Welcome to the Dentbros Dogs Advent Calendar 2022!
Up until Christmas I will publish daily one (or two!) of my favourite photos of dogs and puppies I have taken in the past year, as part of my advent calendar. I hope you like them!
8th December 2022
This picture sums up why I love having puppies – they are so funny! They play so much and are so entertaining when they do. I always try to post lots of pictures and videos when I have a litter. You should always expect to see that if you are getting a puppy from a responsible breeder.
Where did you get your puppy from? Were they a responsible breeder?
Donation request
I am doing this dog advent calendar to celebrate my dogs, but also to politely request that you consider donating to Canine Concern. This is the charity that supports me going into school with my dogs and supports hundreds of other volunteers around the country, visiting lots of other places.
The charity is run very simply, by an extremely small team, with limited resources, although it does a huge amount of good. The volunteers are incredibly valued wherever they go; this year more than any other.
Alternatively, you could see if I have any Charity Calendars left to buy? See this post for more details.
Buy the AYWYP Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. I have written and designed this to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think of this post? If you want to know more or receive the next Advent Calendar post, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: When you FOLLOW my page you will receive a notification of all my new posts. SHARE this site with your friends and family using the share buttons above.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
Welcome to the Dentbros Dogs Advent Calendar 2022!
Up until Christmas I will publish daily one (or two!) of my favourite photos of dogs and puppies I have taken in the past year, as part of my advent calendar. I hope you like them!
7th December 2022
I love agility! This is Helen and Miri, Ounce’s daughter from the Lovely litter. They are already flying in agility and I am sure they will go far. There are quite a few other Dentbros Dogs competing in agility, moving up through the grades. Agility is fun! I have put this photo on the calendar as well.
What activities do you do with your dog?
Donation request
I am doing this dog advent calendar to celebrate my dogs, but also to politely request that you consider donating to Canine Concern. This is the charity that supports me going into school with my dogs and supports hundreds of other volunteers around the country, visiting lots of other places.
The charity is run very simply, by an extremely small team, with limited resources, although it does a huge amount of good. The volunteers are incredibly valued wherever they go; this year more than any other.
Alternatively, you could see if I have any Charity Calendars left to buy? See this post for more details.
Buy the AYWYP Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. I have written and designed this to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think of this post? If you want to know more or receive the next Advent Calendar post, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: When you FOLLOW my page you will receive a notification of all my new posts. SHARE this site with your friends and family using the share buttons above.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
Welcome to the Dentbros Dogs Advent Calendar 2022!
Up until Christmas I will publish daily one (or two!) of my favourite photos of dogs and puppies I have taken in the past year, as part of my advent calendar. I hope you like them!
6th December 2022
Holiday photos! I’ve been up and down to South Devon a few times this year and the dogs certainly enjoy running around on the beach. Personally, I prefer the woods, or the hills, especially in Scotland, which we also try to visit once a year.
Ounce does LOVE the water! She will happily swim, with a tiny bit of encouragement. Her daughter Murmur loves splashing around even more and will run in and out with her nose down, surfing the waves. Funny dogs!
Where do you take your dogs on holiday?
Donation request
I am doing this dog advent calendar to celebrate my dogs, but also to politely request that you consider donating to Canine Concern. This is the charity that supports me going into school with my dogs and supports hundreds of other volunteers around the country, visiting lots of other places.
The charity is run very simply, by an extremely small team, with limited resources, although it does a huge amount of good. The volunteers are incredibly valued wherever they go; this year more than any other.
Alternatively, you could see if I have any Charity Calendars left to buy? See this post for more details.
Buy the AYWYP Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. I have written and designed this to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think of this post? If you want to know more or receive the next Advent Calendar post, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: When you FOLLOW my page you will receive a notification of all my new posts. SHARE this site with your friends and family using the share buttons above.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
Welcome to the Dentbros Dogs Advent Calendar 2022!
Up until Christmas I will publish daily one (or two!) of my favourite photos of dogs and puppies I have taken in the past year, as part of my advent calendar. I hope you like them!
5th December 2022
This is Bonnie, one of the Sweetie Litter, born in May 2019. I took this photo at the Dentbros Dogs reunion, which we held in August this year. It was fabulous to see so many of the amazing dogs I’ve bred altogether.
Can you spot any of the dogs you know?
Donation request
I am doing this dog advent calendar to celebrate my dogs, but also to politely request that you consider donating to Canine Concern. This is the charity that supports me going into school with my dogs and supports hundreds of other volunteers around the country, visiting lots of other places.
The charity is run very simply, by an extremely small team, with limited resources, although it does a huge amount of good. The volunteers are incredibly valued wherever they go; this year more than any other.
Alternatively, you could see if I have any Charity Calendars left to buy? See this post for more details.
Buy the AYWYP Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. I have written and designed this to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think of this post? If you want to know more or receive the next Advent Calendar post, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: When you FOLLOW my page you will receive a notification of all my new posts. SHARE this site with your friends and family using the share buttons above.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
Welcome to the Dentbros Dogs Advent Calendar 2022!
Up until Christmas I will publish daily one (or two!) of my favourite photos of dogs and puppies I have taken in the past year, as part of my advent calendar. I hope you like them!
4th December 2022
Ah my Princess Aurora! She is the sweetest dog, beloved by everyone, although quite annoying to live with. She can be very squeaky and is pretty needy. Aura is a great agility dog though and has had three wins at grade 5, which is not too bad considering I am a pretty ropey handler. She is 10 years old now and starting to slow down, but she is still such a smiley dog. I have included this photo on my calendar for next year – see below for details.
What? Well how can I resist sharing another bluebell photo? I took this when Murmur was 9 weeks old. She rocked the shoot.
Donation request
I am doing this dog advent calendar to celebrate my dogs, but also to politely request that you consider donating to Canine Concern. This is the charity that supports me going into school with my dogs and supports hundreds of other volunteers around the country, visiting lots of other places.
The charity is run very simply, by an extremely small team, with limited resources, although it does a huge amount of good. The volunteers are incredibly valued wherever they go; this year more than any other.
Alternatively, you could see if I have any Charity Calendars left to buy? See this post for more details.
Buy the AYWYP Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. I have written and designed this to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think of this post? If you want to know more or receive the next Advent Calendar post, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: When you FOLLOW my page you will receive a notification of all my new posts. SHARE this site with your friends and family using the share buttons above.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
Welcome to the Dentbros Dogs Advent Calendar 2022!
Up until Christmas I will publish daily one (or two!) of my favourite photos of dogs and puppies I have taken in the past year, as part of my advent calendar. I hope you like them!
3rd December 2022
I loved having the Punk Litter! Ounce had just four beautiful puppies this year – three lilac and whites and one blue and white. I couldn’t believe my luck when she had a lilac and white girl! She is such a sweet dog – there may be more pictures of her coming..
You can see how much I LOVE having puppies! It’s worth all the hard work and heartache! I couldn’t do it more than once a year though, it’s so challenging.
Donation request
I am doing this dog advent calendar to celebrate my dogs, but also to politely request that you consider donating to Canine Concern. This is the charity that supports me going into school with my dogs and supports hundreds of other volunteers around the country, visiting lots of other places.
The charity is run very simply, by an extremely small team, with limited resources, although it does a huge amount of good. The volunteers are incredibly valued wherever they go; this year more than any other.
Alternatively, you could see if I have any Charity Calendars left to buy? See this post for more details.
Buy the AYWYP Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. I have written and designed this to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think of this post? If you want to know more or receive the next Advent Calendar post, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: When you FOLLOW my page you will receive a notification of all my new posts. SHARE this site with your friends and family using the share buttons above.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
Welcome to the Dentbros Dogs Advent Calendar 2022!
Up until Christmas I will publish daily one (or two!) of my favourite photos of dogs and puppies I have taken in the past year. I hope you like them!
2nd December 2022
Today we have the picture of the beautiful boys – Charlie and Dash. They are from the A-Z litter and the Sweetie litter. I am lucky to have quite a few of my puppies living nearby, meaning that I have the chance to meet up for walks and a catch-up. I have featured this photo on the 2023 Charity Calendar – see below for more details.
Donation request
I am doing this dog advent calendar to celebrate my dogs, but also to politely request that you consider donating to Canine Concern. This is the charity that supports me going into school with my dogs and supports hundreds of other volunteers around the country, visiting lots of other places.
The charity is run very simply, by an extremely small team, with limited resources, although it does a huge amount of good. The volunteers are incredibly valued wherever they go; this year more than any other.
Alternatively, you could see if I have any Charity Calendars left to buy? See this post for more details.
Buy the AYWYP Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. I have written and designed this to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think of this post? If you want to know more or receive the next Advent Calendar post, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: When you FOLLOW my page you will receive a notification of all my new posts. SHARE this site with your friends and family using the share buttons above.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
Welcome to the Dentbros Dogs Advent Calendar 2022!
Way-hay! It’s the beginning of December and our thoughts are turning inevitably towards Christmas.
Up until Christmas I will publish daily one (or two!) of my favourite photos of dogs and puppies I have taken in the past year. I hope you like them!
1st December 2022
This is Murmur, at just a few days old. The Punk Litter were born on 8th February this year and have turned into the most wonderful dogs.
Donation request
I am doing this dog advent calendar to celebrate my dogs, but also to politely request that you consider donating to Canine Concern. This is the charity that supports me going into school with my dogs and supports hundreds of other volunteers around the country, visiting lots of other places.
The charity is run very simply, by an extremely small team, with limited resources, although it does a huge amount of good. The volunteers are incredibly valued wherever they go; this year more than any other.
Alternatively, you could see if I have any Charity Calendars left to buy? See this post for more details.
Buy the AYWYP Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. I have written and designed this to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think of this post? If you want to know more or receive the next Advent Calendar post, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: When you FOLLOW my page you will receive a notification of all my new posts. SHARE this site with your friends and family using the share buttons above.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
This is an introduction to the year long course, A Year With Your Puppy (AYWYP). In June 2021, I kept my 7th puppy, Quin. He’s the 9th Border Collie I’ve had over the past 30 years, as I have also re-homed a couple. Quin is also the 5th puppy I’ve bred and kept, which was part of the inspiration behind his name.
Me and my dogs
I’ve had dogs for most of my life and apart from a Cocker Spaniel we had until I was ten years old, these dogs have been Border Collies, in various shapes and sizes. My mum bred from her dogs for fun and I decided to continue that tradition. However, because I was a business person and entrepreneur, I decided to do it to the very best of my ability, becoming a responsible, Kennel Club Assured Breeder from day one.
Me and my dogs
The first and only dog I bought as a puppy, from a stranger, was Sunny, who came to us in August 2006, at the age of six weeks. She was an absolutely brilliant dog in so many ways and the beginning of my legacy. I started doing agility with her and she taught me that agility is great fun, but very challenging! Sunny was a fantastic dog to begin my breeding journey, producing 22 gorgeous puppies in three litters. I was also lucky enough to be mentored by the owner of the first stud dog I used.
I kept Luna from Sunny’s first litter and then when Luna had her first litter, I kept Aura. Three generations, so far so good. My plan was to keep a pup from each dog, each generation. I planned to have a boy at some point, living nearby, whom I could use for stud. Lovely. Of course things don’t go according to plan and there have been many hiccups and challenges along the way! I planned to have one litter per year; in 13 years I have had 12 litters, but it has been anything but straightforward.
My Sunny
Introducing my current family
We currently have six dogs, including Luna and Aura, mother and daughter, aged 12 and 10. Luna is diabetic, with cataracts, so is a bit of a frail old lady. Aura had one litter and one of those pups developed epilepsy, meaning no more pups from her. She’s been a fantastic agility dog, winning at grade 5, a massive achievement for me and her. Next comes Busy – my dog of a lifetime. She decided to stay; I wasn’t meant to keep her. She has been absolutely brilliant in so many ways. Initially an ‘unregistered’ Working Sheepdog, I transferred her to the breed register and she has had three amazing litters of pups. I kept Ounce from her first litter, my purple puppy. Then Quin from her third litter, the boy.
Finally, (for now) I have kept Ounce’s daughter, Murmur, another lilac girl. She and Quin are not that closely related, as Ounce and Quin have different sires and Murmur has a completely different line on her dad’s side. So hopefully Quin and Murmur will have pups of their own, one day.
Luna, Aura, Quin, Murmur, Ounce and Busy
Different breeds?
Owning dogs is a constant joy, full of heartache. Breeding is even more of this. I don’t recommend becoming a breeder, yet, we need many more dogs bred with love and purpose. We need people to choose to have dogs that have been bred with care and awareness.
I am a very experienced Border Collie owner, but that does not necessarily make me an experienced dog owner. Of course I have come into contact with many dogs over the years and I have had lots of dogs stay in my home. However, there are some breeds of dog that remain a mystery to me. I haven’t spent a lot of time with any brachycephalic dogs, so if you have a Pug, or a French Bulldog, this course and book are probably not going to be that useful to you. Health is my primary concern – I want all my dogs to live long and happy lives. Otherwise, it should be a good resource to help you navigate your first experience of owning a dog.
Quin the star of the AYWYP Workbook
How to use this book
I’ve written this course alongside owning Quin during his first year. As with learning any new skill, owning and training a puppy is not a linear process. You need lots of information and hard work at the start, which you gradually consolidate over a long period of time.
Traditional puppy training courses typically last around 6 weeks, with most people missing one or two classes. These days we usually have access to online support and there are sometimes written notes. But once you’ve attended these classes, you might think you are up and running. Just like having a child, it is not that simple. You will go backwards some weeks and you will definitely need to re-visit some areas several times.
The AYWYP Workbook
I’ve written the course in a 3 week cycle, covering:
Information
Training
Problem behaviour.
You can see the contents of the course on the Contents Page. Each week you read the lesson, then think about how that affects your relationship with your dog. There will be Weekly Focus Challenge to do. You can share the results of your efforts on social media, in the AYWYP Facebook group. You can write up notes on how it is going and stick photos of your dog in this book. It’s a record of your progress. Before we start the lessons, let’s think about how to get a perfect dog? And how to be a perfect dog owner? It’s simple really..
Buy the Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME, by filling in your email address below? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
If you have a dog already, you might think it is perfect. I do think that Ounce is pretty perfect. She’s certainly pretty! I love her sooo much, almost more than my sons and my husband (well I couldn’t love her more than them, could I?) Is she perfect though? Is anyone really perfect?
Before you get a dog, you have a picture in your mind of ‘life with a dog’. It includes long country walks, kicking up the leaves, with your dog trotting at your side. Is the dog running around off lead, but quickly returning to you when you call it? Or do you imagine a dog like Fenton?
Your ‘perfect dog’ picture might have you sitting on the sofa in front of a fire, with your dog’s head resting lovingly on your knee, while you stroke him. Is the dog farting? No, didn’t think so. Is your dog sitting ON you, so that you can’t really see the TV?
When you have children, they usually want a dog. They imagine a cuddly, fluffy puppy, who snuggles up to them and plays games with them. Perhaps it will be dressed up and pushed around. Or it will run around with them in the garden. Do they see it chewing up a favourite teddy? Or their shoe? Is it being sick on their bedroom carpet?
Here are my 4 key points to help you prepare for life with a dog:
1. Be realistic
Get real. A dog is not a toy. Nor is it a person. A puppy that is cuddly at four weeks does not stay that way. So by the time your puppy arrives home with you, it bites – a lot. The only way to stop this is to manage the behaviour, through distraction and plenty of downtime.
You will need a crate or cage (paid ad) to keep your puppy out of danger while you are not actively watching it. A dog run, or playpen, is ideal to help you manage your puppy. You can make sure they are safe, not chewing up the house, but they have room to run about and play.
2. Be realistic
A friend with a puppy and a young dog shared a picture of both dogs covered in mud, having been digging in the garden. What a brilliant game for a dog! She did see the funny side of it, but also said “they know they are not supposed to do it”. Er, no. Dogs do NOT understand the difference between right and wrong.
A dog will dig. It will chew. It will destroy things. That is how they work. I was reminded of a little quiz I wrote a while ago about when you should punish your dog. When Busy was a pup she chewed a hole in my curtain. I moved the curtain. She chewed another one. I moved that one. She did it TWICE MORE! Why didn’t I learn the first time? Silly me.
3. Be realistic
Dogs need stimulation and exercise. If you leave a dog on its own at home all day, don’t expect it to be a model of perfection. I have written about separation anxiety and there are many sources of information and advice covering this topic.
Dogs do naturally want to be lying at your feet all day long. But they don’t have to do this. You need a lifestyle that is manageable for you and your dog. Being consistent is perhaps the best thing you can do, whether that is going out for 6 hours a day or just popping out now and again.
If you work away from the home, it is pretty straightforward to find a good dog walker. You need someone who understands dogs and is able to come regularly. A dog walker also has the advantage of walking a number of compatible dogs together, which ensures additional interaction and engagement.
4. Be realistic
Hopefully by now you have realised that getting a dog is NOT a perfect experience. It will only live up to expectations if your expectations are pretty low (and realistic!) You need to imagine the mess, the mud, the wees, the poos, the chewing and digging, the hair. Make sure you include plenty of disaster and a fair amount of heartache.
When I receive an enquiry from someone, I send them an Application Form. I ask them what their selection criteria are for their dog. They must tell me what kind of dog they want, so I can see if they are being realistic and specific about what they want. Do they know that they want a particular breed and why? Have they done some research about what makes their breed so special? Please read my breed blog for ideas on what makes dog breeds different? Or checkout the Kennel Club website, which has mases of information.
I ask people what is the best and worst thing about having a dog. My favourite answer is “getting distracted from chores because all you’d want to do is play with your dog”. Dogs definitely are a good reason not to get on – cuddles and play are always available! Of course the actual worst thing is when they are ill and dying – they’re not here for long and losing your dog will break your heart, I promise you that.
No way out?
It is hard to imagine something we haven’t had and often the reality does not match our expectations. If you feel overwhelmed, there is plenty of help out there. It is essential to get support from a good dog trainer, such as Delders Dogs. I love that Adam focuses on building a community of people going through the same pain and sharing solutions to all the common problems.
It is hard, having a dog. Not just a puppy, any dog. There is a period of adjustment and sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Much better to admit defeat and find a better home for your dog, than to keep struggling and making you and your dog miserable. I’m not going to say that all problems can be dealt with, because some things are just too difficult to solve.
Is it worth it?
Yes, yes, yes. A million times yes. Having a dog will improve your life. For better and worse. For richer for poorer (definitely poorer). In sickness and health. Till death us do part. The joy of having a dog is hard to imagine, but once experienced, almost impossible to live without.
When people say to me “I wanted to wait until the time was right”, it makes me sad. There is no better time to get a dog than right now. Because dogs do make things better, especially in troubled times. Good luck with your dog!
Buy the Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME, by filling in your email address below? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner.
