It's a New Year, and so just thought maybe we could have a positive thread, where we post just one reply/experience at a time - so as not to burn through the brilliance in a matter of months - of things that would fit the bill re. thread title.

I'll start off with this one.

1989 we had not long got our second Staffie. She was the daughter/pick of the litter to Dad who we already had. Daft as a brush and only 12 weeks old. At the time, we used to have this world weary local Co-Op insurance guy come visit us periodically to keep us up to date on little insurance policies we had with them. He was more like a family friend than someone working for an insurance company.

His visits then were virtual family occasions, and he was the nicest guy possible - with Mum supplying tea, sandwiches, biscuits..the full Mum Monty.

Not long after wee Zoey became a part of the household, he came knocking. It was about this time of year, and was a dark monsoon like night. The guy didn't have a car, walked everywhere.

So he sits down as usual in the front room, plied with food and drink..and Zoey's Dad giving him the rare accoloade of 'your OK' by sitting at his feet.

Enter Zoey. He was wearing the old style blue hooded Parka jacket. She saw him sat on the sofa, and took off like an Exocet on speed to greet him. Leapt up onto the sofa, and immediately ensconsed herself in the hood of his jacket.

He had dogs, and was totally amused and fine with it. So he sat there for ages, with her asleep in his hood, and a raging storm outside. Didn't bother him in the least - quite the opposite.

Then when it came time to leave. I had to scoop a sleeping baby from his hood..only to discover and have to tell him..that she'd emptied what seemed like an elephant's bladder into it by way of thanks.

The worst part is when someone is so nice, that they laugh and tell you not to worry, which of course he did. Right before stepping back out into a monsoon minus a hood to put up.

So whatever your pet, let's maybe share a story at a time - and if it catches on, I know I'd have a load more posts to add.

A belated Happy New Year to all other pet lovers

Lovely idea for a thread

Years ago, when I was a teenager my family decided to adopt a dog as a friend for our then current dog. My mother was/is scared of big dogs so we went to rescue kennels to choose a small female dog. Obviously came home with a massive furry male dog of about 4 years old, called him Monty. Think he was GSDxNewfoundland. He was blind in one eye where at some point previously he'd been kicked in the head. Despite this he was a lovely friendly dog.

He did many strange funny things over the years but the funniest came from his later life when he had gone partially deaf and the sight in his other eye was failing. We had him out in the garden not on the lead. Everyone was busy cutting grass, weeding, planting- the usual spring jobs. He had been laid out enjoying the bit of sun we had and snapping at flies which flew near him. He decided to walk over to the pond and have a drink. I said to my dad "he won't fall in will he?" My dad said "no, he'll smell the water and stop." Turned back to what we were doing and SPLASH- the dog was in the pond! The pond was about 2 and a half foot deep so the top of his back was well above the water as was his head. He then decided to sit down in it and didn't want to get out.

Took us 2 hours and numerous ropes and scaffolding boards to get him out. 2 of us ended up in the pond with him. Everyone ended up as wet as the dog. He had a whale of a time avoiding getting out. The gardening was forgotten about the next day so we could put a fence round the pond. Spoiled all his fun