Ozzy comes wherever I go! I am a dog walker and the reason I gave up my office job was to spend more time with Ozzy. We love our job. Ozzy is the foundation of our business as all new dogs have to meet him to determine their behaviour.
I 100% trust Ozzy to welcome every dog he meets. All the dogs we walk know him – the young ones cling to him, the boisterous ones stay away from and the older ones hang out with him.
Ozzy has been through so many failed relationships and house moves with me. He has been my rock. He knows when to comfort me and when to cheer me up. He will cuddle up to anyone in need.
He's my best friend, work colleague and a huge part of our family
He sat with my dad while he was poorly and comforted my mum when she was sad. All without any prompt. He is a fabulous judge of character. With children, he is so gentle. He knows if they are worried and will stay close but allow them to build their confidence.
One of Ozzy’s party tricks is that he moonwalks out of rooms as he’s not a fan of slippery floors. We’re still unsure why walking backwards works?! Also, he can be found drinking like a horse on a hot day, submerging his whole face in the water bowl – something he learnt from his brother (my horse)!
He's my best friend, work colleague and a huge part of our family. He really is the best dog ever.
As a pup, Norman was a bit of an escapologist. He managed to escape out of the house and run off round the corner. He got into a garden and went in through an open back door. He was discovered by the homeowner when he heard a noise, turned around and found Norman sitting watching tv with him and his family!
Norman was a bit of an escapologist
Another time, he managed to squeeze under our garden fence and make his way into our neighbour’s house… where he was eventually found in her upstairs bedroom.
Finley is as sweet as a dog could get. We have had such an amazing bond since the day he was born. He is so loyal, cheeky and playful – I really don’t know what I would do without him.
I live at home with my family and we have always had a strict ‘no dogs upstairs’ rule in place, but recently that has become a little lax. Finley loves nothing more than being upstairs and sleeping on the end of my bed. Though I have to say, the 6am wake up calls from him laying on my chest and wagging his tail so hard he could almost take off aren’t always appreciated!
He was taking underwear out of my washing basket and stashing it underneath the sofa
I work alternating day and night shifts, so whenever I’m not there Finley would look around my room for me and have a general sniff around. Or at least that’s what I thought he was doing.
It turns out every time I wasn’t there, Finley was taking a set of underwear out of my washing basket and stashing it underneath the sofa. One night I came home earlier than expected, and when I walked upstairs there was Finley with the guiltiest look on his face and a pair of knickers in his mouth.
I asked for them back and he just RAN. At 3am, this is the last thing I wanted to do, but there I was chasing Finley round the house whilst trying to be as quiet as possible. He was in his element. And it’s safe to say, I now put the lid on my washing basket!
For my whole life, I wanted a dog but, despite my protests, my parents never gave in. When I went to visit Daisy, the first thing she did was climb onto me and steal my keys. The breeder and I spent ages trying to get them off her but, being the cheeky madam she is, she was not giving in! In that moment I knew the little monster was mine.
I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t fallen for her charm
Daisy is the most loving dog, although she does have an independent streak. She absolutely loves other people – I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t fallen for her charm. When I worked in a girl’s boarding house with children from across the world, she was a lot better at soothing them when they were sad than I was.
Daisy has no dramatic story. She doesn’t know many tricks and she isn’t the most obedient (unless very good treats are on offer!) but I love her to pieces and can’t imagine life without her.
Paddy arrived at the rescue centre where I volunteered in November 2009. He was so terrified that he was put straight into a quiet area, where I sat with him. I took him home as a foster dog, and before long, he had become a permanent member of my family.
We had to Paddy-proof the house
He is quite a character. He counter-surfed until we trained him not to, still raids the bin if he gets chance, he can open doors and also jumps very high. We had to Paddy-proof the house to make sure he was safe!
My dog has helped me through some really tough times over the years. He’s so loving once you earn his trust, and he adores children. Paddy is best friends with our cats and likes to help other timid animals to come out of their shell. He also works to raise awareness about Lurchers and show what fabulous pets they can be with the right care and attention.
My Binah is a Cockapoo, a curly cuddle pup. She’s clever and quirky, and she loves meeting everyone and rambling everywhere. I have primary biliary cholangitis and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, so I ride a wheelchair and spend lots of time just resting. Binah always makes me smile.
We adore her, and she adores us
When we go out, she’s often the reason people want to speak with us. And when we’re at home, she brings her well-chewed toys to me to play fetch, catch and tug-of-war.
She seldom barks, though she occasionally gives a little squeak or baby ghost howl. She has the most beautiful eyes and big golden curls like Shirley Temple. She’s all love. We adore her, and she adores us.