When most professional athletes are asked what they are most grateful for, they mention their fans, their parents and their trainers. However, there are some that clearly have a great amount of appreciation for their pets, and we don’t blame them! Here, we’ve listed some professional athletes with their biggest fans of all; their dogs.

1. Joseph Fauria (Former Detroit Lions Team Member)

As the former tight end for the Detroit Lions, you would think that Joseph Fauria was a pretty tough dude, but when it comes to his dog, Pomsky Rufio Maximus Fauria, his heart seems to melt - and so does ours. Although he shared in quite some detail a particular potty-training accident the pup had, he still adores his dog, stating: “nothing compares to the bond between a man and his dog.” Fauria loves his dog so much that the pooch even has his own Instagram account! While Fauria may not be playing in the upcoming Detroit Lions matches against the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears, at least he'll be able to play with his dog.

2. Mick Fanning (Professional Surfer)

As a professional surfer, you would think that Fanning is more at home out in the oceans than on the beach with his dog. Still, there’s no denying that he loves his dog, who he calls Little Miss Harper. The pooch appears in plenty of the pro surfer’s Instagram photos and is even the “best part of being home” for Fanning. What do you reckon the chances of that dog having been out surfing is? You never know, we might even see this precious pup at the upcoming Surfest in Newcastle.

3. Laura Robson (Tennis Player)

Female British tennis player Laura Robson often partakes in “puppy therapy”, and also owns a couple of big, loveable dogs herself. Obviously, we’re happy about this as it means we get some seriously cute Instagram photos like the one above, but she also seems to benefits from it massively. Hopefully, we can expect even more pictures as the French Open approaches, for which Robson currently has odds of 300/1 on bookmaker Betway to come up at the very top. Fingers crossed for Laura and her pups come May!

4. Michelle Wie (LPGA Golfer)

The Hawaiian LPGA golfer has quite a few interests including golf, of course, and cooking – but it seems to be her adorable Pomeranian that she loves above all else. Affectionately named Lola, the pom recently turned eight years old, which means the bond between her and her owner must be seriously strong. On an Instagram picture posted just over a year ago, the golfer wrote “she came to me when I really needed some [love] and now I can’t imagine my life without Lola.” Our hearts are melting - we know we wouldn't be heading to any future golf tournaments without this doggy by our side!

5. Jordyn Wieber (Olympic Gymnast)

It seems as though Pomeranians are a favourite among female athletes, as professional gymnast and 2012 Olympic gold medallist (who had just a 40% chance of winning at the time) Jordyn Wieber can’t get enough of her “favourite boy Charlie Choo”, who she also occasionally refers to as Chuck. According to her Instagram, Jordyn really misses her favourite boy whenever she is out competing, and we can see why, he is truly adorable.

6. Allyson Felix (Olympic Track & Field)

For Olympic Track and Field athlete, there’s no one she would rather Skype than her fluffy friend Lucy. “When I travel, you know, she stays with my mom,” the athlete said on Piers Morgan Tonight, according to CNN. “And my mom puts her up on the camera and so we just have a good time.” Fortunately, while she may accompany her owner to the 2028 Olympics in LA if we're lucky, we can’t imagine Allyson goes running with her little dog as while she is gorgeous, she’s no greyhound.

7. Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers)

Chiefly known for being the centre for the Indiana Pacers, it seems like Roy Hibbert has a lot of hobbies including gaming, collecting comic books, karate and collecting shoes. However, his favourite hobby of all may just be hanging out with his dogs, French bulldog named Sadie and his German shepherd Tyson. The two of them often pop up on the athletes Instagram feed, along with pretty much any other dog Roy sees we think. We're sure the two pooches will be supporting their dad throughout the current NBA season.

8. Serena Williams (Tennis Player)

Last but certainly not least, we have six-time WTA Player of the Year and world-renowned dog lover Serena Williams. Like our first entry Joseph Fauria, Serena loves her little dog so much that he has his very own Instagram account. His full name is Christopher Chip Rafael Nadal Williams, and his bio states he is a professional fetcher, ladies man and snuggle buddy. We don’t know about that, but he is definitely a cutie pie! While both Serena and Chip are both noticably abscent from the Australian Open this year, we hope to see at least one of them on the court soon.

While we are pretty jealous of these pups since they get to have such loving parents, we can’t deny they are absolutely adorable! Let us know in the comments below if you know any professional athletes with even cuter dogs in the comments below.