To everyone who has enquired about Tiny Timmy’s recovery I am pleased to say that he is making really good progress, definitely back to his cheeky self which is a huge relief! Thankyou so much for thinking of us, it is very much appreciated.

At the moment, I have a lovely bunch of puppies and their humans in puppy class, a real mix of breeds, some large and some small. As the course progresses, their individual, unique personalities are showing through which is a joy.

Sometimes the expectations of a puppy course or any course, will be that the puppies all have to do exactly the same thing at the same time and that they should all be able to complete all the exercises perfectly. Not so…. it’s important to understand that each puppy learns at different speeds, some will pick up certain cues quicker, some will take more time depending on their breed, unique genetic make-up, and personality.

As a professional trainer it is important for me to work with the pups at the level, they feel comfortable with. Sometimes I have very shy puppies attend a class and the goal is not to see how quickly we can train a sit or down but to help the pup relax, feel emotionally safe in its surroundings to help build confidence. I have seen this many times and later when the pup’s confidence has developed, the training becomes easier for them.

If we put too much pressure on a pup then that can cause stress, which will not give them a good learning experience. Although I have a training sheet for all the puppies that come to class, its important to remember that this is adapted to suit each pups’ individual needs. Sometimes with the pups that are shy, we let them watch safely with their human, observing everything for a couple of weeks and then gradually they feel confident to do a bit more.

Sometimes I have pups which keep me on my toes as they learn so quickly. Whichever, you always need to work with your pup at their speed of learning. There is no one size that fits all!I am sometimes asked, ‘shouldn’t my puppy be able to do this by now?!’ and my answer is no, there is no timeline for what they can or cannot do. We discuss expectations and then work out what the pup needs to enable them to have a positive learning experience.

Toilet training is an area where all pups are different and will take varying times to learn to toilet outside the house. Again, work with your pup at their level and importantly don’t compare with other owners’ pups!We cover a lot of topics in class and there is always opportunity to discuss each individual pup, where they are at and also to celebrate wins.

Take time to enjoy your pup, get to know them and understand their needs as they are developing, it’s a journey you are on together and the more you understand their learning needs, the better your relationship will be.