Harvey, Lottie and Lockdown

These are unusual times indeed, but Harvey manages to stay entertained - and trained.

Firstly, he's getting on very well with Lottie the Labrador. She's Volunteer Puppy Trainer Celia's own dog, and she welcome Harvey into the family home from day one.

As you can see, Harvey has grown quite a bit! He's about the same size as Lottie now.

They love to snuffle around in the leaves, just friends spending time together.

He's the same colour as the leaves!

What do you think Harvey is thinking in the photo above? Let us know in the comments!

Of course, best of friends share everything. In this case, Lottie shares her favourite doggy bed.

When we say 'shares', it was more a case of Harvey initially just lying on Lottie because she's so warm and soft! And very accommodating, fortunately.

They soon came to a nice compromise...

They're like mirror images! Except they're different colours, shapes and breeds, obviously.

One vital part of what our Volunteer Puppy Trainers do is keep their puppies trained and entertained during lockdown.

This is because, even when the world stops, our puppies keep growing! And when puppies like Harvey are growing, they need to reach certain vital stages during development, otherwise it's hard to take those steps back. They also need to be stimulated So, Celia and her daughter Alice are doing a great job, as you can see below.

The technique above helps with several things. It slows down Harvey's eating, which is just part of being a good pup, not bothering people because treats will inevitably come. It also keeps him entertained, as looking for treats becomes part of a fun game.

Actually, most of what Harvey does is a 'game' in his mind. When he waits properly, he gets a treat. If he walks nicely on his lead, he gets a fuss. If he comes when called, he has a cuddle. So, the better Harvey does, the more rewards he gets. Given he's such a good little dog, he's having a great life!

Finally, one that appeared from the archives recently, which we felt was too good not to share. Which one is Harvey do you think?

Well, he's the one on the right! This was taken by another volunteer called Jane, who looked after Harvey for a while when Celia went on holiday. The 'big Harvey' on the left is her own pet dog called Charlie. They could be father and son!

So there you have Harvey. We hope you enjoyed this latest insight into his life. We hope to bring you more about how well he's been doing, even during lockdown and social distancing. Until then, thank you one again for sponsoring him!