Milestones, Mud, and Meaningful Moments: A Puppy Update

Hello everyone,

I hope you’re keeping warm and enjoying the start of the festive season. It’s hard to believe we’re only a few weeks away from Christmas. Time is absolutely flying in our household—I’m lucky if I know what day it is at the moment! Things still feel a little chaotic here, but we’re making steady progress.

Ulani is now 18 weeks old! She had a weigh-in at the vets this week and is officially over 17kg. We can no longer scoop her up quite so easily, and when we’re out on lead walks I can really feel how much she’s grown. Her confidence is blossoming and her cheerful, sweet nature shines through more every day. She’s even calmed slightly in some ways, and is beginning to enjoy cuddles without immediately trying to chew on our hands. Her impulse control is improving too—we can place a treat right in front of her and she’ll wait patiently for the “okay” cue. She’s also started waiting calmly before eating her dinner, rather than bouncing around in a full-body wiggle. Now she sits, looks up at me with the sweetest expression, and waits for her signal to tuck in. It melts my heart every time.

Teething is well underway, and we can always tell when she’s feeling uncomfortable or unsettled. Her tiny front baby teeth have all fallen out and the bigger, whiter ones are pushing through. Her smile looks a little funny at the moment, but it’s just another sign of her growing up. Frozen carrots and chew toys have been lifesavers—her beds, unfortunately, have not always been so lucky!

We’ve also discovered that Ulani loves to carry something in her mouth on walks—usually sticks of all shapes and sizes. The first part of our walk is always the most energetic, as she’s eager to explore, but she’s walking nicely on my left side and recovering from distractions much more quickly. She still wants to jump up when people pass, but it’s slowly improving. Midway through the walk she settles beautifully, and on the way home she often chooses a “souvenir stick” and gives me the loveliest calm, straight walk. The range of sticks she picks is hilarious—she even tried to drag an entire fallen branch from a local grass verge! At this stage we’ve been advised to let puppies explore safe objects rather than constantly taking things away, which can unintentionally turn it into a game. Her habit of seeking out discarded chewing gum, however, is something else entirely—disgusting, unhygienic, and incredibly difficult to remove. As a puppy raiser you quickly learn which local routes pose challenges and how to navigate them.

Her beds continue to bear the brunt of her energy. She throws them around, scratches at them like a wild thing, and uses them to burn off boredom—especially if she’s in her pen while we’re eating. We recently replaced her puppy bed as she’d outgrown it and, frankly, destroyed it. We picked a flat crate bed this time instead of an oval one with sides, and it has been a game-changer. She loves stretching out and seems far more content. We got a second bed for the family room, and I inadvertently chose an enormous, overstuffed monster of a bed. Watching her try to lie on it without rolling off was hilarious. It’s flattened out a bit now and she adores it—perhaps a little too much, as she’s already chewed the zips off and broken it. We’ve retired it for now and will bring it back once she’s out of her chewing phase. Another flat bed is on the way!

Ulani recently attended another puppy class and did brilliantly. She loves seeing her classmates and experiencing the training environment. We learned some useful techniques for helping our puppies focus in busy places, and I’ve been trying them out in our local supermarket with great success. She’s beginning to settle beside me even in crowded aisles—a wonderful milestone, though we’ve still got a way to go.

Our most exciting moment, though, came last week: Ulani had her very first free run at our local riding school! It was muddy, wet, and utterly wonderful. We were nervous about letting her off lead, but our fantastic Puppy Development Adviser, Beccy, was with us and reassured us every step of the way. After a few practice recalls on a long lead, we gave her the “Go free” cue and she was off—galloping joyfully, completely ecstatic. The sights, sounds, and smells were heaven for her. Beccy told us to keep walking so Ulani would learn to track and follow us, just as she’ll eventually need to do with her Guide Dog owner. Of course, she was far too excited at first and didn’t notice us moving away. When she finally looked up and couldn’t see us, panic set in, and she began darting around searching. As soon as she spotted us again she bounded right over, and from then on she stayed close and responded to every recall beautifully. She was covered in mud by the end of the walk—and so was I—but it was worth every second. She even had her first bath when we got home, which she loved, being a typical water-loving Lab Retriever.

It’s been an eventful few weeks, full of growth and learning. The early months of our Puppy Raiser journey have been challenging, but it really feels like things are beginning to click and our efforts are paying off. Ulani is such a beautiful girl, and we’re completely smitten with her.

It's such a magical time of year. I hope you enjoy the magic and sparkle of December. Wishing you a wonderful few weeks in the run-up to Christmas.

Nicola x