YOUR PETS ‘Max had zero dog skills and had never seen stairs’

Pets’ names: Georgie, Daisy and Max. Breeds: Georgie and Daisy are West Highland white terriers and Max is a Scottish terrier. Ages: Georgie, 10, Daisy, nine, and Max is two. Owners: Peter Knowles, 56, and Andy Bradshaw, 61, co-owners of Hamptons Cafe in Penarth.

Owners’ story: “A friend of ours had a dog from a rescue centre in Carmarthen, and we felt that we could offer a home to a dog too.

“They all come with their issues as a lot of them come from puppy farms.

“None of them were house-trained, and they didn’t understand about normal dog behaviour or social skills.

“They hadn’t even been for walks before and they hadn’t really socialised with other dogs.

“Max was a stud dog so he lived by himself, probably in a shed, before he came to us. He had zero dog skills, and because he’d never seen them before, he couldn’t get up the stairs to our flat.

“He didn’t know what a dog bed was either. He used to just lay on the floor for the first few weeks instead.

“But from knowing nothing, he quickly learned from the others.

“It is so rewarding to see them come on. They give so much love back as well.

“They all get on really well with each other. When Max arrived I think he thought he would be in charge as he’s the only boy dog.

“But Georgie quickly asserted her dominance and he quickly recognised that he was at the bottom of the pack.

“The cafe we have has two tables reserved for people with their dogs too.

“When we first got Georgie she would just walk around in circles.

“The very first time we took her out for a walk on the beach she would do the same, but the circles just kept getting bigger and bigger and she still does it now.

“The dogs mean absolutely everything to us. You could not imagine not having them. We take them everywhere with us, and we only go to places that are dog-friendly. We have just been to France with all three of them.”