Casper’s cheerful demeanour and cheeky sense of humour make him a great addition to Kay’s family

Our lovely Casper is 13 in March and this is his and our story so far. We went to meet him and his brothers and sisters and my son said which one should we choose. My son was sat on the floor and Casper had fallen asleep on his knee. We pointed out that Casper had chosen him and us.

A few weeks before we were due to collect Casper we got a call from his breeder saying that he had to have a little op and we didn't have to have him. My son said Casper was definitely ours.

Casper has some lovely traits and everyone who meets him loves him commenting on his gentle friendly manner and his waggy tail. He is very cheeky. For our doorbell we have a plug-in tester inside our house. It has a button on it and it lights up and the bell rings if pressed. When we are not watching Casper presses it with his nose. The bell rings and Casper barks as if someone is at the door and looks towards it. We go to see who is at the door and realise what our cheeky Casper has done. We look around at him and he is wagging his tail!

Casper's favourite place is the beach. He loves a stone being kicked for him so he can chase it, dig a hole around it and lay outstretched in the hole with the stone looking out. He makes us smile and other people on the beach.

I was recently unwell and sitting on the sofa. Casper gently jumped up resting his paws on my knees to comfort me. He is very caring and thoughtful. Casper is 13 next month and just as playful as he was as a puppy. He is so very special.

He is very caring and thoughtful

Maria’s only had Ashton for a year, but he’s already made her life so much better with his sweet personality

The day I’m writing this is Ashton’s first birthday. Over the last year, he’s brought pure joy into my life. He’s a playful, happy little dog, who simply won’t allow you to be sad around him.

He likes to sit on top of the sofa cushions like a cat and will go anywhere that’s warm. He loves to be snuggled under blankets and will make his own ‘nest’ out of any soft material he can curl up in.

He has a sister, and he always barks at her until she plays with him – but he isn’t too pleased when she barks back! He also gets major ‘FOMO’, so if there’s even a small chance of something exciting happening, he needs to be there – even if you’re just going to make a cup of tea.

Most importantly, he’s helped me stay positive when I’ve struggled to get up in the mornings. Knowing this bundle of joy relies on me and loves me unconditionally has helped me get up on many days when I didn’t even want to move. Ashton is my best friend.

He simply won’t allow you to be sad around him

Mille will do anything to help owner Claire’s elderly parents

Millie is a 13-year-old Border terrier who looks after my elderly parents. You can see that she really cares about them. Every morning, she gets up and goes into their bedroom to check they they’re ok. When she goes on awalk with them, she never walks too fast because she knows they can’t keep up

She really cares about them

Once, my dad collapsed in the living room, and Millie lay by his side and would not move until the ambulance came. We basically had to force her to step aside, and once he’d been taken away, she became very sad and lay in her bed until he arrived back home. She didn’t perk up until he came back home, when she became so excited and happy again.

Abigail got her sassy little Chihuahua Bob as soon as she moved into her first home at the age of 21.

I got Bob from Gumtree, because his old owner said he didn’t get along with her other dogs. At this point he was 18 months old and had never really been on a walk outside, he had always been pushed around in a dog pram because he just refused to walk!

The special thing about Bob is he has three legs, as his front left leg never properly formed. The day he came to live with me I popped him down on the pavement and with no issue at all he started hopping along next to me! He now loves his long walks along the local canal with my grandad, my mum and her dogs, managing about eight miles which is pretty good for a three-legged Chihuahua!

He now loves his long walks

He hasn’t just brightened up my life but also all of my family members lives too. The first thing any of them say to me is always ‘How’s bob doing?’.

This cheeky little monkey loves nothing more than playing fetch, eating lots of treats and receiving lots of belly rubs. His favourite place in the world is the beach, although he thinks he owns the place once he gets there!

He is such an inspiration with how he gets on with his life and adapts to everything in his path no problem. More recently, throughout this pandemic he has been a true star. Things were so strange, but getting out every morning for a long walk with Bob really helped me through it all. I can’t say the same for the poor little guy though, he couldn’t wait for me to stop working from home so he could enjoy his naps uninterrupted!

Millie is everything to Sharon – she gets her out the house, helps her feel safe and steals her socks for good measure

Millie has a very important job to do, which is making me go out on a walk every day. It doesn't matter if it’s raining and cold, or if I'm tired and in pain, Millie needs her walk, and it never fails to make me feel better. Her inbuilt home security system has also enabled me to feel safe and secure in my own home – she may be small, but her bark is mighty!

Welcoming Millie into my life has been the best decision I've ever made

Millie is the ultimate companion dog. She’s affectionate, loves snuggles and enjoys human company. Playing with her and teaching her new tricks keeps us both entertained. I am constantly amazed at how clever she is, and her intelligence means I am always learning new things about dog training.

Millie is also the best stealth sock and loo roll thief in the South West, so there’s never a dull moment with her around. Welcoming Millie into my life has been the best decision I've ever made.

Ever since rescuing Piper, life’s been all fun and games for owner Samantha and family

We rescued Piper from Bosnia. It took months of stress and heartache to get her and we really thought she was never going to get here.

Since she arrived the day before my birthday (perhaps that was fate) she has brought so much joy into our lives. She's so much fun, so cheeky and compassionate. We could never imagine life without her.

She's too clever for her own good, or ours more to the point!

She's too clever for her own good, or ours more to the point! She's learnt so much since she has been with us. She didn't know how to sit, but now she can sit pretty, as well as roll over and play dead. The list goes on and she absolutely loves training and learning.

"Find it" is her favourite game. Well, almost. I think her real favourite is playing victim and being chased around the house. We always know when she wants to play this – we get a slap from both paws on the backside, then it's game on. I may be very biased, but she's the most amazing puppy in the world!