He’s got a floppy ear, a bung eye, boundless energy and an unbroken record in stick tug-of-war. He is Peanut, a kelpie/bull terrier rescue dog, and he has transformed our family.

Growing up in London, the only pet I ever had was a gerbil, so I knew nothing much about dogs. My kids had wanted one for a very long time, and my husband and I eventually succumbed to their ‘We’ll feed him, we’ll walk him, we’ll pick up poo’ wear-down-the-parents strategy. Peanut joined our family 3 months ago and life has been transformed in more ways than I could have imagined.