The Bachelor Season 23 star Colton Underwood has revealed his beloved dog Sniper has supported him through mental health struggles over the last 14 years.

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"These smiles say it all," Colton, 27, recently captioned an Instagram photo with Sniper.

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"This dude doesn't know how much he has helped me in his 14 years of life (103 in dog years) -- through depression, anxiety and stressful situations."

In the picture, Colton was wearing a sweatshirt that reads, "Puppies make me happy."

Colton added in his post that "having Sniper by my side has been the best remedy I could have ever hoped for."

Colton then addressed Sniper directly and wrote, "Love you buddy. Can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us my best friend."

And on December 11, Colton posted a photo of his Christmas card, which shows the former Bachelor wearing a Santa Claus hat and posing next to his two dogs.

"From my family to yours... happy holidays," he captioned the image.

Colton isn't the only member of Bachelor Nation who relies on a dog for more than just companionship.

The Bachelorette's Season 11 star Kaitlyn Bristowe revealed during a November episode of her Off the Vine podcast her dog Ramen is an emotional support animal, according to Us Weekly.

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"[My anxiety] left me laying on the floor this one night in my house, not wanting to even talk to [boyfriend Jason Tartick] until it passed," Kaitlyn, 34, reportedly admitted at the time.
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"I felt my anxiety coming on -- immediately went looking for my dog Ramen, who is really the only one that keeps me calm when I experience being close to a panic attack and when I feel that pain or heat in my chest."

Kaitlyn and Jason announced earlier this month they've adopted another golden retriever named Pinot, an adorable pup they saved from a kill shelter in South Korea.

Colton initially competed for Becca Kufrin on The Bachelorette's fourteenth season before starring on Season 23 of The Bachelor earlier this year.

Dubbed "the virgin Bachelor" at the time, Colton ended his season prematurely by falling in love and selecting Cassie Randolph over his other two remaining bachelorettes, Tayshia Adams and Hannah Godwin.

Colton had made up his mind before even finishing out his round of overnight Fantasy Suite dates.

Cassie, however, attempted to quit The Bachelor because she didn't feel ready to get engaged. Colton therefore fought for her to stay and took all pressure off the table.

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Cassie proceeded to meet Colton's family on the show and fall in love with him once filming wrapped.

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The couple is still dating and going strong, but Cassie believes there is no reason to rush into an engagement or living together, although she says she can definitely envision a future with the former NFL player.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.