From her garden patrols to her endless games of fetch, Daisy has always been a light in Fiona’s life

Daisy is a typical Jack Russell, or not so! She’s half human, or more. We have had her since a tiny pup with a squished nose resembling a guinea pig, only smaller. She has grown into the most enchanting, loving dog, who’s very much part of our family.

She loves tummy rubs, ‘special biscuits’ aka treats, and sleeping on our bed (she hardly moves but occasionally creeps up for a cuddle). She patrols our garden with aplomb, chasing pigeons and crows away and protecting our hedgehogs so gently. Rats? Well, she routes them out fearlessly and fast and brings her catch into the house with great pride.

She has grown into the most enchanting, loving dog

Daisy is an absolute darling. She is hyper intelligent and knows many words, including the obvious ‘walkies’, as well as ‘greenhouse’, ‘summerhouse’ and ‘orange ball’. The orange ball is a practice soft cricket ball that’s her absolute favourite and she fetches it endlessly, until I'm exhausted and she's still going!

Sadly, she's developed a heart murmur, so exercise is now a little restricted and she sleeps a lot. We hope to get her a Jack Russell puppy next spring. She is so friendly with other dogs, and I think it would be a real bonus in her life and might very slightly help our grieving when she passes. Daisy is simply the best!

After a fall out with his partner, Peter decided that Kush was the perfect way to bring the family back together

The bizarre story behind us getting pup: one Sunday afternoon, my partner and I had a ‘heated debate’ which resulted in her going to stay at her mum’s for a couple of weeks. The next night, my son and I were talking about our old dogs, as it had been five years since we lost them, and something in my heart said, ‘is it about time we looked for a new dog?’ The look on my son’s face was answer enough and we googled ‘blue Staffordshire Bull Terrier pups for sale’.

We couldn’t imagine being without him!

The top search result was an advert for six white pups and just one blue. Here's where fate kicked in: the pups were in a Shropshire town, a couple of hours from us and not somewhere we would normally go, BUT I already had a work meeting booked in that very town later in the week!

I contacted the breeder and arranged to visit on the day of the meeting. I took my son and, as they say, Kush chose us by sitting on my son’s knee the whole time we were there. We brought him home and that just left the tiny issue of telling my partner I bought a dog!

Rather than ruin a good surprise, I said nothing and waited for her to come back from her mum’s. As she came through the door, I left pup on the floor right in front of her. Needless to say, she immediately fell in love with Kush and all was good. He's now a year old and we couldn't imagine being without him!

As a nurse working on the front line, Joanne has her work cut out for her, but her dog Rodney is always there to lift her spirits at the end of a long day.

My Golden Retriever, Rodney, is one in a million. Although he’s nine years old, he acts like he’s only nine months old. He still loves going for a run and adores a swim in the sea – he also loves a quick dunk in a muddy puddle!

A wagging tail and a smiling face

As an A&E nurse working through the Covid-19 pandemic, Rodney has really supported me. Every day when I get home from the end of a shift he’s there, with a wagging tail and a smiling face.

Some people have kept their distance since finding out where I work, but Rodney has stayed with me, lying on my knee and always keeping me company whenever I’m around him.

Over the past five years, Liz has watched George transform from a naughty little puppy into the best dog she could ask for

George was the most mischievous pup ever. He was banned from two different dog training classes and the trainer refused to have him. He was also banned from our local pub for trying to bully the landlord’s dog. At home, he chewed through kitchen work tops, chair legs, cushions etc... I could go on.

Now, he’s the best boy ever. Our family wouldn’t be without him. At the age of five, he’s already blind in one eye, but it doesn’t hold him back. We just love him.

George was the most mischievous pup ever

Jenny loves Clyde for many reasons, especially the way he takes care of her mum

Clyde is 12 years old, but he’s been part of our family ever since he was a little ball of fur. My dad passed away nearly 2 years ago now, and Clyde has been the most loyal and loving companion for my mum. I don’t know what she’d do without him.

He loves the rain, playing with his favourite ball and eating yummy snacks. He has arthritis in his legs and so he falls down sometimes, but while his body may be getting old, he still has the mind of a puppy. He’s constantly wagging his tail and ready to play, he’s such a happy boy.

He’s such a happy boy

Clyde enjoys nothing more than stealing your spot on the sofa as soon as you get up. If you leave even for a second, he’ll be lying there waiting for you when you come back. He’s also not keen on getting his photo taken, though he’s really photogenic, and we all utterly adore him. I think he still has the same puppy dog eyes we fell in love with all those years ago.

Max has brought Natalie’s whole family together, even helping to boost her daughter’s confidence

After many years of saying ‘One day we will get a dog’ and looking at everyone else getting puppies, we researched and looked and Max came into our lives at 15 weeks old in June 2021. He has brought the family together for walks and makes us smile. He’s very laid back and chilled, except when there is a cat walking across the garden. The way he trots, it’s almost like he’s a show pony!

The way he trots, it’s almost like he’s a show pony!

My youngest daughter often finds new situations stressful and can clam up, but Max is able to give her the confidence to try, and always reassures her that it’s OK. He has fitted into our lives and even enjoys a caravan holiday. But even though he enjoys exploring new places, he is just as happy being with us all.