Lisa’s dog Harry knows exactly what he wants – and lucky for him, he always gets it!

Our dog is a two-year-old Cocker Spaniel called Harry. He loves to be pampered, and will happily sit and let you groom him for hours at a time!

Harry is the first dog we’ve had in our family. We got him after my gran died, hoping that he would be a positive presence in our lives and give us something to focus on – and that’s exactly what he’s done. He keeps my mum company while we’re all at work, and is always so fun to be around. He really has transformed our lives.

He loves to be pampered

Despite being generally very easygoing, he can get stroppy when he wants to, and enjoys barking at strangers as they pass the house. I’m pretty sure he thinks it’s his castle, and that he’s protecting us! He has lots of little quirks, like running around in circles whenever someone he loves comes to the door, or bringing us treats – usually a dog biscuit – when we’ve been away for a while.

Harry loves to sleep on my parents’ bed, and even has his own spot on the sofa. He truly is our pampered pooch, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Simba came into Deirdre and her husband’s life at one of their lowest moments, but over time he’s helped them heal

Simba came to us as a 14-week-old puppy. We’d recently lost our first cockapoo, Ellie, to hypothermia at 17 months, after she fell in a river in a freak accident while chasing a bird. We were devastated, and coming home to just an empty cage and her favourite toy was horrible.

I knew that I had to do something, so when I saw the advert for Simba, I made an enquiry. We went to see him that evening and we brought him home the very next day. Simba has helped us come to terms with our loss – he makes us laugh, he makes us cry, he exasperates us beyond measure, but he is always there for us when we are sad or upset.

Simba has helped us come to terms with our loss

Simba will never replace Ellie, who’ll always have a piece of our hearts, but he’s so loving and very much a mummy’s boy. He’s my shadow, following me everywhere and crying if I leave the room. He also steals things he shouldn’t, like underwear, socks or anything else he knows belongs to us and is out of bounds – even my mobile phone! I think I’m on phone case number six because he likes to chew them.

Simba's my life. He doesn’t have a nasty bone in his body and would defend his pack (my husband, myself and our best friend) to the ends of the earth to stop us getting hurt. He’s a very special dog, and I’m so glad that I found him at one of the worst times in my life. He’s my rock and I love him beyond words.

Tracey loves her dog Chewy for all his adorable – and hilarious – quirks

Chewy came into my life a year ago, back when I really didn’t think I had the room for another pet. At the time, we already had two elderly dogs who have sadly now departed, and if it wasn’t for Chewy, I don’t know how I would have coped.

He is adorable and such a character

I fell in love with Chewy as soon as I saw him. He is adorable and such a character that it didn’t take long before my partner was smitten too. Chewy is very stubborn (apparently this is a common trait amongst bulldogs), and he sulks if you ask him to do something he doesn’t want to do, like go out for a walk when it’s raining. He has a thing about cardboard boxes and loves to tear them to shreds. He is very greedy and will go to any lengths to claim food, even if it’s not something he actually likes!

Chewy is big and solid but still believes he is a lap dog, so loves to curl up on my knee in the evening. He really is a wonderful addition to our family, and I couldn’t have asked for a better lockdown buddy.

Denham is thrilled that Laura is at home to keep him company all day long

Denham is an English Springer Spaniel. We like to joke that he only operates at two speeds – full steam ahead and zero power!

He is such a loving dog, always there for a cuddle and forever brightening up our day. We just can’t imagine being without him. One of his favourite pastimes is pestering the local wildlife. He likes to bark at the squirrels, and every time he sees a pheasant he’s so sure that he’ll be able to catch it, even though he’s yet to succeed! It makes me so happy that nothing seems to deter him from trying and giving it his all.

We call him our little shadow

Denham loves to spend time with us, which is why we call him our little shadow. He’s really enjoying the fact that I’m working at home now, and always snuggles up to me to keep my feet warm. He also likes to sit on the kitchen window ledge, where he’ll stretch out and keep an eye on the world outside.

Louise’s dog Sherman may be a giant, but his gentle nature means he’s adored by everyone in the community

We’ve had Sherman since he was a puppy, though back then I didn’t realise quite how big he would grow, both in size and personality. Sherman is an amazing dog, not only to us at home but also within our local community.

Sherman loves nothing more than attending school drop off and pick up, and if he doesn’t come, the children all ask for him. He is adored by all and constantly showered with cards, presents and more importantly, cuddles. There have been many occasions when parents have struggled to get their children to go school, but Sherman is happy to walk beside them, and that seems to be all the encouragement they need.

He is adored by all

Often, Sherman doesn’t want to leave the children, which can be quite embarrassing for me – it’s very tricky moving 12 stones of fluff! There are not enough words to describe the positive influence Sherman has had on us all. As well as looking after children, he also helps all the new puppies to become a part of our community by volunteering as a support dog, and even helps dogs who have been rescued and need socialising.

Misha’s playful dog, Koda, makes the world a brighter place with his funny antics

I got my dog from a shelter in Macedonia. He was funny and quirky from the first day I met him, which is what drew me towards him. Koda is like a human – he sighs and gives the perfect side-eye stare when he’s annoyed.He also constantly wants to play and is obsessed with belly rubs. He’ll try and get one from every person he sees, even if they’re a total stranger.

He’s a large dog but a complete baby

Koda adores cats but sadly for him, the affection isn’t usually reciprocated. He’s a large dog but a complete baby, with a phobia of tiny pups! He’s so loving, funny and inquisitive, and I can’t imagine my life without him.