Prince is my best friend and is just the greatest company. He was one of a litter of six, and we picked him because of his underbite, which we fell in love with!
He’s my best friend
Prince seems to instinctively know when you need a cuddle or cheering up, if you’d like a walk or just want to sit down. I got him after the death of my father six years ago, and he also was a huge comfort when my mother died this year.
Prince is a Pug who loves mountain walking and the beach. His personality is very human; he’s a mummy’s boy and loves a cuddle. He enjoys chasing birds and thinks he can catch them in the sky. He loves to eat (but luckily has never been into eating furniture or shoes!)
His best friend is our family dog Theo, a Bernese Mountain Dog. He also has the trick of sneezing on you when he’s very excited!
Cara comes from Romania, which is also were I’m from. She never stops surprising me with her endless love and empathy. One of the things I admire most about her is the way she cares for others. If she finds someone in trouble, she’ll immediately alert me so I can help them. She also protects anyone or anything she deems vulnerable and is a great friend to birds and small creatures.
My dog is magic
She quickly adapted to living in Devon and has even joined me in working at a nursing home. Cara helps to make the residents there smile again, bringing them some joy and laughter in their darkest moments. My dog is magic, and I could never even come close to helping others in the way shedoes every day.
Lerihas recently retired from his role as a Protection Dog for the British Army. I first met him when he was two years old, after he had been postedto my unit fresh out of training. He was my first Military Working Dog and together, we guided each other through.
We guided each other through
We absolutely smashed our last licensing, and were awarded an advancedpass, something that has not been achieved in more than ten years at my unit. I have learnt so much from Leri and I’m honoured to have been able to take him home at the end of his service. I owe him all that life can give and I love him so much.He’s my big, slobbery, brave boy!
After many years of begging my husband for a dog, he finally relented. He always said if we were to get a dog, it would have to be a Jack Russell. I didn't argue! Buckley was like a wrecking ball. He moved in and stole our hearts.
I'm still working full time and my husband is retired. Little did I know what my boys were up to while I was at work. Now, thanks to my dearest husband, Buckley will only eat if he's fed with a fork! When his food is in his bowl, he’ll nudge one of us until we get up and feed him. If we ignore him, he gives us a pretend nip and vocally argues until we feed him. I was furious with my husband, but alas, what’s done is done.
Buckley has brought so much love and fun to our lives. He’s a very active doggy and goes out on adventures four or five times a day. He loves riding in my car and will push his nose out of the window for some fresh air – while strapped to his booster seat, of course.
Buckley also loves the ladies. In fact, he can be very amorous, to the point where most female dogs will run away while he's left howling like a wolf. He also loves mucky puddles, and he’s a regular snorkeler. He blows bubbles in the puddles, then tries to catch them while I stand in the rain, wet through.
I’m a nurse and the last three years have been extremely stressful. I also lost my dad in April last year and was unable to attend the funeral. Buckley has really helped me and my family through these rough times. No matter what I'm feeling on any given day, coming home to him makes everything better. I truly believe he was meant to be ours! And I wouldn't change him for the world.
Coming home to him makes everything better
Dexter is a master of destruction. We’ve dubbed him with the nickname ‘Choppers McGee’, and his vet and the nurses call him ‘Dexter Naughty Pants’!
You may be wondering how he’s earnt himself this reputation. Well, at just 14 weeks old, he managed to eat the earpiece from our son’s headset and ended up in emergency surgery. It was about the size of a ring donut, so it’s quite incredible that he swallowed it in the first place. On that day, the CBBC crew from the TV show ‘Pet’s Factor’ happened to be filming. After hearing about Dexter’s antics, they decided to run a story on him – they even turned him into a cartoon character called ‘DJ Rex’!
They even turned him into a cartoon character
Regretfully, the experience hasn’t made him any more sensible. Watching his own exploits on the TV seems only to have motivated him further, and recently he tried upgrading to swallowing a pair of socks. Of course, it didn’t work and he soon returned them, covered in slobber. He seems to have developed a fondness for shoes in general, and now enjoys chewing flip flops as well as the occasional nibble on the garden hose.
He may be naughty, but Dexter is also incredibly smart, and has learnt to open the patio doors from both the inside and the outside. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll come indoors though when asked though – he’ll usually stay outside until we lure him in with a treat!
Dexter is a fabulous, goofy, one-of-a-kind dog who is a very much-loved addition to our family.
Pickle was the last one in her litter, but even if we had an option we would always have gone for her. She is absolutely the one!
She has never left my side
She has brought a life to the family and she makes home ‘home’. She recently has helped me to go through the loss of my dad. She has never left my side and has always been the bouncy social butterfly jumpy Pickle.
We can also take her to the office, where she is helping me to get through this difficult time with my colleagues. I cannot love her enough!