Louise O'Neill: Isn’t that what love is, accepting people and dogs for who they are?

Does my dog have face blindness? The memory of a goldfish? It’s a mystery.

'Our last dog was a Yorkshire Terrier named Jinky, who died in 2016. In his eight years, I only heard him bark once and I almost fell off my seat with the shock.' Picture: Miki Barlok

When I first brought Cooper, our corgi-collie cross, home from the CSPCA, it took him a while to settle in. He was quiet in the beginning, cowering under the table if anyone so much as looked at him.

The poor baba, I thought. Hopefully, one day, he’ll gain enough confidence to come into his own. That was 10 months ago and this is Cooper’s house now and he’s generous enough to allow me to live here too. Honestly, he is the most contrary dog I’ve ever met.