People have been welcoming dogs into their homes for centuries because of their incredible capacity for love - and it turns out that they’re not just man’s best friend.
In fact, these dogs prove that they can find four-legged friendships just as easily - whether they’re bonding with their own kind or seeking out a more unusual choice of chum.
From the Airedale Terrier who teamed up with a horse to the dog who became the protective best friend of a group of tiny chicks, there’s really no limit when it comes to a dog’s affection.
Here are just six examples of friendly dogs who have warmed hearts across the world with their wholesome - and at times unusual - friendships.
Having a best friend isn’t just a human privilege - dogs can find lasting friendships with each other too, as Charly and Peggy proved. The pair of pups became inseparable after their owners moved next door to each other in the US.
Maltese Charly now meets up with Peggy the pug almost every day since the canine neighbours became “instant best friends”, according to Charly’s owner Kaylee. “If we even mention Peggy’s name, Charly gets so excited and runs over to the back fence to see if Peggy is there,” she says.
Kaylee posts regular updates of Charly and Peggy’s friendship over on TikTok, where thousands of dog lovers now eagerly await the next instalment of their adventures. “They always make me smile,” one person gushed.
And the adorable pair aren’t the only neighbours who have become firm friends.
This charming golden retriever found a heartwarming way to befriend a fellow goldie called Lady who passed by his nearby garden each day on her walk.
The clever pup found a sure-fire way to capture his new friend’s attention - by throwing his beloved tennis ball through the garden gate as a welcoming gift every time Lady came past.
The owners of the besotted pair have since planned for Lady and her generous friend to have play dates, after TikTok users who were moved by the cute story called for them to meet up properly.
It’s common for best friends to have inside jokes which may look a bit odd to the rest of the world - and these next two canine companions have mastered a truly original way of greeting each other .
Cleo the German Shepherd has been friends with her golden retriever buddy since they were puppies, and each time they meet Cleo instantly drops down into a cat-like crouch and playfully stalks her lifelong pal.
More than 14 million TikTok users fell in love with the adorable clip of Cleo performing her unique greeting before the pair sprint off to play together in the park, with one person saying: “I think that’s a cat in German Shepherd disguise”.
But when it comes to finding their friends, dogs don’t always stick with their own species.
Like cheeky Airedale terrier Maisie , who formed a close bond with a fellow four-legged friend called Sweetie - who just happened to be a horse.
Maisie and Sweetie have apparently been inseparable since they met two years ago, with the loved-up pup heading straight over to her equine pal for a kiss and a lick every day, and often playfully copying Sweetie’s movements.
An adorable clip posted on Facebook by Maisie’s owner even shows the pair teaming up in an attempt to dig a hole underneath the fence keeping them apart - and her owner admitted that the mischievous pup has succeeded in breaking into her best friend’s paddock several times in the past.
Another dog cast the net wider into the animal kingdom in order to find some new friends - and fell in love with a group of baby chicks .
An amusing TikTok video showed the dog’s obsession with their owner’s newly hatched chicks, as the protective pup has taken to watching over the fluffy babies to make sure that all ten of them are safe.
The clip shows the dog leaning over the enclosure where the chicks are huddled to gaze lovingly at his tiny friends, earning him the nickname of “poultry protector” by TikTok users.
Sometimes, dogs will look to even more unusual sources to seek out new friends. Perhaps one of the strangest was the relationship that golden retriever Remmie attempted to embark on - befriending their owner’s robot vacuum cleaner.
Remmie bounded around the vacuum cleaner as it trundled obliviously around the living room, desperately trying to get the robot to reciprocate their adorable attempts to play.
Many called on Remmie’s owner to get the one-year-old loving pup a canine friend after the clip of the goldie’s wholesome efforts melted hearts on TikTok.
