Now that they’re dog owners, Laura and her partner are always exploring the Scottish countryside with Rolo in tow

Rolo came into our lives about 16 months ago. We had wanted a dog for a while, but the time was never right, with my partner working in home care and me working for the NHS. Lockdown changed all that. It made us realise that it’s the smaller things in life that matter most, so along came Rolo.

Since getting Rolo, our lives have changed drastically for the better. We really can’t remember life without him. The weekends before he came along were filled with the same old things – going to cinema, staying home with a takeaway, or going to a friend’s for drinks. Now on the weekends, we look forward to exploring this fantastic country we live in. We’ve seen more of Scotland in the short time we’ve had him than in all the years we’ve been living here.

Since getting Rolo, our lives have changed drastically for the better

We love nothing more than getting up on a Saturday morning, going for a lovely drive and hiking round the lochs or up the hills. On the road home, we’ll stop at a wee dog-friendly pub for a bit to eat. We have made many friends because of Rolo, and he has his own circle of canine friends.

Rolo is a German Shepherd, so not the smallest dog ever. He absolutely loves life and is an absolute character. He’s one and a half now, and full of cheek at times, but we wouldn’t change him for the world. He does like to answer back now and again when he does naughty things, but he is a teenager after all!

The best part is the greeting you get when you come home from a hard day’s work. The joy and excitement in his eyes say it all. It really is unconditional love. Life before Rolo was okay and we were happy, but life with him is much more amazing. He’s had such a positive influence that I know both of us will be eternally grateful for.

When their belongings unexpectedly disappear, Lucy and her family have come to realise that Scrabble is usually the culprit

We got Scrabble at the start of June this year, and since then, she has become this whirlwind of affection, fun and mischief in our lives. She loves stealing the laundry as you hang it on the line. We only know something has gone because suddenly she streaks past you and disappears – we call it being Scrabbled!

One time, we tried to put up guttering in our new shed, and at the key moment we found the connectors had been Scrabbled. Other times, we might go to put on walking boots, and one of them has been Scrabbled. Where do they go? Quite often in the wild part of our garden at the back, or if we are lucky, just in the dog bed!

She has become this whirlwind of affection, fun and mischief in our lives

Scrabble won’t let you not love her. She literally bounds into your arms and licks your nose if you are not cuddling her or playing. And then, just as suddenly, she is curled up asleep.

Tonight, I walked her and my other dog, Corry, down the lane from my house at dusk. Her delight and curiosity towards the deer, owls and squirrels was so heart-warming. She always loves sniffing and sometimes eating flowers, and she’ll come up for a quick stroke if she’s unsure where we’re going. I could never be alone or lonely with that little girl!

Alfie likes to keep his owner Jemima on her toes!

Alfie is a cheeky chappy who is only 12 weeks old. He adds so much value to my life. I’m a nurse, and after a tough day of treating Covid patients, he never fails to greet me at the door with a tail wag.

He adds so much value to my life

On my days off, I take Alfie on outings. Our most recent one was to a pet shop, where he walked out with a toy in his mouth. Luckily, I quickly realised and paid for it!

His love of water must be because he’s a cockapoo. He splashes his paws in his water bowl, digging to get to the bottom, and has recently taken his water obsession even further by climbing into the shower with me!

With Spirit by her side, Joleen can live life to the full and make the most of every day

Spirit came to me as a rescue dog. She was very troubled with behavioural issues, but that hasn’t stopped her from massively improving my life for the better.

I have suffered with depression, anxiety and panic attacks, but training and rehabilitating Spirit has given me something to focus on. It’s forced me to get up every morning on days when I’ve wanted to stay in bed and hide from the world. Together, we have built up a successful dog walking business and now I’ve gained qualifications, I can even help other people with their dogs.

Rehabilitating Spirit has given me something to focus on

As Spirit is getting older and her mobility is failing, we are now doing Mantrailing, which involves training dogs to find missing people. She’s shown me such love and devotion over the years,and I’d be lost without her.

Jenny loves Clyde for many reasons, especially the way he takes care of her mum

Clyde is 12 years old, but he’s been part of our family ever since he was a little ball of fur. My dad passed away nearly 2 years ago now, and Clyde has been the most loyal and loving companion for my mum. I don’t know what she’d do without him.

He loves the rain, playing with his favourite ball and eating yummy snacks. He has arthritis in his legs and so he falls down sometimes, but while his body may be getting old, he still has the mind of a puppy. He’s constantly wagging his tail and ready to play, he’s such a happy boy.

He’s such a happy boy

Clyde enjoys nothing more than stealing your spot on the sofa as soon as you get up. If you leave even for a second, he’ll be lying there waiting for you when you come back. He’s also not keen on getting his photo taken, though he’s really photogenic, and we all utterly adore him. I think he still has the same puppy dog eyes we fell in love with all those years ago.

Fern’s life as a racing dog was far from easy, so now Karen is making sure she gets the love she’s always deserved

Fern has been with us a few weeks now. She’s an affectionate girl, learning to play, eat nicely, and come to terms with her young, bouncy four-legged brother. She loves a snuggle, she walks like an angel, and she’s always kind to both people and other dogs. She’s also always up for a fuss!

Fate brought Fern into our lives, and she will stay in them for the rest of hers

Before she came to us, she’d had a life in a cage, having to race and being hurt if she didn’t want to. Eventually she was too damaged by racing, so she was deemed useless and moved from Ireland to England. She was put into rescue kennels, then went to a home for a short while, but ended up back at the rescue, through no fault of her own.

Fate brought Fern into our lives, and she will stay in them for the rest of hers. She doesn’t know that yet, of course. She doesn’t know we love her and her gentle ways already. I love her tattooed ears, and the way her burn marks and scars have grown back as white fur on her grey coat. I love her weird jerky attempts at playing, and how she waits patiently for her meals. She will have the life she deserves now, and we will have less room on the sofa!