As the nation sees a sharp rise in pet ownership, we want to celebrate what we love about our pets.

In our new series, Me and My Pet, Laura Crockett of kmfm Breakfast tells us about her furry babies - Betty and Barney.

Betty and Barney are half brother and sister...

They are both cockapoos. Betty is three in August and Barney just turned one. They are half brother and sister as they have the same dad - a Toy Poodle called Munchkin.

It sounds silly but they actually are my little best mates.

They are always happy to see us and give the best cuddles. We try and take them with us to as many places as possible - Betty has even been through the Eurotunnel on a weekend away to Bruges and joined us on a row boat at Bodiam Boating Station in Rye.

My favourite thing is...

Watching them play together. One of them will go up to the other one and put a paw on their head - this means playtime! They would happily wrestle, chase or play tug of war with their toys for hours!

Their favourite things are...

Betty is OBSESSED with fetch and Barney is OBSESSED with food! Betty is guaranteed to find a stick on every walk we go on and she'll drop it at your feet and just stare at you until you throw it for her. Now we're getting in to BBQ season Barney is in his element.

He will sit by the BBQ while the burgers and sausages are cooking just in case we drop some by accident. His favourite food is cheese - we only need to get the packet out of the fridge and he is glued to your feet.

The best thing about having them is...

Having a pet means you're never on your own, my two are like little shadows and they are always by my side. They keep me active because they both need lots of exercise so it makes me go for walks even in the winter. They give you unconditional love and make you laugh every day.

My advice for anyone getting a cockapoo is...

Make sure you are ready for the ride! They are absolutely bonkers and have lots of energy so you'll need to make sure you have plenty of time to walk them and wear them out.

They also don't like being on their own so make sure you have time for them or have friends/family/dog walkers who can help when you're out.

Laura's dogs have their own Instagram @bettyandbarneypups

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