PAWS FOR THOUGHT

Sunday Mirror, Aug 12, 2007 by GERALDINE COMISKEY

IT'S getting ruff out there. Some would even say it's dog-eat- dog.

But TV3's Alan Hughes and Sunday Mirror Editor Christian McCashin will have to stick dogmatically to the rules if they are ever going to pick a winner.

Aaron Cahill's dog puts on an Oscar-winning performance for total strangers.

Aaron, who is 11, explains: "Oscar loves attention. Any time anyone comes into our house he won't stop barking until they show him some love and tickle his tummy.

"He never does what he's told unless I have a dog biscuit in my hand. Then he will sit and give me five."

Aaron adds: "He still leaves presents on the kitchen floor for me every morning, even though he is almost a year old.

"I'm starting to think he's untrainable but he is such a cute dog with his freckled nose."

Sheila Maher, from Finglas West, says her Alsatian Ben understands her when she uses slang. "I say we are going for a prembo - he knows that's for a walk."

Little Pomeranian Foxy lives up to his name too - he lives in Foxrock, Co Dublin.

Owner Melissa Henry adds that he "loves to dance to music" - we presume he can do the foxtrot.

Chloe the collie from Navan knows how to get around her owner, Ellen Smith.

Ellen says Chloe is only supposed to get treats when she's good but adds: "When she looks at you with her sad brown eyes, you have to give in to her."

Rusty the cocker spaniel can be a bit cocky, says his owner David Murtagh from Sligo.

"Sometimes when he is bold, I tell him he's a bad boy and he can be very cheeky and bark back.

"But I love him to pieces and couldn't live without him."

Millie from Edenderry is a tough old dog. The dachshund puts paw to paper to tell us she is 17 years old but adds: "Not a grey hair in sight and still very active."

She has been dogged by mishaps. "Had a horse stamp on me leg, which resulted in pins and plates in my leg. Went to Mayo on holiday; loved the sea so much nearly got out of my depth and had to be rescued by my owners.

"Recently recovered from an operation to remove a tumour from my tummy (could show you my scar).

"Guess what? Had a few teeth removed - and now my owners are calling me Fang. But I know they love me dearly and I have a wonderful life with them."

Benji from Enniscrone, Co Sligo, is a bit of an old sea-dog - even though he's just one year old.

His owner, Sue Anne Haslett, says: "When we go to the beach, he finds the seaweed sticks and bites the stick and takes chunks off. It's very funny to watch."

Kyi, a papillon from Edenderry, is quite a social butterfly. His owner, 10-year-old Kerrie Ryan, says: "He loves all kids and gets on well with my cats. He is very good with birds and does not scare them from the garden."

Sleek shih-tzu Judy, from Kilkenny city, likes to wear a ribbon in her long hair.

She doubles up as a bodyguard for her owner, Ann Murphy.

Ann says: "She does not like anyone to reach out to me as she thinks they are going to hurt me. She is my protector."

Ruby, from Gowran in Co Kilkenny, is lucky to be alive - she was about to be put down when the Middleton family saw her in the pound.

Philomena Middleton says the loveable pooch had been found at the side of the road.

Chelsea Byrne's dog Snowy was also found in the pound.

Chelsea, from Blanchardstown, says: "As soon as I set eyes on him, I knew he was the dog for me. His eyes lit up and his tiny ears popped up."

Another Snowy shows off his fur coat in a picture sent by owner Michael Britton, in Thurles.

Michael says Snowy "knows every move of the house. He sleeps under the bed."

geraldine.comiskey@irishmirror.ie