Every year more than a quarter of a million British households take on a potentially life-changing responsibility –a puppy . Raising a puppy can be challenging and exhausting; some people compare the time and emotion required to bringing up a new-born baby. What’s more, nurturing a puppy takes knowledge and work. Get it right and you have a loyal friend for life; get it wrong and your lovely ball of fluff can become a yappy, snappy monster.
In this two-part series for BBC Two, Six Puppies and Us follows six British households embarking on this extraordinary adventure, and trace their stories over the course of the first year of their puppy’s life. From the joys of cuddles on the sofa and playing in the park to the frustration of sleepless nights and toilet accidents, we show the chaos, tears and laughter which comes with having a puppy.
But the series isn’t just about the highs and lows of puppy ownership – the stories delve into the fascinating science of puppy development. The first year of a dog’s life is equivalent to about 16 human years, and during that time puppies go through huge hormonal changes; growing from needy babies to curious toddlers then testing teenagers so fast it’s often hard for owners to keep up. Along the way the series uncovers fascinating insights like the Fear Imprint stage, and identify a few important weeks when the puppy is uniquely susceptible to shocks and can become scarred for life by any traumatic experience.
This series shows the highs and lows of puppy ownership, while at the same time celebrating the joy that puppies bring to thousands of people’s lives every year.