My favourite part of settling down to sleep at night is hearing him snort and snuffle from his bed in the corner.

He's welcome to sleep on the foot of my bed, but in recent years has decided he prefers his own space - motivated in part, I suspect, by his arthritic hip, although it doesn't stop him from clambering onto the lounge to watch TV.

Almost equally comforting is the knowledge that he will wake and defend me vigorously if anyone dares sneak around the house - he's thrice chased off dastardly intruders. At least one was a legitimate prowler, while the other was a plumber called to fix a leak out of hours. Oooops.

Loki is nine years old and increasingly showing his age. I'm resolutely not thinking about the inevitable, but he has been getting more treats as it gets closer.

As unorthodox a comment piece as this is, I know you won't mind me telling you about my dog, because from what I've seen, the Shoalhaven is full of devoted dog lovers.

And this year, more than ever, our furry family members have become the centre of our lives. Sans parties, sans holiday travel, sans ... most things, for much of the year, they've been a dependable, warm, cheerful presence.

I don't know how many other friends would be as enthusiastic to spend extra time together after being relegated to the bottom of the priority heap whenever it suits.

A gym-mate's new puppy has been the topic of intense conversation recently. We're all desperate for updates, even when bleary-eyed at 5am.

A friend has been devoted to planning a special evening for her 14-year-old, one-eyed spaniel. When I got a text, out of the blue, that she was going to "take him to the beach and buy him takeaway, so just once he doesn't have to eat what's dropped to the ground", I'll admit I panicked.

She reassured me these were plans for his birthday, not a final meal.

As we slide towards the tail-end of 2020, I'm reminded of all the things I've been grateful for this year. Ongoing employment, my life and my home have been high on the list since the fires and the pandemic.

Family, friends and hobbies all rate a mention too. But I think, as much as anything else, I'm grateful for dogs.

And whether or not you have a furry presence in your life, I hope as we head into December you have plenty to be grateful for too.