Jasmine loves her dog Rocky for all his quirks, even if he does insist on taking her for long walks!

Rocky is our fourth rescue dog. He is extremely mild-mannered and is friendly to every person and other dog he meets. He’s also very particular, and likes to go on a walk with each member of our family individually – which in fairness, has been a blessing in disguise during these lockdown months.

We live right beside a park – which he loves – but he has a mind of his own when it comes to which route we take to get there. Some days, he’ll go straight to the park and on others, he’ll lead us on a wild goose chase before we eventually get there.

Likes to go on walks with each of us individually

He loves to lie on the floor and have one of us lie down beside him and stroke him gently. He’s also very smart, and always knows what time of day it is – we think it’s so he can remind us that it’s time for his next walk!

With Rocky around, you’ll never be bored or miserable. He’s really made our house a home.

Sarah quit her office job to spend more time with Ozzy, and now he plays an integral role in her dog-walking business

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.

Zoe’s adorable furry friend Harvey is such a happy-go-lucky lad that even losing his tail didn’t stop him

Harvey came into the family as a brother to Diesel (they both have same parents) and as a wedding present. He soon found his place in the home. The ability to fit under the sofa and charge out at your slippers if he had chance kept us on our toes!

A real Jack the lad character

Unfortunately, he was so happy when we came home that the hallway began looking like a crime scene as his wagging tail split, so it was amputated for his welfare. Nowadays it’s all about playing hide and seek, a routine we have to do when we get up and before bed. He will wait patiently before pouncing round and trying to sniff the toy out when hidden. A real Jack the lad character and whirlwind member of our family.

When she first moved in, Mary Jane ripped the house to pieces, but Natalie refused to give up on her

I fostered Mary Jane in January 2016. It was just supposed to be temporary until her owner could have her back, but it turned out he never wanted her back. So, I decided to keep her because I just knew she was special.

In the first few months, she absolutely destroyed my house. She chewed holes in my walls, chewed up and ate a few of my little boy’s toys. She ripped up my flooring and she was forever taking herself for walks by jumping over my six-foot gate.

My house wouldn’t be a home without her

Everybody told me to get rid of her because she’d never learn and she was ‘naughty’, but I believed in her and I’m so glad I did. We’re now in 2022 and she’s the most loyal and loving dog. She loves to curl up on her bed and tuck herself under her blankets with just her nose poking out.

She can be left alone without chewing a single thing. Sometimes she will still clear my six-foot gate but let’s just put that down to checking her legs and muscles are still working properly.

She’s pure white so one of her other favourite things to do is run as fast as she can and slide along the mud on her walks – the dirtier the better! My children absolutely adore her, and she adores them. My house wouldn’t be a home without her.

Harley has helped Rachel enormously with her mental health struggles, but he has also caused plenty of mischief with his escape tactics

Harley is a Giant Schnauzer crossed with a German Shorthaired Pointer. My husband got him when we found out I was pregnant with my third child, as I already had a six-month-old baby and I was suffering from both pre-natal and post-natal depression. Harley was my distraction and my positive ten minutes of training a day.

Our walks always get me out of the house. And on the days I don’t want to go out, he’s with me in the house with the babies! He keeps me grounded and gives me a break when I take him walking. We’ve even started mountain climbing as a family with Harley and the children.

He can flip his cage and squeeze out of the bottom!

He’s also a Houdini! I’ve never known a dog like him. I padlock his cage in two places overnight because he’s obsessed with licking the butter dish, and he can flip his cage and squeeze out of the bottom!

He’s obsessed with food, especially burgers and sausages, and he’s amazing with the children. My one-year-old will pass him DVDs off our stand one by one, and he brings them to me in his mouth and then goes back for more to play with her! He’s changed our lives so much.

Nymeria has been through a lot, but Tabitha is in constant awe of how she takes everything in her stride

I’ve had Nym since she was just a puppy, and since then she has remained closely by my side. When she was younger, I taught her lots of tricks such as rolling, walking on her hind legs and pirouetting. She has got me through many tough times with her calm demeanour and cosy cuddles.

She very quickly grasped how to live with her blindness

In early 2020, Nym went suddenly and completely blind. She started running into things and became much more nervous. Fortunately, she’s a sweet and trusting dog, so she very quickly grasped how to live with her blindness, learning new words such as ‘careful’ and ‘step’. Now she’s used to navigating using her sense of smell and hearing and has even memorised the layout of the house as well as our regular walking routes, so she can get around with confidence.

I love my dog just as much now as the day I got her. I wouldn't change her for the world.