Emma’s dog Vincent is a caring companion to all creatures great and small!

Vincent is a Kelpie Hunteraway cross. He’s extremely loving and is always happy to meet new people, even if he does put them off with his barking! He enjoys singing too, and will happily howl along to any tune he hears on TV. He may not be the most talented, but he certainly makes up for it with his determination and the joy he brings us all.

He has many jobs around the house, his latest of which is to keep an eye on our pet rabbits. Vincent reminds us to let them out first thing in the morning, and won’t stop pestering us until we do. You can often find him keeping a watchful eye over them throughout the day.

He happily goes off to fetch any strays

Another of his responsibilities is to round up the chickens and put them to bed in the evening, and he takes this very seriously. He happily goes off to fetch any strays, and sometimes even brings his feathered friends into the house to say hello!

His main job is just to be himself and be a part of our family. He’s been there with us through some difficult times over the past couple of years, and is always there for a hug and a stroke, which will never fail to put a smile back on your face.

After many years of working as a sheep dog for Lauren’s family, Toby is enjoying a well-earned retirement

Toby is a working sheep dog! He’s been the best dog we’ve had on our farm – no job was ever too big or too small for him. He has been my companion and best friend since I was two.

He has been my companion and best friend since I was two

Toby only retired from rounding up sheep and farm work around two years ago so has had a very long working life. He’s still going strong and now enjoys a more relaxed lifestyle just pottering around the farmyard. He’s a caring, gentle boy, and a big softy at heart. Plus, he knows how to pull at the heart strings to get his own way!

Iggy’s love of fun and games makes every day a joy for Thomas’s family

Iggy is a Beagle cross who loves other dogs but can be a little shy with new people. She’s a typical beagle, mischievous and noisy – if you talk to Iggy she talks back. Her favourite pastimes are sniffing, digging, zoomies, playing ball, smothering her cat brother with kisses and stealing anything that will fit in her mouth and running away as fast as she can.

Iggy adores her family and squeals with joy whenever any of us come home, even if we’ve only been gone for five minutes. She can’t just wag her tail, she wags with her whole body. Iggy is very goofy, playful and always on the go, but she also appreciates a good nap with her blanket. It’s amazing how she can go from flat out galloping to fast asleep in the blink of an eye.

Iggy is the baby of our family and her big doughy puppy dog eyes and huge floppy ears make it impossible to be annoyed with her even when she’s being cheeky. To us Iggy is perfect and we love her very much flaws and all.

She can’t just wag her tail, she wags with her whole body

Whatever the season, Fizz is always there to help Alice when she’s working on the farm

My Jack Russell, Fizz, is my workmate and best friend. Whether we are lambing sheep from January until April or sat on the tractor all summer and autumn, she’s always there. To be fair, she has an easy life on the tractor, just sleeping and watching the wildlife (that she would love to chase).

She is worth a million dollars to me

But when it comes to the sheep, she’ll help drive them round when we move them, and you can often find her in the lambing shed looking after any bottle or poorly lambs. She nurses them with gentle licks, encouraging them to survive – or sometimes she’s just cleaning milk off their faces.

At the end of a busy day or after chilling with family or friends, she can be found in the pub with me and often many more dogs too. She is worth a million dollars to me, and it would take a lot to replace her.

Eddie joined Sam’s family as a companion for her other dog Alfie, and since then he’s made everyone’s lives better!

When we got Eddie, we already had one dog under the age of two called Alfie. Alfie has always been full of energy. He loves playing with other dogs in the park, particularly when he’s being chased, so he can show off his speed! We knew Alfie would love a dog companion, so we brought Eddie home.

From day one, they became best friends

From day one, they became best friends, doing everything together! They spend most of the day playing with the same toys and chasing each other around the park, garden or house, and then evenings are spent cuddling up and sleeping together.

Eddie adores his older brother, following him around everywhere and copying everything he does. Because of this, he’s learnt everything so quickly! Eddie is also one of the cuddliest puppies I’ve ever known – he loves being around people and his favourite thing is to snuggle in the evenings on the sofa. Eddie has brought both us and Alfie nothing but joy!

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.