Peanuts was not the dog Sharan Kaur and her family wanted. They were looking for a small-sized, resilient mongrel that her children could easily walk, and one that would be a quiet companion for their elderly terrier.

Even as a puppy, Peanuts was bigger than any dog they had ever had. But they could not walk away as they fell in love with him at first sight.

It was his clumsy gait, his lolling tongue, his smiling demeanour. While his older brother barked, and his alert sister watched warily… he pushed forward to play, bumping into legs and shoulders and pushing her girls down in his eagerness to meet and greet.

As Sikhs, they believe in a fearless, loving God, and Peanuts embodies these divine traits more than any human she knew.

A big bundle of unconditional love, he is fearless and friendly with all creatures big and small.

Unlike his lethal pest-killing housemate, Peanuts happily shares the remnants of his meal with his cockroach and snail buddies, and delightfully watches and sniffs snakes who venture into their garden.

Unfortunately, this unconditional love extends to food too. Anything and everything is delicious to him. Which proved to be a problem when he was diagnosed with obesity.

The only thing he turns up his nose at are his mandatory Glucosamine tablets which he now takes daily to strengthen his joints. He can smell them from a distance and runs when it’s time for his meds.

After days of playing Catch-the-Dog-and-Hold-Him-Down, they found a solution, inspired by his name. They now coat the pills in peanut butter and he gulps them down.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.