Whenever I am asked for parenting tips – which happens more than I would like – I avoid responding as much as possible because I genuinely believe everyone has their own way of doing it. For instance, in the midst of the Easter holidays with three small children, my current plan of attack is to do whatever I can to limit the amount of wobblies being thrown.

However, there is one thing that I am unequivocal about when it comes to how I want to bring up my kids – and that is around dogs. I believe having a furry friend can teach them so much.

When I was a kid I wanted a dog so much but my Mum wouldn’t budge. Instead I had a toy that went everywhere with me. He was called Scamp, he was fluffy, brown and white and was attached to a stick that squealed when I pushed him along. We did have a cat though; she was called Monkey. Cats are lovely animals but too self-sufficient and selfish to have as pets.

After years of torturing my parents with relentless requests, Chloe the Doberman arrived when I was 12. She was swiftly joined by........

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