Eddie joined Sam’s family as a companion for her other dog Alfie, and since then he’s made everyone’s lives better!

When we got Eddie, we already had one dog under the age of two called Alfie. Alfie has always been full of energy. He loves playing with other dogs in the park, particularly when he’s being chased, so he can show off his speed! We knew Alfie would love a dog companion, so we brought Eddie home.

From day one, they became best friends

From day one, they became best friends, doing everything together! They spend most of the day playing with the same toys and chasing each other around the park, garden or house, and then evenings are spent cuddling up and sleeping together.

Eddie adores his older brother, following him around everywhere and copying everything he does. Because of this, he’s learnt everything so quickly! Eddie is also one of the cuddliest puppies I’ve ever known – he loves being around people and his favourite thing is to snuggle in the evenings on the sofa. Eddie has brought both us and Alfie nothing but joy!

Pickle has brought nothing but happiness to his owner Lyndsey and her family

Pickle is a lockdown puppy, as we got him in July 2020. I am a nurse and have worked throughout the lockdowns. From the moment Pickle came into our house, he made us laugh and gave us all a reason to smile again. He truly was a ray of sunshine in a pretty grey and miserable year.

He always knows if we’re going out without him

He’s a clever dog, and always knows if we’re going out without him. When he can sense this is about to happen, he’ll refuse to come in from the garden, stopping us from leaving! His favourite thing to do is chase after balls, so every time we walk him, we take about three with us. One is for him to chase, one’s for him to carry while he runs and the other is a spare, because he’ll inevitably lose a ball along the way.

My dog has recently helped me to raise money for the charity Dementia UK. We did a 100km walk for them in just three days, and Pickle joined us every step of the way. We’re very proud of him.

Susanne adores Playa for many reasons, but particularly for the way she looks out for Peanut the kitten

Playa was found with her siblings at the side of the road when she was just a few days old. The litter was fostered, and Playa was adopted but sadly returned after a while. I happened to meet her her at an adoption drive in a pet shop a few months later. I had only gone in to buy cat milk for our newly adopted kitten, Peanut, but I just knew as soon as I saw her that Playa was meant to be ours.

The two of them are inseparable

She immediately fit right into our busy household, along with our new kitten, Peanut, and two other cats. She loved Peanut from the moment she laid eyes on her, and to this day the two of them are inseparable and even sleep in the same bed. Peanut sees Playa as a toy and chase and bite her tail, but Playa just licks her back.

Playa loves everyone and everything. Our friend has a son who has autism, and he can be intimidated by dogs because of their unpredictable fast movements. But he has no fear of Playa, and loves sitting on the sofa and cuddling with her. Playa shows tremendous patience with all children and young dogs, and is always so gentle and calm around them.

When owner Pamela had a nasty fall, Dave the pug and Ed the Shar Pei teamed up for a simply astonishing rescue effort

On 7 July this year, I had a twist of my left ankle, fell and hit my back off a wall. I have MS and I use a stick but wasn’t doing anything stupid – just watching my two dogs play, turned around and that was it.

My son works from home and had just gone upstairs, so I knew I was in trouble as no one could have heard me. Dave my pug is trained to pick things I drop up, but I hadn’t dropped anything, so I told them to go get my son. They ran into the kitchen and stood barking but my son just kept working thinking they were playing.

It had started to rain and I knew I was in trouble as I couldn’t move and my breathing had become very shallow. In between them running in and out, I asked them to get my phone but it wasn’t on the floor so Dave was confused. I know Ed my Shar Pei loves the furry toy on my phone, so I asked him to get it.

Dear knows how long I’d have been out in the rain without my two super dogs

By now I’d been lying on the path for 20 minutes and knew I had done something bad. Ed came over and I could move my head, so I held onto him and he slowly pulled me towards the backdoor. He then lifted my phone but dropped it as he wasn’t really allowed to touch it, but then Dave grabbed it and gave it to me.

I texted “help fallen” and down my son came. He called 999, and when the medics saw me, they too knew I’d done something. They thought I’d punctured a lung, but after getting IV morphine I was somehow into the ambulance and blue lighted to hospital.

I’d broken my ankle and my back, and was in hospital for seven weeks, then got home needing carers, nurses and physios. I’m on the way to better health now, but dear knows how long I’d have been out in the rain without my two super dogs.

Amy couldn’t be without her dog Bailey, who’s stuck by her side through it all

Bailey is amazing. I have severe mental health issues and last year I underwent some treatment at a hospital. Although this meant Bailey and I had to spend a prolonged period of time apart, he came to visit me regularly. Whenever he came, he’d bounce around and brighten not only my day, but all of my fellow patients’ too.

He came to visit me all the time

When at home, Bailey and I walk for miles, which really helps improve my mental health. He always greets everyone we meet with a huge smile and a waggy tail, and they fall head over heels for him. If I’m going through a low episode, Bailey cuddles me close to let me know he’s there.

Since being out of hospital, my mobility has been limited but Bailey is still just as attentive. He’s so loving, and truly is the best friend anyone could wish for.

Ever since he came into their lives, Buddy has been Victoria’s daughter’s closest companion

Buddy belongs to my 14-year-old daughter, Abbie. For four years, from the age of three, she wanted a dog. Eventually, she chose Buddy, a two-day-old red Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and we visited every other week until he could come home with us.

Abbie has been committed to Buddy ever since. She’s been taking him training twice a week, every week, since he was old enough to go to puppy classes. She feeds him and bathes him and does everything for him. She has even researched the best food for maintaining his health.

The bond they have is wonderful to see

The bond they have is wonderful to see. When Abbie is unwell or struggling with her asthma, Buddy never leaves her side, choosing to lay next to her until she is well. As a team, they have worked together, competing in Obedience and Rally shows around the region. They’ve also competed at Crufts and won first place many times. This year, they were even chosen to be part of the Northern Team for the Interregional Rally competition at Crufts, where they won first place again.

As well as training, they love to play. Buddy loves balloons and will bounce around for hours with one. He often has Abbie in fits of giggles. When it snows, Buddy tries to help Abbie build snowmen but usually ends up digging them until they fall! He doesn’t like water and will do anything to avoid puddles, but if he sees Abbie going into the sea, he always makes sure he stays with her.

Abbie is quiet around people, but Buddy gives her the confidence to talk. He’s brought her out of her shell and together they are amazing. He really is a special dog. Best friends for life!