TO many, they're a best friend.
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They're often a confidante, a silent, but sterling conversationalist, a furry shoulder to cry to on.
People hold a special place in their hearts for the canine companions in their lives.
However, the dog owners at the Australian Dog Agility Association (ADAA) national grand prix at AELEC wear their hearts on their sleeve.
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Emily Petersen travelled from Port Macquarie for this weekend's event with her punky poodle pal, Benji.
Her hound is hard to miss with its resplendent green mohawk.
Benji is the face of Ms Petersen's dog-grooming business and his face sits permanently on his owner's shoulder in the form of a tattoo.
In dog sports' circles, the Tamworth grand prix is regarded as one of the premier meets on the calendar.
Getting to an ADAA event is a big commitment for dog owners who travel interstate for the regular fixtures.
It is a significant investment of time, while it is not necessarily about the titles which can be claimed along the way, the devotion is clear.
Deepening their bond with their dogs is what it is mostly about.
Tamworth man Adam Tjanavaras has been taking part in agility dog competitions for a number of years.
He was inspired after a segment on Harry's Practice.
He was guiding two-year-old Trixie through the home grand prix while helping out with his pooch's parent Arrow and grandmother Brandy.
He enjoyed working closely with his dog most all.
"It's not just about the highlights," he said.
"It's just about achieving something with my dog and my mate."
Chris Westacott travelled from Queensland for his 11th Tamworth grand prix.
He originally took up dog sports to help calm a destructive dog.
"We did a couple of agility things and she just loved it so much and she became a national champion," he said.
Since then, Mr Westacott and his wife have travelled the country for agility dog comps and become heavily involved with their local club.
While they've trained national champions, the real reward is building realtionships with their dogs.
"It makes you think about what works for the animals and things like that," he said.
"It is really fulfilling when you achieve what you want to do with your dog."
Event coordinator Ruth Raymond said the venue made the Tamworth event one of the best on the calendar.
The grand prix had 280 dogs entered and more than 3500 runs.
"This is the premier event on the dog agility calendar every year," she said.
"This is our 10th year at AELEC and we love it, we are really happy.