When Paula bought a miniature schnauzer for her daughter, she never expected to find out that ‘he’ was in fact a female dog – now known as Sadie

My daughter, Eve, had been on a campaign to get a dog since she was two years old. Every birthday or Christmas when we asked what she would like for a present, she always replied ‘a dog’.

At age 13, she said if we didn’t get one before she was 14 we could forget it as she’d get one when she left home. This made us realise that we had no good reason not to get one. So, for Christmas that year, we bought Eve a lead and dog bowl to show our commitment, and the day after Boxing Day we had a little mini schnauzer called Freddie.

She has us all wrapped around her little paw

After a few days, the breeder rang us to ask if we’d been to the vet (we had, and the vet said he hadn’t ‘dropped’ yet) and then asked for the puppy back as ‘he’ was a girl who someone wanted to breed from! Of course, now we were completely besotted with her so couldn’t part with her.

Sadie is small but mighty and makes her gentle presence felt – she has us all wrapped around her little paw. She makes us laugh, melts our hearts every day and has been the best thing we’ve ever done as a family.

Whether they’re supporting each other through tough times or cuddling up on the sofa after a long day, Tilly and her owner Sam share a very special connection

Tilly is my best friend. She was my companion through both my marriage breakup and my son’s terrible time with his mental health.

We have complete trust between us. She caught her leg on a trampoline spring when she was two, and once we managed to release her, I held her until I handed her over to the vet.

We have complete trust between us

She lies next to me on the sofa of an evening, and she always likes to be touching me and giving me 'the look of love’, as I call it. She knows exactly what I’m saying and is a very quiet, thoughtful and intelligent friend. She loves cheese and slices of ham, and she’s very spoilt. She knows she’s my princess!

We got her a new Whippet puppy friend called Sapphire (as she’s blue) this year, and Tilly has been very patient teaching her the ropes. She’s 13 now and getting visibly older, and I dread the day she will leave us.

Maria is in awe of how much Silkie has helped her son Hayden come out of his shell

Our dog is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Silkie. We’ve had him since he was just 12 weeks old and he is now around 18 months. He is a dog that loves cuddles, playing, and just making the most of all life has to offer.

He’s made such a huge difference to our family, but particularly to my 17-year-old son Hayden, who has autism and multiple other needs. Prior to Silkie, Hayden was very withdrawn and almost didn't speak. He hadn’t left the house for months, not even to go into the garden. As his parents, we were at our wits end and so sad at the limited life he was leading.

From the moment we brought Silkie home, he and Hayden bonded. It was as if Silkie knew he needed a friend. Initially, cuddles and playing indoors were the order of the day. On a couple of occasions, Silkie would pick up his toy and go out of our back door to the garden, wagging his tail and prancing as if to say to Hayden 'Come out and play!'. At first, Hayden would just call Silkie back in, but eventually he went outside, moving further down the garden as he became more confident. Silkie encouraged him further, coaxing him out for longer and waiting patiently for him to follow, almost as if he knew he was scared.

Silkie knew Hayden needed a friend

Before we knew it, Hayden was running up and down the garden and confident enough to go out there on his own. Because he wanted to do his best for Silkie, Hayden even progressed to coming out with us on dog walks. Initially, this was just locally, but soon he began to take Silkie to more interesting places, like the vets. Thanks to Silkie, he’s no longer afraid of people, and will happily stop and chat to them about dogs. Sometimes, he even ventures into shops, which he would never even think of doing before.

Silkie has brought our family so much joy. He’s not only offered us all loyalty and companionship, but he’s transformed Hayden’s world. For the first time in a long while he is happy, and the confidence he’s gained has allowed him to grow in all areas in his life. He’s re-entered education (which he had missed for around 18 months), goes on outings and has his own friends. None of this would have happened without Silkie.

After Sam sadly lost his previous owner, Nicola made the decision to take him in and give him the best life possible

I met Sam the Sheltie when I was in care. His owner, a lady called Olive, had a terminal brain tumour. Sam was 12 then and Olive decided that she would give Sam to Dogs Trust for rehoming. When I heard this story, it broke my heart.

I promised I would give him the best life

Let me tell you a bit about the relationship between Olive and Sam. Olive never had children and always had dogs as her babies. Sam wouldn’t leave Olive’s side when she was ill. He knew something was wrong and he would always be at her feet. When Olive was unable to stand anymore and was confined to a bed, he would lay at the bottom of the bed with one paw touching her.

I just couldn’t bear Sam losing his mum, his everything, and then being locked in a cage, confused and scared. So, I made the decision to take Sam in and promised I would give him the best life. Here we are five years later, still loving a walk, and the other dogs always show us so much love.

Whether she’s out in the garden or snuggling up on the sofa, Karen can always rely on her dog Charlie for company

Charlie helps me to keep a work life balance and to stay healthy. I work as a nurse and no matter how exhausted I am, he gives me a reason to get up and make the most of each day

Charlie has encouraged me to get outdoors

Over lockdown, Charlie has encouraged me to get outdoors and to start growing my own vegetables. He loves it, as he gets fed fresh peas, peppers, and other scrumptious home grown produce as a treat when we are gardening. He also gives the best cuddles in the evening when we’re tired from a day of fresh air. Charlie is my best friend and I couldn’t be without him.

Bailey has a secret talent that keeps Niki on her toes!

As a puppy, Bailey taught himself how to open doors. Everywhere he went, be it the groomers, doggie day care or the vet, we had to remind them to lock the doors so he couldn’t escape. On one occasion, he had to go to the vets for an X-ray and, as they didn’t have a crate big enough for him, he was put in a consulting room to recover from the sedative. When he felt well enough to realise he had been left alone, he attempted to open the door and let himself out, but inadvertently caught the snib lock with this paw and locked himself in. The vet had to call the locksmith to come and release him!

Locked himself in