Pedigree or pest? Mutt, mongrel or lapdog? How do you feel about our four-legged friends, asks Shropshire Star blogger Emma Suddaby?

Dogs . . . we either love ‘em or hate ‘em. For some, they light up the cold, dark corners of life, for others they are, at best a hygiene risk, at worst a dangerous nuisance.

I’ll admit, I’m potty about The Pooch. Yes, I’m one of those weirdos who went Christmas shopping for my dogs, who visits the vet more often than the hairdresser, and who spends more sleepless nights worrying about what would happen to my canine family were I to kick the bucket, than I do worrying about kicking the bucket in the first place!

And why not? I have no compunction in admitting my doggy-devotion. How could I, when my dogs’ whole lives are spent proving their utter devotion to me, which is more than can be said for most of the humans I know.

OK, they do tend to poo on pavements, (the dogs, not the humans!) but they’ve got to do it somewhere. And on the whole, owners are conscientious about cleaning up after them – we don’t enjoy stepping in dog-muck any more than anyone else.

When I hear the reasons people dislike dogs, it occurs to me that the problems are really with the owners.

Shut in all day, dogs will bark. Treated cruelly, they will bite.

Like us, they’re simply products of their environments; the real tragedy is the ease with which they can be bought and sold.

When I muse on my mongrels, I think of the mornings when I could stay in bed – when I’m sore, my mind in a groggy, downward spiral from the wakeful night I’ve spent, grappling with pain and the idea of having to move at all, let alone dragging myself out of bed and getting washed and dressed, makes me want to roll over and stay put.

On those mornings, knowing the dogs are waiting for me, depending on me to feed them, walk them and love them, helps me find the strength.

Without the company of my canines, I’d be far more disabled, by now. I stay mobile because I have to be.

So come on the anti-dog brigade, let’s see the freedom of our beaches given back to our faithful friends.

Let’s see dogs allowed to run free in parks. Whatever you call them, I know that without them, my world would be a much less lovely place.

Inspirational Emma Suddaby shares her ” highs, lows – and various murky places inbetween” – with her weekly blog. Emma, a finalist in the 2007 Shropshire Star Woman of the Year competition, was diagnosed with aggressive, destructive rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 22. She has since won a dream flying scholarship with the charity Flying Scholarships for the Disabled and is now training for a National Private Pilot’s Licence.