a whole industry for pampered pets.

and canned foods and, increasingly, clothing for dogs, even including, I kid you not, dry robes.

In addition to dog grooming parlours and kennels services, there are now dog sitting rms like House My Dog and then there’s doggie portraiture. ere are dog whisperers, special pet cemeteries like Heavenly Haven and dog schools which are as much about training owners rather than their four-legged friends.

It can lead to behavioural problems in dogs like aggression when they don’t get their own way, like separation anxiety when owners are absent and fear or ghting with other dogs where they aren’t socialised.

Dogs get a looking in on mourning too, at TV personality Paul O’Grady’s funeral in Kent, when dogs from the

Battersea Cats and Dogs

One pet insurance company reckoned that Ireland’s half a million or so dogs cost their owners about €1,250 a year on average. Pet shops are awash with comfy dog beds, doggie treats and toys, never mind all the bags of kibble

One side e ect of all the care and attention is that dogs are now living longer than before, as well as being treated for conditions normally associated with humans like ulcers or depression there is an increase in canine dementia. e rise in petiquette means that dogs get in on the act on all kinds