Harley's First Pupdate

Several weeks ago, Harley left our National Breeding Centre, to begin an amazing adventure. We got in touch with his Puppy Walker, Jackie, to find out how he has settled in.

Jackie told us that Harley settled in very well, even though he had a slightly upset tummy at first. Sometimes pups can be a little unwell when first arriving in a new environment, and Jackie was pleased to tell us that Harley recovered fully within 24 hours. Harley was so relaxed from the outset in Jackie's home, that he has slept the night through from the very first night! He loves his sleep and will often take himself back to bed after his breakfast in the morning. Harley's two biggest loves are sleep and food.

House training is going well for Harley, and Jackie told us that he is clean and dry in the house. He responds to the 'busy' prompt, which is a spoken request used to encourage puppies to spend in appropriate areas. Harley also indicates to his Puppy Walker if he needs to spend; with all this in mind, Jackie has been able to develop a good routine which will help Harley's later training.

Harley is proving to be a very intelligent young chap, and he already knows lots of obedience commands. He responds positively to the commands, 'sit', 'wait', and 'come'; Jackie and Harley are currently working on 'down' and 'stand', which are going well.

Having introduced the lead and collar to little Harley, Jackie said that he took to it very well. There was a little bit of scratching at the collar to begin with (having something strange around the neck can be kind of itchy!), but Harley quickly got used to the sensation and now walks beautifully on the lead. Jackie has taken Harley on a few short walks, and Harley likes to stop and see new things, before carrying on happily.

Jackie has taken Harley to a few different places, to begin getting him familiar with various environments. So far, he has visited the local shops, the supermarket and he has been unfazed by everything and is a confident lad.

When out and about, Harley behaves admirably, and he has taken a great interest in the local refuse collectors; Jackie said he found them 'fascinating' while watching them. Jackie and Harley often meet other dogs when going about their day, and Harley always socialises very nicely; he is clearly a sociable pup whether it's people or dogs he comes across.

Over the next several months, Harley will be experiencing various methods of transportation, such as trains and buses. For now, he is getting used to going in the car, and Jackie told us that he settles down very easily for the ride. She said he is always a 'very good boy' when travelling.

Harley's favourite toy is a big teddy, and he also loves his squeaky and tuggy toys. Harley plays very sweetly with these, and Jackie loves to watch him.

Jackie said recently she took him to visit the local Post Office and apparently, he fell asleep in the parcel weighing scales! The staff thought he was extremely adorable, as do Jackie's grandchildren.

We hope you have enjoyed reading Harley's first Pupdate, it seems as though he is winning the hearts of everyone he meets. We will be in touch with his first report card from his Puppy Training Supervisor soon.

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