Throughout my life I’ve always had the cliché lines – “A Dog is for life, not just for Christmas”, “Are you sure you want that responsibility?”, “you don’t have the time for a dog!”.

A dog has always been in my life, but not to the end where I could call him or her my own. Over the past 10 years, I have persistently toyed with having a dog but always seemed to fall short of making the commitment.

The year 2020 has been an abysmal one and as lockdown loomed a half-hearted idea was to be history. It was more than a perfect time to bring a furry companion into my life.

My father once said, you simply cannot describe the feeling of meeting your pup for the first time – he was not wrong. It is a feeling every dog owner relates to but remains so personal, so it’s impossible to generalise.

The name Clyde did not have a mention before collecting him, but his name had to have meaning. Clyde has been translated in Welsh as warm & powerful, so the name could not be any more fitting.

He was a bold, confident pup but enjoyed a sneaky cuddle now and again. As time has gone on, the remote has been punctured, loo roll has been dragged around the house and I am always finding the odd shoe out the back yard. However, I would not have it any other way.

Something so simple as taking Clyde for walks and letting him off the lead has brought me so much happiness. I can always rely on him to pick me up, no matter how the day has gone.

I believe that most things in life happen for a reason. Clyde was meant to come into my life. He depends on me, just as much as I depend on him. He’s not man’s best friend; he’s my best friend. He gives me purpose.

BDC.