It might not get hot often in Britain, but when it’s hot it’s HOT. And that can make looking after your dog pretty difficult. You can’t walk them in case they get heat stroke or their paws burn on the pavement. But if you don’t walk them they go stir crazy and bounce off your walls. Which leaves you worrying they’ll overheat anyway…

Puppies chew on everything. Their toys, your cushions, your shoes, your table and chair legs, your hands and feet… Living with a puppy often feels like living with a chaotic landshark intent on destroying everything for absolutely no reason at all. But there’s always a reason, there’s actually 5 different reasons puppies bite. And understanding why your puppy is biting is the key to reducing their biting and enjoying their puppyhood.

You’ve brought your dog home and you’re dreaming of your perfect life together. Lots of lovely long walks, evenings snuggling on the sofa watching TV and the odd trip to a café or pub together… You know that to have that dream life you need to train your dog. But you’re not actually sure what you should be teaching them…

If you’re struggling with your dog pulling on-lead you’ve probably seen some very conflicting advice about what equipment to use. Some people will tell you that putting your dog in a harness will teach your dog to pull and there’s no way you’ll ever train your dog to walk with a loose-lead if they’re wearing a harness. These people will probably tell you that the only way to train loose-lead walking is with a slip lead or prong collar (I do not EVER recommend you use either of those). And then there are other people who tell you that buying the right harness will instantly stop your dog pulling.

Getting to finally take your puppy out for walks is super exciting. It’s also super confusing. Your puppy needs walks to keep them fit, socialise them and stop them getting bored. But your puppy is also growing rapidly and it’s important not to over-exercise them. So how much exercise is too much?

There’s nothing better than calling your dog and watching them joyfully run back to you. To know they’ve not only chosen you over all those distractions, but they’re actually excited to get to you. If that sounds like a pipe dream then don’t worry, there’s one very easy way to improve your dog’s recall: play games with them.

Bringing your new puppy home is an exciting day. But it can also be a very stressful one. Suddenly everything is real - you’re now responsible for this tiny, furry baby and it’s very normal to start to worry whether you’ve made a big mistake. Being prepared before you pick up your puppy and having a plan for their first day in their new home allows you to relax and focus on building your relationship with your new best friend.

You’ve come home after another long walk with your teenage dog hoping this time you’ve finally tired them out enough that they’ll sleep. But instead they seem even more hyper than they did before the walk and instead of relaxing they’re doing laps of the house and literally bouncing off the walls. They might not be tired but you are - you’re exhausted from walking your dog for longer and longer every day and spending hours chucking balls for them to fetch.

When people hear about enrichment for dogs their response is often ‘wait, I have to do MORE with my dog, but I don’t have enough time’. We all have busy lives and our dogs are supposed to reduce our stress, not add to it and make us feel guilty that we’re not doing enough. And if you look up how you’re supposed to give your dog enrichment you’ll probably find an honestly ridiculous number of, often expensive, products to buy.

So you didn’t do much training with your dog when they were a puppy…? Maybe you had no problems with your puppy’s behaviour. Maybe you didn’t have enough time to dedicate to your puppy’s training. Maybe you wanted to get the support of a trainer but didn’t have the money. Or maybe you just kept meaning to get around to it and you just kept putting it off. Whatever happened, you got through your dog’s puppyhood and it was kinda going ok…