Teddy and the trailer

Time for more Teddy!

Hazel and Peter, his Volunteer Puppy Trainers, are keen cyclists. They have a fabulous trailer that Peter pulls behind his bike, so that our sponsor puppies can enjoy the ride too! They looked after Daisy, another sponsor puppy who is today helping a deaf person as a fully qualified hearing dog, and you can see it in use here.

Of course, you couldn't just put a puppy in a trailer and pedal off, now could you? No. Peter and Hazel are brilliant trainers, and they know just what to do. First you put Teddy in the trailer and give him loads of treats so he's comfortable there.

Then, you very gently show the puppy how the trailer moves - back and forth, back and forth - all the while giving Teddy lots of treats and encouragement. He's such a good boy!

We hope to show you more of Teddy in his trailer in future. Whenever Peter and Hazel ride around with a puppy in tow, then get lots of friendly waves and smiles.

Here's some more training - helping Teddy to get used to traffic noise.

Teddy just sat there listening! No problem whatsoever. It's very important to introduce him to the wider world in a very gentle way, all at his pace. That way, we build up Teddy's confidence and he learns that new experiences are to be welcomed. New people, new places, it will all be part and parcel of his life as a hearing dog, accompanying a deaf person wherever they want to go, and we want to be sure Teddy can take it all in his stride. Which he can!

You might also notice the size difference among these photos. Teddy put on a sudden growth spurt! It happens - puppies do eventually grow up, but they're always puppies to us...

A bit of (very windy!) fun now...

Teddy loves getting out and about in the Chilterns, an area of outstanding natural beauty surrounding our Southern Training Centre. It looks very, er, refreshing!

He even gets to meet up with some brand new friends - who all look just like him!

He also makes sure he has plenty of time just to sit on a bench looking cute...

... and then, eventually, taking a well-deserved nap on a cafe floor.

Even this is training. Peter and Hazel have taught Teddy that, when he's in a public place like a cafe or library, the best thing is just to take it easy - no need to bother anyone, just relaaaaaaaax.

And that's Teddy! Loving life, having fun, just like every puppy should. Your kindness is making this possible, so until next time, thank you so much for sponsoring Teddy!