Meet Britain's top dog - a Japanese Akita Inu who can detect her owner's seizures 10 minutes before they happen.

Ten-year-old assistance dog Kin has beaten her canine competitors to be crowned British Dog of the Year - after her owner Robert Stuhldreer, 64, entered her into the competition in the hope she would be recognised for her talents.

Kin is able to warn Robert, who suffers from epilepsy, when a seizure is coming - and can sometimes detect them up to 10 minutes in advance.

If Robert is sitting down, Kin will place herself in front of him and give direct eye contact - something which is quite unnatural for dogs to do.

If he is standing and out and about, Kin will stop dead in front of him to block his path.

Robert said: "If I'm stupid enough to ignore that and keep walking, Kin will gently grab my hand and try to tug me down. "

"I know then that a seizure is imminent." "

Robert, who lives with his fiancé Mark, says Kin's help is invaluable for his life.

He said: "Before Kin, and before my first assistance dog Flora, it felt really challenging going out and about. "

"It was just very unsettling - and frightening - to not know when these seizures were going to happen. "

"One time, I was walking on Westminster Bridge, and I had a seizure. "

"What scared me the most was, when I woke up, someone had stolen my wallet while I had been unconscious. "

"It makes you feel very vulnerable. "

"Other times I've fallen and broken my nose, my cheekbone, and my shoulder. "

"So it really just is that assurance when a dog is there and can pre-empt what is happening. "

"You have time to prepare and time to get into a safe place."

Robert, who has previously worked for the NHS and for the RAF's Music Services, said he wanted to submit Kin for the award to recognise her talents - and to shine a positive light on her breed.

He said: "Kin is amazing. She's the cheekiest dog you could meet with a wicked sense of humour. "

"She's a very happy girl. There is literally a smile on her face. "

"I wanted her to be recognised. "

"But I also thought, usually, when you see a story about a Japanese Akita Inu, it's not positive. "

"They're big. They've got an elevated guarding instinct. They're not for first time owners. "

"But it's incredible what they can do - what they can sense. "

"I wanted people to know that." "

Robert says that Kin's senses don't only work for him.

The other day, he was at the hospital picking up a prescription, and Kin started performing her warning signals.

Robert said: "It was really strange because I felt completely fine. I felt really well. "

"But she kept going and then the man behind me in the queue collapsed. "

"So she had picked up on his signs. "

"It's incredible - but it must be overwhelming to have such keen senses." "

Kin won a competition run by Great British Dogs - https://www.greatbritishdogs.co.uk/.