Malgorzata’s dog Nala may be small, but she’ll win over your whole heart

Nala is a Pomeranian and Bischon Cross. She may be an adult now, but she still acts like a young puppy – she always has boundless energy and is super positive no matter what life throws at her. We walk her every day because she likes to be active, and usually we cover around 30 miles!

Nala has made my heart full

Having Nala has made my heart full. Not only does she keep me active, but I’m sure that her companionship has helped to improve my mental wellbeing. Looking after her does mean my days are very busy, but I wouldn’t change that for the world. It’s an honour to be her owner, and I’ll do anything I can to keep her healthy and happy, just as she does for me.

Harry the Cocker Spaniel fills Diane’s days with love and happiness

I used to be my mum’s carer, and after she passed away, I found myself totally lost. Not long after, we adopted Harry from Dogs Trust, and I found my purpose again.

Harry fills my days with fun and laughter

Harry fills my days with fun and laughter. He’s a Cocker Spaniel who is so loving and gentle. Even if I’ve just gone to put the bins out, he greets me as if I’ve beenaway for weeks when I return. He loves being tickled, and stays close by your side if you’re ill or feeling down. He is the loyal companion that I couldn’t be without, and it’s a pleasure waking up to his smiling face every day.

With plenty of medals and accolades to her name, Misty has shown Courtney that she’s not just a one-trick pony.

I know it sounds so cliché but my dog Misty really is one in a million. She is so smart and intelligent. Sometimes I think she’s human! I have two young children at home and needed to find something to mentally and physically challenge her, so we took up trick training.

We had no previous experience but by the time she was 11 months old, she’d already achieved her novice, intermediate, advanced and expert trick dog titles. She knows more tricks than I can count! She’s also got her silver good citizen award and is working towards her gold.

Misty stares straight into your soul

She’s such a brilliant family dog. She always knows when I’m down and will nuzzle her face into me to cheer me up. My children were arguing the other day over a toy and she jumped on the sofa, picked up the toy and brought it to me.

I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She brings everyone so much happiness. I know dogs don’t like direct eye contact but Misty stares straight into your soul! She has such mesmerising eyes.

Dawn knew that Scooby would be a positive influence, but she could never have imagined just how much he’d help her

A few years ago, I lost one of my two dogs to a brain lesion. My other 16 year-old-dog, Tia, developed severe separation anxiety, and I was told that getting another dog to keep her company could help. I visited a rescue and was shown some pups that had come over from Romania. One of them stole my heart – he was called Aris, but I changed his name to Scooby, which suits him better.

Scooby was terrified when I first brought him home. He knew nothing and had never been in a house, so he was scared of everything, especially the television. It took weeks of sitting outside on the front doorstep with him before he would venture outside. Improving his confidence was a long process, but with lots of love and patience he blossomed into the amazing dog he is today.

He blossomed into the amazing dog he is today

As I expected, introducing a pup to a 16-year-old dog wasn't easy. Scooby would grab hold of Tia's legs and drag her around (in a playful way), but because Tia wouldn't tell him off, he didn't know he was doing anything wrong. Sadly, just seven months after bringing Scooby home, we had to put Tia down. I was distraught, but Scooby was my saviour. He needed me just as much as I needed him, and he gave me a reason to get up every day. Taking him for walks got me out of the house and talking to people, but more than anything, I’m grateful for what a calming and positive influence he was in that dark time.

He didn't ever pester or whine – he was my rock and always stayed by my side. Now Scooby has a little sister (another rescue dog I adopted two months ago), and they get on so well you’d think they had always lived together.

Charlotte had always been scared of dogs, but Mei helped her to overcome her fears

When my parents first came home with a hyperactive Springer Spaniel puppy in their arms, I was sceptical to say the least. I have struggled with a phobia of dogs since I was a child, crossing the road whenever I came within barking distance of a dog, no matter how small they were. So, the day they adopted Mei I sat alone by the backdoor, watching my family interact with this tiny, floppy-eared being rolling in the grass and scampering under the garden furniture.

I stopped flinching at every bark

Eventually, my mother dragged me out into the garden and sat me on a deck chair, in the centre of all the action. Mei immediately bounded over to me, sniffing and biting my shoelaces. It was the closest I had been to a dog my whole life. She must have liked the smell of my shoes because she soon fell asleep on them. While she slept, I felt brave enough to strokeher fur.

Over the coming months, I stopped flinching at every bark, and I even played with her and taught her a few tricks. Now, when I come across a dog in the street or park I react with interest and joy, rather than the fear and anxiety I had always lived with.

When Bonnie was injured, Marnie-Jaine couldn’t stop worrying about her wellbeing – but Eevee soon bounded into their lives and made everything better.

Eevee is a Springer Spaniel who came into our lives last year. She filled a hole we didn't even know we had with her adorable ways, which include falling asleep with a tennis ball in her mouth. She even helps me with my anxiety attacks.

Eevee loves Bonnie

One day, before we got Eevee, we were outside with our other dog Bonnie, a (then) eight-year-old Rough Coated Collie. She was over the field chasing her ball and running around, when all of a sudden fell to the ground. After taking her to the vets, we found out she’d ruptured her tendon and there wasn’t much the vet could do. We were told she would be able to walk again, but that she’d have a limp. During this time, Bonnie was clearly in pain and began to withdraw from us, spending all her time alone.

When we got Eevee a few months later, Bonnie was still struggling and hardly putting any weight onto her leg. Eevee loves Bonnie, and so kept making her play with her regardless of her protests – tug of war, rough and tumble, you name it, they played all day long. This meant Bonnie started strengthening her leg, and within a few months she was walking around again without a limp. Best of all, she had returned to her happy, outgoing self.