Northland's new celebrity Irish wolfhound dishes out puppy love at schools and rest homes

The children at Montessori Children's House Kerikeri get some puppy love from Atlas the Irish wolfhound. Photo / Supplied

He's got huge paws to fill, but Northland's new celebrity Irish wolfhound is dishing out plenty of puppy love at local schools and rest homes.

Kerikeri resident Sean Scully recently brought home a new canine friend called Atlas to replace his old mate Tsar, a grey Irish wolfhound who brought smiles to the faces of Northlanders during challenging Covid-19 lockdowns.

Tsar, who died last November, became an internet sensation after Scully posted regular photos and videos of his beloved mutt in various scenarios on social media to cheer people up.

Atlas arrived in New Zealand on September 2 from his previous home with a Melbourne dog breeder and has been frequenting schools, childcare centres and aged-care facilities to continue Tsar's legacy.

With Atlas by his side, Scully reads children's books to his audiences, who have so far included Totara North, Ōpua and Karetu schools, kindergartens in Ōpua, Kaikohe, Kerikeri and Russell, and Radius Baycare aged-care centre in Haruru.

"It makes the kids smile and it makes the teachers smile," Scully said.

"Atlas is chilled, he quite likes it now.

"Even when you've got a kid climbing on him, he'll just move, he won't react."

Scully and Atlas are making around three visits a week to "whoever invites them".

He reads from the books he has self-published including The S'collarship Prize and First Rule of Dog School.

Sean Scully and his Irish wolfhound puppy Atlas are bringing smiles to the faces of children and the elderly in the Far North. Photo / Jenny Ling

Set in the Bay of Islands and written by Kerikeri artist Monika Welch, the books are based on the adventures of Tsar and feature Scully. They came about after feedback from Tsar's fans on Facebook.

"Some [children] are a bit amped, but they're all just excited because he's so big.

"Once they realise he's a puppy they're like, 'oh my God, what's going on?'

"Then they realise the guy reading the book looks like the guy in the book, that's kind of funny.

"It's super cute and a lot of fun."

Montessori Children's House Kerikeri centre owner Annie Tikaram said it was "really amazing having Atlas here".

Atlas was "very placid and very well trained", she said.

"It taught them so many skills, like empathy towards animals, and sitting and listening to the stories.

"It's just a really nice community thing to do to share his pet with others and bring communities together like that."

Originally from Kaikohe, Scully got his first Irish wolfhound, Gryphon, in 2000 and has since owned three more - Guinness, Tsar and now Atlas.

He loves the breed "because they're friendly, noble and powerful and you can trust them".

It's not the first time Scully and his dogs have spread joy and happiness around communities.

Pat Wedge enjoys a visit by a popular wolfhound at Radius Baycare in Haruru. Photo / Supplied

His dog Guinness was the first animal to be presented with a Local Hero Medal, as part of the 2012 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, for the work he and Scully did to help victims of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Scully worked 12-hour days for three weeks distributing donated shovels, wheelbarrows and water bottles and helping to clear silt from properties while Guinness carried children around the streets on his back.

The mere sight of the giant dog helped lighten the mood of quake-hit residents.

Scully also used to take Tsar to rest homes in Christchurch before moving to the Far North.

"These wolfhounds are so massive and they make people smile," he said.

"If you go for a walk somewhere you get a lot of attention.

"It's like walking around with the All Blacks.

"If you've got something cool you should share it."

At just six months old Atlas already weighs 40kg and will likely grow to twice that as an adult.

He has a healthy appetite, eating up to eight cups of premium dog food a day.

Scully said his new canine friend was enjoying making lots of new friends.

Atlas the Viking entertains children at Te Waenganui Childcare Centre in Opua. Photo / Supplied

"He's doing beautifully, he's like a seasoned professional at this.

"It's part of their nature, it's what they do. They're just big in life and get attention anyway and just get used to it."

The only concern was that Atlas was "too good" - a worry when your social media schtick is all about teaching naughty dogs how to behave.

"But then he chewed my Jandals," Scully said.

Scully and Welch are currently writing the fourth book in the series which will be illustrated in January and for sale soon after that.

A new series about Atlas is planned for next year.

The True Tails of Barnacles and Tsar books are available from www.barnaclesacademy.com, the Stone Store, the Treaty of Waitangi gift shop and Northland Petfood.