Jack's puppy page

Settling in and building our bond

Jack settled in beautifully with his fosterers before starting formal training; they said he quickly became part of the family. When he arrived at training school, he showed the same gentleness and eagerness to please, which made the transition much easier for him. Jack also became great friends with Mika, my other dog in training, and the pair of them enjoyed spending time together in the office.

Building a bond with Jack was so easy – he’s just a wonderful boy and lovely to be around. He absolutely loves toys, especially a good tug game, so we used that as a way to have fun together and strengthen our connection. Alongside this, we worked on simple behaviours such as chin rests, food manners and place training, as well as calm social walks in different environments. Jack is a loving, affectionate dog who really wants to train and do a good job, which made every session with him such a pleasure.

Training Progress

Jack was introduced to the training harness gradually using lots of positive reinforcement. At first, he was simply rewarded for investigating it – a glance, a sniff, any small acknowledgement. Over time, as he became more confident, I encouraged him by reinforcing any movement towards the harness. Eventually, I used a hand target to ask him to place his head inside, gently moving my hand further away so he learnt to move his head in independently. He took to this with real enthusiasm, which was wonderful to see. He also coped well in a variety of environments. Whether we were working in a quiet area or practising in a busier one, Jack remained focused and steady.

Taking a side-step

As Jack’s Puppy Raiser, Andi mentioned in his previous Pupdate, he developed some skin issues, which are still being closely monitored. He’s now on an allergy-friendly diet to help manage his condition. When he arrived at training school, he also developed an ear infection, which means he’s now a little sensitive about having his head touched.

Our puppies in training need to be comfortable with this, as it forms part of their daily health checks. Recently, Jack has also become extremely distracted during free runs and has not been coming back reliably when called, which is causing challenges in his training.

For these reasons, Jack will be taking a temporary step away from training school and returning to puppy raising. This time away will enable his puppy raisers to focus on his health, ensuring that he’s comfortable while also working on his recall and sensitivities. It’s a difficult decision, but the right one for Jack’s well-being and future. He’s a wonderful, affectionate dog with so many lovely qualities and showed great promise with many of the skills he was introduced to, so I’m hopeful that he’ll thrive and be ready to pick up where he left off when he restarts training school.

Thank you for sponsoring Jack. Find out how he’s getting on in your next Pupdate in June.