Bean: six months on

Bean's been a part of my life for over six months now. Knowing he spent the first 13 months of his life chained to an outdoor kennel, 24/7, I wanted to do all I could to give him the best life a dog could have. Regular obedience classes (he's up to Class 3 now), a varied and natural diet of raw meaty bones and vegetables (let's not forget the apple cores), two walks a day, play dates with Fox the movie star Kelpie, a sheepskin rug in front of the heater and a solid knowledge of his position in our "pack".

And in return, the barking when I go to work and the destruction of his bedding and the washing on the line stopped months ago. Most importantly of all, he's morphed from what I was certain was a terrible mistake, into the best little mate I could have asked for.