With a bit of time and trust, Woody gradually helped Rachael’s daughter overcome her debilitating fear of dogs

My daughter Adelaide, who’s now 12, has had a fear of dogs for as long as I can remember. She would cross the road if a dog came her way and she started to isolate herself from her peers. Her best friends all had dogs, meaning she missed out on play dates and parties due to her fear.

Woody taught her that dogs are kind and can become your best friend

The final straw was when she ran into the road to avoid a dog in her path. As parents, we were desperate to help her and sought support from our GP. Adelaide was referred to a local mental health specialist and received 1:1 support. Later we also tried hypnotherapy in desperation. Nothing worked, until Woody.

We bit the bullet and made the decision to get a puppy, hoping he may be the answer to our prayers. We were right! It took time and trust, but they are now the best of friends, and her phobia is a thing of the past. Woody taught her that dogs are kind and can become your best friend. Now they’re Adelaide and Woody – best friends in the world!

Lisa’s dog Harry knows exactly what he wants – and lucky for him, he always gets it!

Our dog is a two-year-old Cocker Spaniel called Harry. He loves to be pampered, and will happily sit and let you groom him for hours at a time!

Harry is the first dog we’ve had in our family. We got him after my gran died, hoping that he would be a positive presence in our lives and give us something to focus on – and that’s exactly what he’s done. He keeps my mum company while we’re all at work, and is always so fun to be around. He really has transformed our lives.

He loves to be pampered

Despite being generally very easygoing, he can get stroppy when he wants to, and enjoys barking at strangers as they pass the house. I’m pretty sure he thinks it’s his castle, and that he’s protecting us! He has lots of little quirks, like running around in circles whenever someone he loves comes to the door, or bringing us treats – usually a dog biscuit – when we’ve been away for a while.

Harry loves to sleep on my parents’ bed, and even has his own spot on the sofa. He truly is our pampered pooch, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Though Jennie Jane was born without sight and abandoned as a puppy, Helen has strived to give her the best life possible since she rescued her

Jennie Jane is a rescue dog from Romania. She was found in a plastic bag in an orchard, along with her two brothers. They think she was about four weeks old when she was found.

She enjoys life as much as any dog that can see

On my first night with Jennie Jane, she lay next to me on my bed and put her paw around my arm. I knew then that she was a very special little dog, and I fell head over heels for her.

Jennie Jane is completely blind and was most probably born with no eyes. She amazes me every day. She’s so smart and enjoys life as much as any dog that can see. I hope you can see how special she is, too.

Ellie adores Enzo for all of his quirks and his hilarious personality

Enzo is a very chilled dog. Every time he sits down, he likes to cross his paws, which I think makes him look very posh! And, instead of blinking normally, he winks at us instead. He just sits there with his paws crossed, winking at us – it’s hilarious! He also loves his bow tie, which we bought because we felt like it suited his funny personality.

He also loves his bow tie

Life hasn’t always been kind to Natasha, but Bruiser’s always there to comfort her when she’s having a hard time

We got Bruiser from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in Windsor when he was just 13 weeks old. No one was quite sure what this little puppy had been through, but it must have been traumatic, as he was very timid. We knew as soon as we met him that he’d be coming home with us.

Bruiser is a very quirky dog as we don’t actually know what his breed is. We believe he’s a Lurcher cross, but we’re not sure what he’s crossed with! He has the long legs of a Lurcher, the ears of a Deerhound, the markings and colourings of a Jack Russell, and the stocky build of maybe a Staffy. He also runs as fast as a Whippet and has the temperament of a Labrador or Retriever.

He’s an oddball, just like our family!

He's definitely very unique, which we find quite amusing to be honest. He’s an oddball, just like our family! Bruiser has such a huge positive impact on all of us – he makes us laugh, gets us out for walks in the fresh air and takes us on adventures in new places.

Bruiser has also had a really positive impact on me, personally. I’ve always struggled with my mental health, throughout childhood and into adulthood. Bruiser has helped to calm me down when I am upset or stressed, and he always gives me something to live for and look forward to. There’s nothing better than his cuddles and his love.

Six years ago, I was diagnosed with a very rare illness and, although some people don’t believe it, I really feel that Bruiser can sense when I’m going to be unwell. He becomes very protective over the house and doesn’t leave my side until I feel better. He’s not a service dog so he can’t fetch medicines, but just having him with me makes me feel so much better.

Life isn’t easy for Otto or owner Sarah, but together they take on the world every single day

We got Otto when I was waiting for an operation on my eye. He gave me a reason to get up every morning. He was 10 weeks old and needed an urgent new home due to flooding and so we went and got him.

He is the best friend I could ask for

He is the best friend I could ask for. He hasn’t had the best start in life – bad breeding meant he was underweight, and we found out a few months ago that he has severe hip dysplasia and needed both his hips replacing. He had his first operation in August at 11 months old and next week will be going for his other hip replacement surgery.

Despite all of that he has been as good as gold and kept me going. I’m at high risk of Covid so have had to stay home since March and again he made it all bearable. He’s just lovely and after saving for his operations I would love to give him a treat.