Scots radio presenter Nicky Campbell dubs himself ‘the Mowgli of Midlothian’ in interview about growing up in Edinburgh with family dog

The Scottish broadcaster said that when he was a child he became so close to the dog, named Candy, that he thought he too was a dog and would crawl around on all fours like a "real-life wolf boy".

He added that he thought of the dog as a brother and wanted to eat with him "from a bowl on the floor".

Mr Campbell was adopted when he was just four days old and says he formed a special connection with the piebald fox terrier cross while he was growing up in Edinburgh.

The 59-year-old dad of four told Yours magazine: "I was adopted when I was four days old and although I couldn't have asked for better adoptive parents - in fact, being loved and brought up by them was like winning the childhood lottery - I always felt like an outsider.

"Candy came to us when I was still very small and, being a dog, he was also adopted.

"We formed a very close bond. In fact, when I was small, I thought I was a dog; I'd crawl around on all fours and want to eat from a bowl on the floor.

"We were the dynamic duo - and he was my brother, my life coach and role model. I became a real-life wolf boy - the Mowgli of Midlothian.

"Candy's unconditional love and the fact he was always there and seemed to know what I was thinking was such a comfort to me.”

Candy unfortunately died when Campbell was 11 and he said he didn't have a dog for years because of his fear of grief, but now his Labrador named Maxwell has been part of the family since 2008 and they also now have two Westies, called Misty and Maisie.

Campbell has recently released a book called One of the Family which details how his pet helped him after he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder last year.

He said: "From the minute he came through the door, it was like it was meant to be. I could never have had any other dog. He's the special boy. Maxwell and I are inseparable."

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