Blair has suffered with depression for many years, but since Skye came into her life, things have started to turn around for the better.

Skye is the best thing to ever come into my life. I have suffered with depression since I was 14, I am now 28 but the past four years with her have been a game changer.

Because of my dog, I wake up with a smile on my face every day. She understands when I'm down, comes and gives me a comforting paw and then gives me all of the loose socks around the house. As its socks that make her the happiest, I assume she thinks they will make me happy too. Along with her beaming and infectious smile, they’re enough to turn even the hardest person into a melted puddle.

Skye has changed my life

Skye has changed my perspective so much that I'm able to see the positive side to life nowadays. I can see the simple things that make a dog happy and that has changed the way I think about things. I'm now a happy person who enjoys going out and socializing. I went through periods where I wouldn't leave the house for weeks on end, struggling to deal with my thoughts. Having Skye has given me the strength to be able to leave the house and also engage with people.

She doesn't allow me to avoid people as she is the most sociable dog anyone has ever seen. She loves people so much that it’s rubbed off onto me. Skye has done more for me than I will ever be able to express in words. She is everything to me. Every moment I get to spend with such a beautiful creature is a moment cherished.

Rebecca’s days are always happy when they’re spent with her dog Annie

Annie is my beautiful best buddy. She is loyal, cheeky and always right by my side. Annie spends her days with me and my horse, and we pass manyhappy hours exploring the beautiful Scottish countryside together. Of course, Annie loves to steal the horse’s carrots given half a chance!

We pass many happy hours exploring the Scottish countryside

At night, we retire to the sofa for snuggles, where we’ll usually end up watching her favourite film, the Lion King. I’m so grateful to have her as my best friend.

Whether she’s chasing squirrels or barking at Elizabeth’s neighbour’s cat, Ruby has always been a typical Terrier

Ruby is a gorgeous mix of Welsh and Border Terrier. She has all the Terrier traits – she never chases balls or plays with toys. Something has to move for her to chase it, so her favourite pastime is chasing squirrels.

Thankfully, despite being fast, she’s not caught anything yet. But if she chases a squirrel up a tree, she’ll follow underneath as they run from branch to branch, barking at them to come back down. Then she’ll sit still under the tree and wait for them.

There’s also the neighbour’s cat, who torments her as she sits behind garden gates. It calmly strolls past, while she goes into full Terrier mode, telling it off. For a little dog, she loves being outdoors and is happiest when she’s out having walkies – the longer the better.

She always loves to jump up onto a wall and see what’s on the other side. She’s also clever, so she can count if she hasn’t had three walks in a day. She’ll lie down, head on paws, and let out a big sigh, with her eyes pleading to go out.

Her favourite pastime is chasing squirrels

Emma had always been scared of dogs, but Lenny quickly changed all of that. Now, you’ll find them snuggled up on the sofa together.

We rescued Lenny from an animal sanctuary when he was 16-weeks-old. He had been born there and was adopted at 10 weeks, but the family eventually brought him back.

I have always been frightened of dogs, but my husband and children absolutely love animals. We initially went to the sanctuary to adopt a cat, to see how I would get on with my first pet. But instead, we came home with Lenny.

Loves being a part of the family

Lenny is a 32kg Lurcher cross, who thinks he is the size of a Jack Russell! Our nickname for him is ‘little Lenny longlegs’. He spends most of his time cuddling and dozing on the sofa – he loves being a part of the family. He has no concept of personal space, and often just jumps up onto your lap. He also enjoys playing with the kids in the garden and going for long walks in the forest, where he spends his time looking for squirrels.

Not long after he joined our family, we found out my husband’s friend had rehomed Lenny’s mum a few months before. This means Lenny is able to visit her on a regular basis.

He’s so loved and has brought a lot of joy into our family life. He’s soft and affectionate with all of us, and it’s safe to say I’m now a converted fan of dogs! You’ll often find me sat on the sofa, enjoying a long cuddle with Lenny.

Lena struggled with Indie as a pup, but 13 years later, she’s more than happy she persevered with her

I rescued Indie when she was six months old. By then, we were already her third owners. She’s a Great Dane Labrador cross and she’s going to be 13 in April.

I’ve had many wonderful years with her

She was certainly a challenge and we shed a lot of tears. My husband at the time even wanted to rehome her. But she’s such a character and I’ve had many wonderful years with her since.

She’s one of seven dogs that I own currently. Six of them are rescues from Apollo’s Angels, which is a charity in Cyprus I’ve been involved in running for the last 10 years. We’ve now rehomed more than 1,200 abandoned hunting dogs from Cyprus to the UK. This July will be the charity’s 10th anniversary.

Barna’s natural instinct was to protect Emily, and now he is a fully trained medical assistance dog, helping to giving her back her independence

Nearly three years ago, we brought Barna, a Hungarian Vizsla puppy, into our lives to be a loving pet and companion, yet he has proven to be so much more than that. I live with a serious and complex neurological condition that causes me to collapse regularly. I myself have no awareness of these onsets, and would often be injured or be admitted into hospital, but all that changed when Barna was six months old.

Changed my life for the better

We discovered that Barna could detect the minute changes in the pheromones my body released in the lead-up to a collapse. He would ‘alert’ me via a series of behaviours, including intense staring, refusal to do as asked and a single bark. These are my five-minute warnings, which gives me a chance to make myself safe. Realising Barna’s potential to detect an oncoming episode, we contacted the charity Medical Detection Dogs.

Nearly a year and a half later, we were given the amazing news that Barna is now a fully accredited Medical Alert Assistance dog. As a family, we can’t put into words how much both the charity and Barna have changed my life for the better. He is the first Hungarian Vizsla to be accredited as a medical alert assistance dog (as far as the charity is aware) in the UK, so he is flying the flag for all other breeds that may not be conventionally thought of as great assistance dogs.