Week Three: New Faces, New Experiences and a Very Wiggly Vet Visit

This week was all about confidence — Pebbles meeting new experiences, new people, and (importantly) learning that not everything has to be perfect the first time.

We started with her first proper walks out and about, timed carefully around the heat. Early mornings became our sweet spot — cool enough to be comfortable, quiet enough to build her confidence without overwhelming her. On one of these walks, she met a friend from puppy class for a play date, and watching two puppies who already know each other from class interact so easily was a lovely reminder of why early, structured socialisation matters.

We also started cooperative care this week — teeth brushing and introducing a nail grinder, both done at Pebbles’ pace, with plenty of pauses and rewards. These are the unglamorous sessions nobody posts about, but they’re some of the most important: teaching a dog that being handled is safe, predictable, and even enjoyable.

Then came the vet visit — vaccinations, a kennel cough spray up the nose, and a full handling check on the scales. Pebbles was, in her usual style, a bit of a wiggle bum (delighted to be fussed over by a stranger, basically), but she took every bit of it beautifully. The vet was thrilled with her.

And then — puppy class. We went along an hour early so I could make sure the temperature would be right for all the puppies, which, fortunately, is easier at my venue since it stays cooler with the big fans going. Pebbles was a big fan of those fans, quite literally parking herself in front of one for a good chunk of the session.

Before class started, she also had a good fifteen-minute play with our friend’s puppy — which, in hindsight, was probably not my finest planning. By the time I came to use her as my demo dog, she had absolutely no interest in performing for me. She just wanted to lie down. I’ll be honest, it didn’t go how I’d pictured it. But she wasn’t jumping up, she wasn’t mouthing, she wasn’t being “naughty” in any sense — she was simply tuckered out, and that one’s on me for the timing, not on her.

We still worked through some of the basics — sits, downs, look, and hand targets — all skills she already knows at home. The real value wasn’t teaching something new, though; it was practising those familiar behaviours in a different environment, with other puppies around as a distraction. I deliberately keep my puppy classes to five dogs maximum, enough for proper socialisation without it tipping into overwhelm — for the puppies and their owners alike.

One thing I suspect I’ll find genuinely challenging over this course is stepping back and letting my husband, James, take the lead on some of the training. Up to now I’ve been the one doing it all, which makes sense given it’s my job, but he’s learning too, and I need to be just as calm and patient with him as I am with any new client. Something tells me that’ll be its own running theme over the next few weeks.

Every week brings something new to learn — and this week, I think Pebbles (and James) taught me a little more than I taught them.