Life With Ulani: Growing, Learning and Lots of Fur

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well.

It’s time for a little update on our beautiful Guide Dogs pup and her training progress! Ulani is now 23 weeks old and has passed the 20kg mark. We honestly can’t believe how quickly she’s growing and changing.

Growing Up Fast

Ulani is starting to mature and is losing some of her puppyish looks, but it’s very clear she’s still young—especially when she runs at the park. She’s all gangly legs and oversized paws, with just a hint of incoordination, which is utterly adorable to watch. She has the most beautiful glossy black coat and the sweetest, most expressive face.

Ulani can now climb onto the sofa with ease and reach her paws up to the edge of the kitchen surfaces (which is definitely not allowed!), so discouraging this behaviour has become a new focus in her training. It’s not easy turning her away from a cosy sofa snuggle—we’d love nothing more than to scoop her up for a cuddle—but we know we have to be strong. For safety reasons, it’s vital that she doesn’t climb onto furniture when she eventually moves on to her forever home.

One thing we definitely didn’t anticipate at the start of this journey, though, was just how much she would moult! Oh my goodness—there is hair everywhere. We’re vacuuming several times a day just to keep on top of it. She only has to walk past, brush against you, or give herself a shake and suddenly there’s a small pile of fur on the floor. Thankfully, Ulani is only allowed on the ground floor, so at least the chaos is somewhat contained!

Food, Growth and Healthy Habits

Weight management is becoming increasingly important as Ulani approaches six months of age. She’s currently fed three times a day, which will reduce to twice daily at six months. We keep a puppy growth chart to monitor her weight against her predicted adult size, ensuring she grows steadily and maintains a healthy weight.

We also need to account for the food rewards she receives during training sessions, adjusting her meals accordingly. Ulani, like most Labrador Retrievers, absolutely loves her food. Her kibble is still softened with water at the moment, and we’ll soon need to check when it’s time to transition her onto dry food.

Training Wins and Daily Walks

It really feels as though Ulani is beginning to settle now. She’s mouthing and chewing far less and is much better at resting instead of constantly searching for something to play with. We think she may have finished teething, which is excellent news!

Her walking has improved greatly too—she’s much less likely to jump up at every passer-by. She still enjoys stopping to sniff and occasionally veers toward other dogs, but our walks feel far more relaxed now, and my arms aren’t quite as sore from pulling. We even had a fantastic walk recently with long stretches of calm, steady walking, which felt amazing.

We’re still gently introducing her to a harness, but her recent progress means we’re hopeful she may not need one at all.

Learning Independence

One thing we’ve noticed is that Ulani doesn’t enjoy being on her own for long. She’ll happily settle in her crate for an hour or so if we’re in the house, but then she’ll cry for company. She likes to be physically close to us and follows us from room to room—often leaning against my legs while I work in the kitchen.

She does settle well in the evenings and will snooze happily for one to two hours while we relax, which is definitely progress. However, we’re slightly concerned she may be becoming a little too dependent. We’ve set up a camera to observe her when we leave the house and have been gradually increasing the time she spends alone indoors. This is something we’ll be discussing with our Puppy Adviser.

One of the wonderful things about Guide Dogs is the level of support available, including the option for short breaks where puppies can stay with trained volunteer fosterers. We’re planning a short trip away and, while it won’t be easy to leave her, we think it will be a valuable learning experience for Ulani; she won’t be with us forever, and it’s important that she becomes confident spending time with different people as she continues her journey toward her forever home.

Sticks, Snow and Little Joys

We’ve discovered that Ulani has developed a real fondness for sticks. Towards the end of every walk, she carefully selects one to carry home, testing several before choosing the perfect one. It’s taken away once we reach the garden, but she clearly enjoys the ritual. We were advised not to discourage this behaviour too early, but it’s something we’ll raise with our Puppy Development Adviser in time.

Ulani also absolutely loves the snow. We had a few light flurries over the Christmas period, and she delighted in bounding around with endless enthusiasm. The ice that followed was far less enjoyable for me, and there were several walks where I came very close to slipping over—but somehow managed to stay upright while Ulani bounced happily through the slush.

Looking Ahead

We have our first puppy class of 2026 towards the end of January, and we’re really looking forward to seeing her training friends again and discovering what our next challenges will be. We'll be having a visit from our Puppy Development Adviser in the next few weeks and she'll be observing Ulani on a walk. I'm looking forward to receiving some feedback and hopefully, some tips to make sure Ulani's training is tip-top!

Why Puppy Raising Matters

Being a puppy raiser is joyful, challenging, exhausting, and incredibly rewarding—all at once. Every day with Ulani reminds us that while she feels very much like our dog, she is actually preparing for a much bigger role. The routines, boundaries, and training we put in place now are helping to shape a confident, calm, and capable guide dog who will one day change someone’s life.

There are moments when it’s hard—when we have to say no to cuddles or work through tricky behaviours—but those moments matter. They are all part of teaching Ulani the skills she’ll need to offer independence, safety, and companionship to someone who relies on their guide dog every single day.

Raising a puppy for Guide Dogs has given us a deeper appreciation of the incredible journey these dogs go on and the huge team of volunteers and professionals who support them along the way. We feel very proud to be a small part of that journey and grateful to be helping Ulani take her first steps towards her future.

For now, we’ll keep doing what we do best—one walk, one training session, and one stick at a time—and we’ll see where the journey takes us next.

Best wishes

Nicola x