Hayman, chief executive of the Communication Group, says Dora helped him to seal a deal for marriage.

“My fiancée Claire loves her as much as I do. I’m pretty sure that if I hadn’t had Dora at my side during my proposal of marriage it may have been a completely different story! Whenever we’re away both Claire and I miss her more than words can ever explain. She’s the original pampered pooch.

Dora had been the joint runner up of the Northern Terriers Association, but unfortunately for her she was a bit long in the body to continue to be a show dog. We found each other on the internet site epuppies in March 2007 when she was eight months old and it was love at first sight. We met her owners halfway on the M1 where she was handed over for her new life in London.

She’s a fantastic individual animal. She definitely has her own way of doing things with complete terrier grit (when she spots a tree trunk she genuinely believes she can carry it) and is incredibly affectionate and intuitive. I was packing to go to Dubai and she sat on my suitcase as if to stop me from leaving.

From living and working in central London to country weekends away, she leads a very full and varied life. We’re a real family unit. She’s with me every day at work and to that degree is a proper working dog.”