28/05/2026
And just like that… our May Puppy Beginners gang have graduated 🥹🐾
We had a few missing faces last night, but what a lovely group this has been from start to finish.
Over the past four weeks we’ve covered SO much more than “sit” and “paw”…
✨ Lead handling
✨ Recall foundations
✨ Calmness
✨ Focus around distractions
✨ Puppy biting & over-excitement
✨ Sniffing, enrichment & appropriate rest
✨ Understanding what our puppies are really communicating
There’s been laughter, chaos, lightbulb moments and lots of “ohhhh… THAT makes sense now!” moments too 😄
Watching both puppies *and* people grow in confidence over the course is always such a privilege.
And honestly?
The best bit is the community that forms along the way.
People arrive worrying whether they’re “doing it right”… and leave realising that puppyhood is gloriously messy, wonderfully normal and far easier when you have support around you 💛
Thank you to every one of our May families for trusting us to be part of your puppy journey.
We genuinely never tire of watching those relationships grow 🐾✨
26/05/2026
The hot weather always seems to strip people right back to their shortest fuse, doesn’t it? Tempers are shorter. Patience disappears. People become reactive, snappy, overwhelmed and exhausted… and that’s with the ability to understand what’s happening, choose cooler clothes, grab a cold drink or stay inside.
Our dogs don’t get that same choice.
And honestly? Looking at social media over the last few days has been quite sad. So much anger. So much judgement. People photographing strangers. Public shaming. Threats. Swearing. Assumptions being made from a 10-second snapshot with zero context.
If we are struggling emotionally after a few sudden days of heat… imagine how our dogs are feeling.
The UK has just recorded its hottest May temperatures on record, with temperatures exceeding 34°C–35°C in some areas after a huge jump in temperatures over just a few days. There’s been virtually no time for humans or dogs to acclimatise.
Heat changes behaviour.
It impacts sleep.
It impacts patience.
It impacts emotional regulation.
It impacts tolerance levels.
It impacts decision making.
It impacts physical comfort.
And when living beings feel uncomfortable, overwhelmed or trapped… behaviour changes.
That applies to humans and dogs.
So maybe this week is a gentle reminder for all of us to pause before judging quite so quickly.
The dog barking in the garden.
The dog lying down refusing to walk.
The dog that suddenly “isn’t listening.”
The human who looks frazzled.
The person making a decision you wouldn’t personally make.
We rarely know the full story.
A little more compassion.
A little more grace.
A little more understanding.
For dogs and for each other.
Because right now, most nervous systems are running hotter than the weather itself. ☀️🐾
25/05/2026
We were up and out just after 5am this morning to beat the heat - and it was beautiful! So wildlife rich 💙
The AC is already on and the blinds are shut tight. It's easier to keep the house cool than try to cool down a hot room.
A pootle in the garden will be enough for us all for the rest of the day.
Take care and enjoy your day, whatever you have planned 🌞
22/05/2026
🌡️ One thing many people haven’t considered about this upcoming heatwave…
Yesterday, temperatures here were around 18°C.
Today, we’re looking at 25°C.
By Monday? Potentially 27°C or higher.
That’s almost a 10-degree jump in just a handful of days.
☀️ The problem isn’t just the temperature itself.
It’s the fact that there’s been virtually no acclimatisation time for either humans or dogs.
Our bodies (and our dogs’ bodies) adapt far better when temperatures rise gradually over weeks. Sudden spikes hit much harder. That’s why 25–27°C in the UK can feel utterly exhausting -especially after cooler weather.
🐾 Many dogs will struggle more than people realise over the next few days:
They’ll tire faster
Heat stress will build more quickly
Their tolerance levels may drop
Recovery from activity may take much longer
And remember… some dogs will keep going long after they should have stopped.
💛 This weekend and beyond isn’t about exercise.
It’s about comfort, safety, rest, shade, hydration, and helping our dogs cope with a very sudden environmental change.
Most dogs will be perfectly happy with:
✔️ Toilet breaks
✔️ Sniffy potters in the shade
✔️ Enrichment at home
✔️ Sleeping through the hottest parts of the day
Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is simply… less.
Stay safe everyone ☀️🐾
