Willow is now 6 months old and doing well with her puppy walker, Hilary. We spoke to her to find out how she and Willow have been getting on over the last few months.

Hilary told us that Willow is about to be spayed as part of an early spay pilot scheme.  We wish her well and hope she recovers quickly so she can get back to her training.  Willow has made great progress so far; her spending routine is getting there and she is starting to understand what the 'busy' command means. Her recall is good when out for a free run; she returns to Hilary as soon as she's called which is great news.

Willow has been getting out and about with Hilary.They've been to the supermarket, into town and on the bus.  Willow has coped well with everything she's experienced so far; the only thing she isn't too keen at the moment is car travel. To increase her confidence, Willow has started travelling in the back seat with Hilary next to her while someone else drives, and this seems to be working.

Lead work is coming along well; recently, Hilary has been taking Willow for walks along a busy main road so she can take in the sights, sounds and smells there. We're pleased to hear that Willow has taken this in her stride. The next new challenge for her will be when she's fitted for her puppy jacket. The jacket helps Willow and Hilary gain access to more public places, and also gets Willow used to wearing something on her back so that when she's introduced to her training harness in months to come, she'll hopefully accept it more readily.

At home, Willow is well behaved and non-destructive. She's also brilliant with Hilary's grandchildren and seems to understand that she has to be gentle with them.

She loves playing with her toys and has a box full of them. Her favourite is a pink teddy. Hilary tells us that Willow is a lovely, willing girl and she's really enjoying training her. We look forward to bringing you further news of Willow's progress soon.