I’m not really a dog person, 
nope, I am actually a cat person. Always have been. Dogs I consider a rather uncouth and filthy lot. They greet one another by sniffing each others bottoms. Which other species does that? Yuck! Certainly not cats, they greet each other and their human by presenting their faces, like any other civilised species. Oh, and have you ever seen a cat peel a dead frog from the tarmac to eat it? I haven’t, but I have seen lots of dogs eat all kinds of shit. Again: Yuck!

So, here I was with my cat Gigi and my opinions about canines and then my husband succumbed to a heart attack at age 54. Following that, Gigi’s was the only other heart beat in the house and we grew even closer, if that’s possible. Then I met Anna Marie, a painter, a poet, a gardener, a retired galley owner and curator. We became close friends and a few years down the road we decided to move in and grow old together.

Only problem: This fabulous person came in a package with two dogs, Sally the spaniel and Arthur the schnauzer. I call them “the stinkers”, and hence one condition of moving in was that the pooches have to go to the groomers every 6 weeks to have a bath and a haircut. 

And then the magic began. Those two dogs embraced me with their overwhelming love, no questions asked. To this day, they follow me wherever I go, they lie on the carpet behind me in my office when I work, they support me when I am down and they celebrate life with me when I am happy. They don’t have a mean streak in their hairy bodies, but if someone ever had the foolish idea to try and harm me when they are around, they would rip the attacker into little ribbons. They would.

But the best thing is: They are fabulous teachers. They show me every day how to be in the moment, how to be present, how to enjoy life. They don’t contemplate the past, nor do they worry about the future, they are always in the present, in the NOW. Their ability to be happy is endless and graciously they take me with them on this path to joy.

They still go to the groomers every six weeks, though, and they still stink. Partly, that has to do with our lifestyle. We live on the West Coast of Ireland in County Sligo and our walks take us not only to the beaches, but also through woods and bogland. Sally is now 15 and getting deaf, but out there in the countryside, she is still a pup, snuffling her way through the reeds, the grass and yes, the puddles and bog. When we come back home, the white in her fur is often almost invisible under the mud. Arthur, at age 7, is at the top of his physical powers and runs through the fields and forests like a demon on steroids. Same result: He gets filthy.

Mostly, we do not use leads. Anna Marie grew up in a rather grandiose setting with a family that had their own hunt and hence plenty of dogs in a kennel. She has known dogs since she could walk or talk and understands them instinctively. She has trained our stinkers to obey her commands so reliably that we can let them run free on the beaches and country lanes. Arthur occasionally challenges her status as the Alpha in our pack, but Anna sorts him out pretty quickly. And at the end of the day dogs are happiest, when the rules are clear and followed and everybody in the pack has their role and their status. 

I still love cats and I never allow a dog to lick my face, knowing where they have been with that tongue and what they have eaten. But now I am part of a dog pack, too, and am incredibly grateful for it.

Curious to read more of Barbara Bierach? www.bierach.com

Apart from being one of the most famous hairdressers in the world – you created the “Kate Moss look”, you’re a dogs’ dad. Who are your furry kids?
They are two Whiplingtons, 6 and 14 years old, and their names are Jackie and Peggy. I can’t live without them.

What is so amazing about them and what kind of relationship do you have?
They are super loyal and quiet. They don’t bark, I can take them everywhere. They fit into every situation. And they are super kind and calm. Our relationship is pure, pure love. They need me and I need them equally as much.

Do you know about their secret passions?
Their secret passions are: Food! That’s it. They’d do everything for food. They’re called scavengers for a reason…

How do you understand each other?
They seem to understand from my body language how I’m feeling. And they’d come up to me and cuddle me if I’m feeling down. Peggy, especially, if I’m feeling sort of “lively” in my head, she can read that. They’re incredibly easy to train because they’re so loyal and so enger to please. So they’re just super well behaved. If I tell them to wait – wherever it may be – they’ll wait until I come back. And as I live on a farm they have to be really well trained, especially if I’m around the horses. They have to be careful to not get kicked. So they understand boundaries. They are the main focus of my life, my whole life evolves around them and even if it took me a couple of years to find a similar one to Jackie (they’re both rescued), we are all very attached to one another now.

Who would they be if they were humans?
Peggy would be Nancy Spungen (the girlfriend of Punk Musician Sid Vicious) and Jackie would be Mother Teresa.

The funniest thing they’ve ever done?
Well, Peggy has a penchant for jumping out of second floor windows. If you leave a window open and she sees something exciting she’ll just jump out. She has done it lots of times! So she’s the funniest dog in the world – but she’s a bit crazy. Let’s say that sometimes it’s funny but sometimes it gets incredibly scary.

Did Peggy and Jackie ever bring you closer to other people?
Well both my dogs bring people close. I have taken them to people in hospices many times, to people who were dying, basically, because they’re both so gentle. And they’d just sit on the bed, very mellow. That brings me a lot of joy and and to the people they’re helping, too, hopefully.

Where do you leave them when you have to go away for some time?
I leave them with friends who own a beautiful old church in Gallway in Ireland. They have a similar dog and they’re really loved and cared for as much as they are when they’re at home.

Your favourite thing to do together?
Riding across the fields on my horse, with the two of them chasing me. That is definitely my favourite thing to do.

Are they part of your life 100 %?
Yes they are. They sleep in my bed, they go everywhere I go, every restaurant, every cafè, every bar. If it’s “no dogs” it’s no me. They go absoloutely everywhere I go.

Any advice you‘d like to share?
Well having a dog is like having a toddler, a two year old, for 17 years maybe! You have to remember that they kind of never grow up. They never get slightly more independent. They’re always dependent on you. That CAN be the most incredbile thing in the world. For me it is, it’s the best thing in the world.