From Hebe's latest photoshoot

Hebe recently had a photoshoot! This is all in preparation for her next printed update which will be out quite soon. How exciting!

So exciting in fact, that we've decided to share some of them here. These aren't the same as the photos you'll see in your update, but they give you an idea of what she's up to nowadays.

First up, how is she looking? The answer is: cute! Same as always!

She's actually starting to look quite dignified. She still loves tummy-rubs but in between them, it's clear to see that she's growing up to be a magnificent-looking Spaniel.

So what is she doing now? Well, she's learning to recognise sounds, a very important step for our little puppies because it's where they change from being extremely well trained dogs, to amazing hearing dogs. Below you can see Katie, who is training Hebe.

As you can see, Hebe is now wearing her 'I'm learning to be a hearing dog' burgundy coat. These are quite a regular feature in towns and villages local to our training centre in Buckinghamshire.

For Hebe, 'Learning to be a hearing dog' means figuring out how to alert people to sounds. Most of our dogs do this with a gentle but insistent nose nudge, but Hebe's quite unusual in that she prefers to use her paws! It's so cute, and she's so positive when she does it, that we decided to let her continue to do this.

Hebe is also learning about waking people up in the morning. Deaf people can't hear alarm clocks, and sometimes even putting a vibrating clock under the cushion isn't enough. However, being woken up by an affectionate dog bouncing on you certainly is enough! You can see Hebe 'waking Katie' below. It's all training, but Hebe just thinks it's fun (big secret: it is fun really!) Katie also looks like she's enjoying herself too!

Another important sound is the doorbell. Deaf people often find it very frustrating that they either miss the doorbell altogether, or, if they're expecting a visitor, have to keep peering through the window to check. So, a happy little hearing dog is the solution. Who do you think is visitng Katie and Hebe here? It's a mystery! Why not suggest who might be visiting in the comments section below?

That's all for now. Your printed update will tell you much more about what Hebe's doing, which you will receive because you're her sponsor. Thank you so much for helping her get this far!