It only makes sense to start this by mentioning that we are a team of animal lovers, so getting to spend days with dogs dressed up in ruffs and then spending more time writing about these dogs and looking through images of these dogs was something that we truly enjoyed doing.
The idea for the calendar came from the very creative Naila Barrett, who was Social Media Manager at the Globe at the time that we started this way back in 2024, and had been sharing photos of the Globe dogs in ruffs across the Globe social channels for some time and to much acclaim.
Finding dogs, or pawrents of dogs who wanted to volunteer their dogs for the calendar was easily done. Organising our colleagues to come into the Globe with their dogs early in the morning, well before it was open to the public, took a bit more convincing. In the end, we found twelve aspiring model pups who came out, ready to wear a ruff, dance around inside the Globe, and sit still for just the moment it took to get each photo. We must state as a disclaimer, the dogs were heavily compensated with treats, too many treats in some cases, and a lot of pets and play time.
We were lucky that we started off with photos taken by Naila of Heidi and Betty in ruffs which had been made by our wonderful costume department here at the Globe, so we knew that we had 10 dogs to photograph ourselves and only a few ruffs to make to bring the whole thing together as a 12 month calendar.
As Winifred and Jasper are my dogs, I was able to use them as sample models as I learned to make ruffs, and more specifically, ruffs for dogs. Because of my dogs’ large natural fur ruffs they had to wear exaggerated ruff sizes to account for their fur, so that the ruff would not just be swallowed up by the fluff. Ultimately all dog pawrents were asked to submit their own dogs neck measurements to ensure we had something for each dog to wear on the day.
In the end, 9 ruffs were sewn and brought in, and owners were asked to choose the ruff that they wanted their dogs to wear on the day based on what fit, and which they liked best. Although some of the ruffs feature lace, many are stiff, unbleached cotton, and all were fashioned on a band of elastic with a Velcro closure to ensure the dogs would not harm themselves when wearing them.
Bella as October, and Jasper as December were assigned ruffs that were season specific and props were brought in to accompany the dogs during their photoshoot. In the end, Bella sat regally with her prop skull beside her, decked out in a black and gold ruff for a spooky Halloween vibe, whilst Jasper looked miserable in his Santa hat as Mr. Christmas, so we opted for red velvet ruff only for his December photo.
Photoshoots were broken up over 4 days so that there would never be too many dogs in the Globe at one time. To reiterate, we love dogs, but as these are our dogs, we know just how naughty they can be when they’re in a group chasing each other around. The dogs were happy to work for their treats when there wasn’t a better offer, but the second a new dog walked onto the set, playtime was the only thing on their minds!
Winifred and Jasper came in for test photos as they only visit the Globe on special occasions and mum was there to take the photos. The cleaning staff are very happy that they only visit sometimes, because all their fur may make them cute and cuddly, but it also means a lot of shedding! Winifred and Jasper travel as a duo which means that they regularly find a way to get into trouble when they are out and about and most of the work in getting their photos was to get them to focus on the treats being presented and not on what the other one was doing.
Cecil came straight from the groomer onto the set, and he looked just as good in real life as he does in his photos. He sat comfortably on the stage and even managed an air of nonchalance in his pose. Cecil had both his pawrents on set to help him out and he basked in all the attention.
Bella came with her mum, who she sometimes visits while she’s at work, but her nervousness around other humans meant that she needed some time to explore the stage before she was comfortable posing for a photo. Thankfully for us, Bella’s mum Nancy got right on stage with her, offering her treats and keeping her relaxed throughout the entire photoshoot.
Lily stuck close to her mum throughout the photoshoot, and Pablo stuck close to his dad. Both dogs were more reserved and needed the help of a favourite toy to bring out their inner model, but once they got going their ‘blue steel’ expressions made them contenders for best dog model of the year!
Pablo came ready with his favourite orange and blue ball, and accepted treats when his dad gave them to him. By the end of the photoshoot, Pablo was a perfect model, his big brown eyes are inquisitive and serene, instantly stealing your heart.
Lily was a bundle of nervous energy when she took the stage, but with her mum by her side she was inquisitive and eventually completely fearless.
Maggie was all attitude with her pawrents, prancing around the stage and showing what she lacked in size, she made up for in personality. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself throughout the entire process and even took the time to have a mad romp around the stage to show us just how at home she felt in the spotlight.
Huxley looked to his dad to guide him in his poses, but once he got the hang of it, he seemed right at home taking photos in the Globe, even posing in the galleries. Huxley seemed to be asking us what these strange humans were doing, dancing around behind the camera, in his many ears up, tilted head poses that we captured. We’re not sure if we were successful in getting his attention, or if he was successful in giving us his attention when he felt he was ready to produce the perfect photo.
Alma was a true professional, she came with her mum to the Globe that day and was ready to work it from the moment the camera lens came off. She wasn’t worried about the crowds as they passed by her and was the only dog to complete her entire photoshoot during the day, when the Globe was open to the public. Alma even had the added stress of an outfit change during her photoshoot, but she kept a level head and produced some top model poses in the end.
Once the last photo was taken, the last treat was given, and the last ruff was packed away, everyone was very happy to go back to their day jobs. For some it was back to their computers, to meetings and to planning for the next big thing. For others, it was back to their perch in their house windows, keeping their home safe from intruders, and just generally letting the whole neighbourhood know who is boss. For the lucky few, it was back to their comfy couch, curled up on a blanket, with their favourite toy at the ready for when their humans returned home.
