A Surrey dog owner wants to shine a light on the extraordinary nature of therapy dogs when she competes at Crufts next week.

Cobham’s Diane Whiting, 72, is a veteran of the famous NEC Birmingham showpiece, but is now on a mission to demonstrate that dogs like her Border Collie Monkey are more than just pets.

Whiting is one of the longest-serving volunteers at Therapy Dogs Nationwide (TDN), a charity set up in 2016 whereby dogs are used to provide comfort, distraction, and stimulation to others.

Having seen the benefits these dogs can provide to the people she visits, she wants to encourage more dog owners to volunteer.

“I can see the difference it makes to people’s lives,” said Whiting. “If you could bottle that feeling and sell it, you'd make a fortune.”

To become an approved therapy dog, an assessment is conducted on a dog’s temperament, patience and interaction with humans.

Whiting was proud to have three-year-old Monkey assessed on his nine month birthday, making him a therapy dog from the youngest age possible.

Having initially started with TDN with Monkey’s father Eric, Whiting has seen the positive impact both her dogs have had on the people she has visited.

“We were at a school and there was a girl who was selectively mute, but she started talking to Eric, and eventually she started talking to me too,” Whiting recalls.

“Kids who lacked confidence felt special because they were chosen for the dog sessions. It gave one shy girl the confidence in class to start putting her hand up and answering questions.

“After Covid, lots of kids have struggled to make friends, but my dogs have helped them grow in confidence and form bonds with other children.”

“One woman told me that Wednesday is the only day of the week where she doesn’t have to drag her son out of bed because he is so excited to see Monkey at school.”

Crufts is a unique celebration of happy, healthy dogs and the loving relationship that they enjoy with their owners.

The world's biggest dog show recognises the varied roles that dogs play in society and highlights the many different disciplines and activities for dogs and owners.

Whiting and the network of approximately 2000 TDN volunteers also visit other establishments such as care homes, hospitals and a women’s prison.

She added: “The women in the prison are so grateful. They tell us about their own dogs and they are reliving what they are missing outside.

“They get down on the floor and cuddle them. It’s a touch they don’t have in prison. They can telephone the family but they can’t see or feel their pets at home. It fills a gap for them.

“At one of the care homes I go to, a lady with dementia says Monkey reminds her of her dog, Sam. She just adores him.

“I’m 72 and I hope and believe my dogs will slow down my cognitive impairment as time goes on. Monkey seems to have a permanent smile on his face. He just brings so much joy!”

Monkey will be competing at Crufts in the special working trial class, a category that his father Eric has won for the past eight years.

But for Whiting and Monkey, Crufts is about much more than the competition.

She said: “We’ll have a stand there and it’ll be great to meet the other volunteers and hopefully recruit more volunteers. Believe me - the demand for therapy dogs is going through the roof.”

Crufts, run by The Kennel Club, is a unique celebration of happy, healthy dogs and of the loving relationship that they enjoy with their owners. Crufts is held from 7-10 March 2024 at the NEC Birmingham. Viewers can follow all the action and highlights on Channel 4, and for further information and tickets visit: http://crufts.org.uk