Happy Go Puppy

17/12/2025

Some Christmas Puppy Tips
From Puppy School!! 🐶 🎄

Christmas can be a busy, chaotic and exciting time of the year for everyone. But take your eye off the ‘bauble’ and it can present many dangers to dogs. Here are 3 common mistakes that you need to avoid with your puppy...

From toxic food (chocolate, mince pies, raisins, cooked bones) to tempting decorations and noisy festivities, the holidays can be full of hidden hazards for dogs.

❗ Mistake 1: Puppies eating toxic human festive food

Owners often treat their dogs with scraps of Christmas dinner or festive treats, but many common festive foods are toxic to dogs, including chocolate, Christmas pudding/mince pies (due to the grapes, raisins or currants), onions/garlic (and related Allium plants), alcohol, and foods with the artificial sweetener xylitol. Even foods that seem harmless may cause serious issues like poisoning, digestion problems, or internal injury caused by cooked turkey or chicken bones. If you think your puppy may have ingested something harmful, contact your vet straight away.

❗ Mistake 2: Leaving festive decorations, plants, and the Christmas tree within puppy’s reach

Festive items such as Christmas-tree pine needles, tinsel, glass baubles or ornaments, wires and lights can attract a curious puppy. If chewed or swallowed, these pose ingestion or choking hazards, internal injury risk from sharp pine needles, or danger from electrical wires. Decorative plants like poinsettia, holly, mistletoe — often used at Christmas — can also be toxic or cause irritation if ingested.

Leaving gifts under the tree or unattended in the same room as your dog also risks them being chewed or swallowed, especially by curious puppies.

❗ Mistake 3: Ignoring the impact of change — routines, noise, visitors — on a puppy’s well-being

Christmas often brings a change of routine: different meal times, walks, toilet breaks, and possibly more or fewer outings. For a puppy, disruption of routine can cause stress. Give your dog a quiet spot, and try to keep their routine as normal as possible, maintaining consistent food, exercise and toilet training schedules as much as you can.

A busy household — with visitors, loud music, unfamiliar people (especially children), decorations, and excitement — can overwhelm a puppy. Without a quiet, secure space to retreat, this can lead to anxiety or behavioural issues.

Want to make sure you’ve covered everything? 🧐 Read our full guide on how to keep your pup happy and safe this Christmas: https://www.puppyschool.co.uk/puppy-advice/dogs-at-christmas

15/12/2025

15/12/2025

🐕 T H O R ♥️

I worked with this beautiful soul of a dog to help with recall and socialisation. He’d learnt some behaviours that sometimes got him into trouble with other dogs and his pawrents were starting to feel like they couldn’t give him the freedom when out at the park as he once had.

They worked REALLY hard and made some excellent strides over a number of 121 Sessions.

Thor and his family have now moved to Sweden where he runs daily in the (currently snowy) woods!!! Miss you Thor!! 🌲 🌲 🌲

11/12/2025

Wise words as always from Puppy School !!

Is a puppy on your Christmas wish list? 🎁

Before you fall for those puppy-dog eyes, take a moment to research, research, research! 📚

Every breed is different; energy levels, grooming, training needs, health considerations... and knowing what to expect is the best gift you can give your future pup. ❤️

Not sure where to start? Try:
🔍 Searching reputable sites about breed traits
📝 Learning how to find a responsible breeder
📚 Checking out trusted training and behaviour books (like The Perfect Puppy by our founder Gwen Bailey)

And remember, we have loads of free advice on our website, find the link in the comments. 👇

A little homework now = a lifetime of wagging tails later.

03/12/2025

We always try to have as much fun as possible at our classes! Look at all these happy faces (dogs and humans alike) 😃 🐶

If you have a puppy come and join us in Jan 2026!!
www.happygopuppy.co.uk/puppy-school

28/11/2025

27/11/2025

Well done to these 💯good boi’s!!!
They all completed their Private Training Courses making significant progress with their training goals!! Super proud of this gorgeous group who hope to see in the future for 🐕

If you’d like some 121 support, please get in touch! All details in the bio. 😃

19/11/2025

Some recent Private Training Course graduates 🎓

A BIG WOOF to:

🌟 Isla
🌟 Bea
🌟 Gnocchi

All puppies and all at very different phases of development. They all had different areas of training to focus and work through at their own pace. There is no one size fits all and thats why working with a professional trainer on a 121 basis can be so beneficial!!

We’d love to hear from you, if you’d like 121 support with your puppy or dog!

12/11/2025

🐾 A BIG WOOF 🐾

…to this group of graduates from last January!

🌟 Merlin
🌟 Aya
🌟 Max
🌟 Rojo

They all did brilliantly!! We missed Rojo and Max who couldn’t make it to the graduation night but still had plenty of fun. 🐶

12/11/2025

I am super proud to be registered with the ABTC. Finally some gains on a regulated industry for animal training and behaviour!!!

𝗔𝗕𝗧𝗖 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗨𝗞𝗔𝗦 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗔 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿. 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

The Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) is proud to announce that its Assessing Organisations Certification Scheme has been formally recognised by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

Following a detailed review, UKAS confirmed that the ABTC Scheme meets the requirements of the international standard ISO/IEC 17067. In simple terms, this means the Scheme meets the high standards required for recognised certification programmes, the same framework that underpins quality assurance across many professional sectors.

This recognition, published in the UKAS Stage One Report on 6 October 2025, confirms the ABTC Scheme as suitable for use within formal certification processes. It also enables the ABTC to apply for Certification Body status under ISO/IEC 17065.

For the first time, the animal behaviour and training community has a UKAS-recognised certification scheme. This milestone strengthens ABTC’s long-term goal of embedding professional standards, supporting practitioners, and helping the public find ethical, evidence-based help for their animals.

We extend sincere thanks to the volunteers and representatives from our Member Organisations whose expertise and dedication made this possible.

“The ABTC Assessing Organisations Certification Scheme was reviewed for compliance against the requirements of ISO/IEC 17067. UKAS confirmed that the ABTC Scheme is formally recognised as suitable for use in the Conformity Assessment arena.” - UKAS Stage One Report, 6 October 2025

[Alt text: Red graphic titled “Important Announcement.” Text reads: “ABTC secures landmark UKAS recognition — a first for the animal behaviour and training sector. Driving excellence in animal behaviour and training.” Includes ABTC logo and two megaphone icons.]

29/10/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GkVufK1sE/?mibextid=wwXIfr