PAWSfor thought
star Eilish O’Carroll tells how getting her two-and-a-half year old Maltese-Jack Russell cross Jacko was the best thing she ever did. She also reveals his funny quirks and how he is treated like another one of her children
Mrs Brown’s Boys What made you want to get a dog?
Like a lot of people, it was during the pandemic! I had always wanted to get a dog but I had put it off because I have to travel so much. Then when the pandemic hit, we all thought we may never travel ever again! I decided to get the dog and I’ll cross the travel bridge when I come to it, if I have to go away and work. That’s what cemented my decision to get him and it’s the best thing I ever did. He gets me out and about and he’s such a character.
What kind of character is he? Dogs can have such unique personalities!
He’s so bright, he really understands what you’re saying. When you’re around him, you cannot say things like park, walk, birds or cats because he jumps up immediately. He has a real awareness of things around him and when there are wildlife programmes on the TV he goes absolutely wild because he can see the animals and thinks he can jump into the TV. A very bright little lad.
You mentioned that you always wanted a dog, have you been a dog person all your life then?
Yes, we always had dogs growing up. Since I left Ireland, I had a dog for a very short period of time and I haven’t been able to have a pup since so this is a real treat for me.
As you said, the travel was what held you back from getting a dog for so long, now things are back to normal and you are moving around a lot for work, how do you manage?
I am very fortunate to have a fabulous dog minder. She lives in east Cork, which isn’t terribly handy but Jacko loves her and he doesn’t feel like he has been abandoned. She adores him too which is great. When I’m away on a short break, she comes up to us [in Dublin] and she’ll actually stay in my house with him, but if I’m away for a longer period of time he needs to go down to her. I’m going to be away for a few months soon and I’ll only be home the odd day, so I won’t be able to have Jacko for any length of time. The dog minder will have him on and off and he is going to love it.
A lot of people say a dog makes a house a home, do you agree with that statement?
It’s a very personal thing, I suppose. I love dogs but a number of people are just not dog people or animal people in general. My sister, for example, has no time for animals, no time for dogs, no time for cats – none of them. She thinks they’re a complete waste of time. She tolerates Jacko when she comes to visit but it isn’t often because she lives in the UK. But, of course, he follows her everywhere. It’s like they pick up on it and are determined to make the person like them!
What advice would you give anyone considering bringing a dog into their home?
There are lots of cons to getting a dog. You do have to get them taken care of at the vets on a regular basis. It’s not like the old days when people would open the door in the morning, kick the dog out and tell him to go off, and then he comes back in at six o’clock. Those days are gone, thankfully! But the joy they bring more than makes up for any difficulties that may arise. I never thought I’d be the one saying this, but I really couldn’t imagine my life without Jacko. He gets more toys and more money spent on him than my children ever did! I have to remind myself sometimes that he is a dog, not a child!
He's a very bright little lad and has a real awareness of things around him