5 ways our dogs make our lives better

To celebrate all the joy our four-legged friends bring, we asked MadeForMums readers to tell us how their Great British Dogs have enriched their family lives. Here’s what they had to say…

They get us out and about

“Our lovely boy Reggie is the most loving of dogs”, says tracezeus. “We rescued him 18 months ago when he was 6 months old, and he'd been kept crated and never walked. As a Labrador Pointer cross, he needs long walks so it's now his absolute favourite thing to do. And it’s enriched our family life, as we walk over 2 hours a day and we’re all fitter and healthier than we've been in a long while.”

Lydia Gough writes: “Our beautiful boy Fred has completely transformed our lives. We all love him so much, and he makes our family days out even better because we get lots of fresh air and explore some fantastic places. Wherever we go, Fred is up for the adventure, and he loves nothing more than a snooze in the car on the way home.”

They teach our kids valuable lessons

Gsplass says: “We have a 15 year old Terrier mix called Odie, a Great Dane called Inca who’s nearly 3 and a 7 month old chihuahua called Pepe. The whole family looks after them, and it’s great for the kids to learn some responsibility by helping with the feeding and general care. Plus, we’ll often find the dogs snuggled up with the kids, giving them a bit of extra love and cuddles, which is amazing.”

“Having Sasha has really helped my eldest son to be more responsible”, writes SistineChapelle. “He really wanted a dog for a long time and seeing how he’s embraced feeding her, walking her and looking after her has been lovely. She’s improved all of our lives, but she’s definitely had the biggest impact on his.”

They help us find our purpose

“I found my Bambi whilst living in Romania in the summer of 2019”, explains elisabeta. “She couldn’t walk, she was full of ticks and fleas and was generally very poorly. She opened my eyes to the suffering of animals and made me realise what being human is all about. So, I spent the rest of my time in Romania rescuing and rehoming other strays. Even now I’m back, I still try to help when I can. Bambi really made me think that if such a small pooch can have a heart of gold, why shouldn’t humans have them too?”

They bring our families together

“We have a gorgeous rescue Yorkie called Beck”, says violetphillippo. “It's been a challenging year for all of us, helping him settle into our family. But he's brought us together as we’ve often had to put our differences aside and do our best for him, as we love him to bits! We've also all shared some unexpectedly hilarious moments, like running a bubble bath in the middle of the night after he came in from the garden covered in fox poo!”

Lsully writes: “Our new puppy enriches our family life so much. My teenage kids are spending more time downstairs with her instead of in their bedrooms, and everyone is hands-on with her care, taking turns to play with her and ensuring she’s well looked after. The whole house has a different feeling now that we have a funny, cute, energetic little fluff ball.”

They always know how to help

“We’ve had our rescue dog, Rockett, for 5 years”, writes Rayrayx. “He’s simply the most amazing dog you could meet. One of my children has autism and he has an incredible calming effect on her when she’s struggling. He also picks up on the whole family's emotions, so if anyone is sad or upset, he’ll snuggle up with us and help to make everything better.”

bevmichelle says: “Our Whisky does far more than just keep us company. He decreases stress, improves our health with regular exercise and even helps our son, Jake, who’s deaf. He never leaves Jake’s side, bringing him out of his loneliness and helping him to mix with other children. Whisky always creates conversation as everyone loves him and he knows it!”

Cast your vote now for the Great British Dog of the Year 2023 and you could win a £100 Amazon voucher!