No one can resist puppy dog eyes – whether it's for your own dog or a stranger's on the tube. The reason you can’t get enough of your dog is now scientifically proven – people don’t exaggerate when they say they love their dogs; they feel the same affection for them as they do their own families.

We’re well aware of the threat presented by rising obesity rates in humans, but the issue is now spreading to our pets. The UK is a nation of dog lovers; over a quarter of households own canines, but nearly half of are overweight. Can Pedigree’s new app help owners keep Fido fighting fit?

Pets have long been seen as family members, but does that mean they should be eating like one? FreshPet is just one of a large number of companies targeting these pampered pets’ 'parents' with high quality human-grade dog and cat food products fresh from the fridge.

Comparisons between dogs and children are nothing new. Get a dog as a warm-up before kids. Get a dog to distract the kids. Never work with either in the movies. Yet in America, many women are increasingly choosing pets over parenthood, favouring the tinier breeds.