BBC2 on Tuesday at 8pm The first few weeks of having a puppy are probably the most challenging. This episode shows funny and dramatic stories as the new puppies throw up a bewildering variety of challenges. Ralph, a beautiful sleek gundog, has decided that the fluffy living room rug is his toilet, and challenges the family's other, older dog mercilessly. Stan, a gentle giant rescue dog, has developed a phobia of one particular quiet country lane and refuses to go down it. Lola keeps her owners up all night by playing. Stewie, a tiny Yorkie cross, thinks he's a big dog and menaces the neighbourhood, and Byron nips repeatedly, terrorising his new family and wounding the children and their friends. As this two-part series follows the puppies through the first two months in their new homes, a trying and sometimes shocking time, the fascinating science behind their development and behaviour is explained. Why they bite and chew, why early socialisation is so crucial, and how to manage the 'fear imprint' stage. Episode 2 (Wednesday) Following six British households taking on the potentially life-changing responsibility of a puppy, tracing their stories over the course of the first year of their puppy's life. In this second episode, the owners have made it through the first trying months but now adolescence hits. For many puppy owners this is the most trying time of all. Common problems include aggression, humping and roaming. Half of dogs are abandoned at this stage due to owners refusing to work through their dog's problems. Stewie, the tiny Yorkiepoo, makes a bid for stardom, becoming the cover-star of a leading puppy fashion catalogue. Lola is being trained by Colette to be her assistance dog, but only if Colette can stop her jumping up and biting. 15-year-old Jack France decides to follow in his Dad's footsteps and train his border collie Jess to be a sheepdog-trialling champion. It has the potential to be a very good informative programme and get the message across how much hard work and how exhausting puppies can be, and if it stops just one person impulse buying it can only be a good thing, or perhaps I should have a couple of Prozac ready to stop my blood pressure going through the roof whenever they mention those stupid made-up names and try to fob them off as pedigrees.
5 mins in my blood pressure was starting to rise by the end it was at boiling point. The only ones that didn't annoy me were the ones with the rottie x mastiff, but then you hardly saw much of them. The wei x vizsla owners wanted an active dog to bond with their sporty son who basically ignored it and was more interested in his game box, on the first day the whole family ignored it no wonder it trashed the house and messed everywhere and the way they allowed it to endlessly annoy the poor cav upset me. The woman with the beagle x poodle, don't even get me started! Reason for getting it was so her kids could learn what it's like to lose a loved one! I was raging when she said 'i don't want him to get put down, well not yet anyway’. The Gay blokes well their the type I hate to meet on walks, thought it was good that their pup was attacking every dog in sight ,luckily the dogs it came into contact with appeared friendly. That poor farm collie ,I really wanted to punch that kid, surely his father could have advised him that’s not how to treat a dog. The girl that wants a service dog, though she loves the pup will have her work cut out. I realise we all have to start somewhere but sadly most of these pups were bought for the wrong reasons http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xngtm
Same here, they were the only people that did`nt have me shouting at the TV... The worst of it was for me , was the vet who told them to use a pet corrector on a 16 week old pup....
If you want to teach children about the cycle of life and death, then why not choose a hamster? If a puppy lives for 15 years, the kids will be adults by the time it happens anyway. I hope a kind trainer in their area is moved to step in, either to teach them how to cope with the Boodle's (hate these silly names) mouthing, or even suggest that they rehome the little boy while he is still comparatively unscathed. I agree with all that has been said above, and also despaired at seeing the pretty Cavalier appearing later, shaved to the bone. The programme was a sad reflection on the breeders of crossbreed dogs - were any of them interested how their puppies were progressing? I'm hoping the follow - up programme shows the owners managing to sort some of their problems out.
[QUOTE="CaroleC, . The programme was a sad reflection on the breeders of crossbreed dogs - were any of them interested how their puppies were progressing? I'm hoping the follow - up programme shows the owners managing to sort some of their problems out.[/QUOTE] I doubt very much they were interested once theyd got their money, what sort of breeder sells a Wei/Visla cross to an inexperienced pet home who's idea of an active dog is one that will chase a ball in the garden.
