Lottie Ryan: My first Christmas as a dog owner

Radio presenter and Dancing with the Stars champion Lottie Ryan will be enjoying a novel Christmas this year, with a new addition to her own family. Boo is a Yorkshire terrier puppy that she and her husband Fabio Aprile welcomed into their lives earlier in the year.

“We’d been talking about getting a dog for years,” she explains. “After my last [family] dog passed away, I said ‘Never again’ because I was too upset. Then as time went on, we began talking about getting a dog, but there was always a reason not to: I was too busy, or he was too busy . . . And then lockdown happened and I was working from home quite a lot, and I just said: ‘D’you know what? They need that extra attention when they’re puppies, and if there was ever a time to do it, I feel like this is it.’”

The adorable bundle of fluff has "brought so much joy into our lives in such a short space of time", gushes Ryan, adding that Boo has made her an extra-popular member of staff on her trips into the RTÉ office.

“I really missed human contact with lockdown – so even though it’s only for a short time every day, I love coming into the office to see my mates,” she says.

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“But now, when they see me, it’s like ‘Awww, did you not bring Boo in today?’ I’m like, ‘Jesus lads, we never see each other anymore – what about me?!’ But they love seeing her, she puts a smile on people’s faces and it’s great to be able to bring a bit of joy into the office for an hour or two.”

She’s looking forward to making Boo an official member of the Ryan-Aprile household at Christmas by including her in a time-honoured festive tradition. “Growing up, there was always a stocking left out for our dogs – and Santa would leave treats and a cuddly toy,” she recalls, laughing. “So we’ll definitely leave a stocking out for Boo this year, and hopefully Santa will bring her something. I know it sounds a little bit pathetic, but I think having that third stocking kind of makes me feel ‘Aww, this year we’ll have our own little family thing going for Christmas’. I think people who don’t have dogs think you’re crazy, but if you have a dog, you’ll understand.”