Episode 2 Choose the Right Puppy for You

Every year across the length and breadth of Britain,

more than 700,000 puppies are welcomed home

by their excited new owners.

With over 200 breeds to choose from,

how do you know which one is the right one for you?

Big, small, hairy, energetic,

which breed would YOU choose?

Every year, over 120,000 dogs need to be rehomed.

So choosing the right one couldn't be more important for you

or the dog.

-No!

-DOG YAPS

Oh, no, no, no. I couldn't walk out with that one.

So we're following five very different families

as they set out on this extraordinary journey.

Going to get stuck!

Stinky breath!

THEY LAUGH

Dog behaviourist, Louise Glazebrook...

Archie!

..is on hand to guide our families through this difficult decision.

I probably wouldn't have suggested a Maltese for you as a family.

-You don't want to be doing that work...

-No.

..he's not necessarily equipped for it, where do we end up?

In a unique trial,

they'll experience different breeds before they commit.

I think I've been poodle-ised!

I would love something that's a bit more...manly?

Drawing on the latest scientific research from around the world,

and teaming up with the UK's leading dog experts,

tonight, we'll find out which breeds are the nosiest...

..which are the most destructive...

So what causes a dog to create mass destruction?

..and which are the most likely to do what you tell them.

Sit! Sit.

Our families will face tough choices...

I'm not just buying something just because it looks cute.

I just desperately want to get a puppy.

..before they finally bring Puppy home.

I feel like I'm in a dream.

But will they get it right?

Have we bitten off more than we can chew?

This is the ultimate guide to choosing the right puppy for you.

Having a dog in the family has many benefits for children.

The Child Heart and Health Study

found it increased their activity levels,

while other research has shown it teaches them responsibility.

But how do you choose a puppy that's the perfect match for your kids?

67-year-old single dad Frank Thornley lives in Cheltenham

with his three daughters, Lulu, Frankie and Lucy.

So who wants cheese and who wants ham?

-I want cheese!

-I've got the ham out.

The thing with bringing up three daughters is,

you don't get chance to get bored, you just get tired.

And he's fighting something of a losing battle.

We'll just keep on putting posters of dogs on the wall

until he gets us one.

-Oh, I see one you might like.

-That one.

Oh, no, no, no. I couldn't walk out with that one.

-Let's see?

-No, I'd have to wear a balaclava.

The girls have their hearts set on a breed.

I want a Maltese.

Cos they're fluffy, cute, small and adorable.

This is the Maltese!

I think I'd rather have a nice 911 Porsche or something.

But Frank just wants to make his girls happy.

They're beautiful children.

This is me trying to give them something they really want.

I try to do what I can do for them.

You can't do everything.

But you know, if it's within my power, I'll try and do it.

Whoa! It's ate all its sausages.

You can see now, can't you?

I've got no chance with these three.

They've won the war, I think. The battle's over.

Luckily, backup is on the way.

-SHE WHISTLES

-Come on.

Dog behaviourist Louise Glazebrook has worked with

thousands of dogs and their owners.

Part of my job as a dog trainer and behaviourist

is helping families find the right dog for them.

Going into their homes and going into their environment

enables me to find out quite a lot from them.

And when it comes to puppies and children,

Louise knows what works and what doesn't.

So even three little girls won't get around her.

Door's already open!

Good morning. Well, I didn't know that.

-How are you?

-Good.

What's the reason that you think has prompted you to think

that now might be a good time to get a dog?

-Um, I just think they really, really want one...

-OK.

..and I had dogs when I was a kid.

As they live in a flat, they've limited their search to small dogs.

Why don't you guys talk me through what you've found?

-It came up with this one.

-Mm-hm.

-I want a dog just like it.

So show me some of the other pictures then.

This was the other one.

OK. So basically Maltese, another Maltese puppy.

Can I just type in something here for you to look at?

So when you look at a fully-grown one...

-Cos a puppy's not going to be a puppy for very long.

-Mmm.

So this is what you're going to end up with for 15 years.

-Oh, my God!

-Is this what you want?

-Give it a haircut!

It looks like a big duster.

One of the things that we're seeing a bigger trend of

is girls wanting little teacup dogs.

So really tiny versions of dogs, like Chihuahuas

and Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, those kind of breeds.

Girls are drawn to them especially, because, I think, there's that

kind of baby element of them, in that they can pick them up,

they can cuddle them, they can cradle them,

they can put them in bags.

But Louise knows that handling a dog too much can lead to big problems.

One of my concerns is that if they don't leave it alone,

that's potentially where you end up with aggression issues,

because the dog needs to get rid of the children,

because it doesn't want to be handled all the time.

So for me, I really want to steer them clear

of anything that is really too small.

Lucy!

Choosing the right dog for a home with young children

couldn't be a more important decision.

So before Frank goes any further, Louise wants him and the girls

to experience some different dogs.

Is he going to be a Chihuahua?

I'm not telling you what it is.

Is it going to be at the bottom of the stairs, at the door...

You're going to have to wait and see.

-Will it come with a bed?

-You'll have to wait and see.

-Can you just give us one clue?

-No.

-Yeah, OK.

-Yeah? OK, what is it?

-It's got four legs and a tail.

I know the girls are obsessed with Maltese,

and I know that they want to have some time with one.

They're going to get their opportunity to be with one, but I've

also lined up another breed of dog that I really want them to consider.

THE GIRLS SQUEAL

ALL: It's a poodle!

For me, a toy poodle is a perfect choice for these girls.

They're a little bit bigger than a Maltese,

which means that hopefully the girls

won't be able to pick it up quite as much.

There's also the element of barking -

they're not generally quite as barky as some of the Maltese breed.

Also, they love doing tricks, they love to perform,

and I think the girls would really benefit from that.

The toy poodle is a good size for small homes.

They're intelligent dogs that love learning new things.

But what will the girls and Frank make of Myrtle?

She's got a posh little walk, ain't she?

FRANK LAUGHS

There are three sizes of poodle - standard, miniature and toy.

The standard was bred to retrieve game from the water,

while the miniature and toy varieties were bred as companions.

And thanks to their love of tricks,

they also proved popular as circus performers.

-Teach her how to sit, Lucy.

-Myrtle! Sit.

-You tell her.

-Now do down.

-Sit!

-Sit. Down!

Good girl! She's ready to play as well.

I like the tricks, walking on the hind legs.

You might even see me on X Factor one day.

GIRLS: Stay!

-OK!

-Well done!

Ah, it's lovely, I love it. I want it.

-I want this dog!

-I want a toy poodle now.

Go on, then, you do it.

Good surprise. And if you'd said to me before,

I'd probably say, "I don't really want a poodle."

But I think I've been poodle-ised!

So it looks like Frank and the girls are keen.

But how will the poodle stack up next to the girls' favourite,

the Maltese?

This breed is renowned for its friendly temperament,

but can be quite vocal.

It needs around 30 minutes of exercise a day and regular grooming.

Round here. Come on, poppets!

The girls have fallen in love with puppy photos.

So what will they think of Lancey, Evie and Merlin in the flesh?

Oh!

I know I really like her.

Not surprisingly, the Maltese is originally from Malta,

and the breed is believed to be more than 1,500 years old.

DOG YAPS

Looks like Frank's not off to a good start.

DOG BARKS

I'd leave him for a minute, he's a bit not sure.

Time for a walk.

But the dogs aren't getting much exercise.

One of the reasons that I probably

wouldn't have suggested a Maltese for you as a family

-is that the girls can constantly pick and scoop it up.

-Yeah.

And that's really easy to do with a Maltese.

The reason I wanted you to experience the poodle

was because I think that, in my experience,

-they're a really playful dog...

-Yeah.

..they're great family pets.

A toy poodle is by no means large,

but it's not quite as easy to keep scooping it up.

-Yeah. It's a bit more lively, isn't it?

-Yeah.

So, poodle versus Maltese. Who's won?

You know you told me that the toy poodle

-was going to get a ten out of ten?

-Yeah.

What would you give these Maltese out of ten?

I think I would give them a ten.

Although the poodle's been a surprise hit,

it looks like the girls are still keen on the Maltese,

which isn't making Frank's decision any easier.

It's the girls who want the dog.

They just need me to get it.

So I want to get something what they want.

Not what I want.

But I just want to use my parental help

to make sure we make the right choice.

Many small and toy breeds of dog

are seeing an extraordinary rise in numbers,

according to Kennel Club registrations.

In fact, the Maltese has almost doubled in popularity

in the last five years.

But although its size makes it ideal for homes where space is limited,

as Frank found out, the Maltese can also be quite vocal.

Not ideal if you have neighbours.

DOG BARKS

So how much do different breeds of dog bark?

Dogs will bark for all sorts of reason

and some bark more than others.

So to find out more about the barking habits of some of the dogs

featured in our series, we asked their owners to keep a bark diary.

How often did their dogs bark, when did they bark, and how loud was it?

So, three popular but very different breeds - small, medium and large.

We've armed their owners with a decibel app. What were the results?

First, the Cocker Spaniel. Dylan is two and a half years old

and lives in a detached house in Tewkesbury

along with Wendy and Paul and another Cocker Spaniel called Bella.

Dylan barked when playing with other dogs,

when waiting for his ball to be thrown,

and once when he got stuck in a room by himself -

around 14 times in total in one week.

His owner recorded a peak decibel reading of 88.

That's equivalent to a lawn mower.

Next, the Labrador.

Chester lives in a four-bedroom detached house

in Worcestershire with Sophia, Alex and two cats.

Chester mostly barked for his breakfast or at the cats.

In total, he barked around 50 times in one week.

His owner recorded a decibel level of over 110.

That's the same as a pneumatic drill.

Finally, the Lhasa Apso.

Hugo is seven months old and lives in an end-of-terrace house

with a family of four and a pet snake called Walter.

Hugo barked when he wanted to go upstairs, go downstairs,

to be let into a room, to be let out of a room

and even at bird song in the garden.

In fact, he barked 112 times in one week

and the volume of his bark peaked at over 110 decibels -

louder then a nightclub!

That's one little dog with a big attitude.

So do little dogs in general bark more?

A study of 8,000 dogs looked at so-called small dog syndrome -

a term that covers a number of nuisance behaviours

like barking, humping and stranger-directed aggression.

This study found that those behaviours

WERE more common in small dogs.

But the research also suggested that this could have less to do

with any innate behavioural traits

and more to do with how we treat our dogs.

It's thought we're more indulgent of bad behaviour in small dogs,

so they do it because they get away with it.

Almost one in ten people chose their breed on the spur of the moment,

according to a Kennel Club survey of over 2,000 dog owners.

But finding the right dog takes time and effort.

In Lytham St Annes,

Karen and Kim Caulfield have been researching breeds for a month.

We're still wanting a puppy.

More than ever, really.

Yeah. In fact, can't wait.

After their beloved Cavachon, Eddie, died,

they're looking for a dog to lavish with affection.

Because I have never had children,

all the mothering instincts that I have go into my pets.

And now they've made their choice.

And what a choice it is, because they've decided

to go for one of the biggest dogs on the planet -

the Newfoundland.

Do you think we're mad?

I don't think you're mad.

I think you're obviously up for a challenge.

These giants weigh around 60 kilos and stand about 70 centimetres tall.

They love swimming and have a thick, waterproof coat that sheds a lot.

And as everything they need is supersized,

they're not cheap to keep.

It's a lot of dog to take on.

And Louise Glazebrook wants to see if Karen and Kim

and their three-bedroom semi are really fully prepared.

It's not that I think a Newfoundland is a bad idea.

I think it could potentially be a great dog for Kim and Karen.

It's more about the things that go alongside that breed of dog.

So they're big, they're drooly, they're slobbery.

So I just want to make sure that they're really prepared

and they totally understand what they're getting themselves in for.

So she's arranged for them to have some visitors.

OMG!

Oh, what beautiful dogs!

Arriving with not one,

not two but three of her Newfoundlands in Helen Hudson.

-Come on in.

-Come on, Cherry.

-Oh, Cherry?

-Yes.

-Hello, Cherry!

This might be a fun - getting round the door!

This is to kind of see

how we're going to be able to Newfie-proof our property.

Absolutely.

-LAUGHING:

-I don't know how this is going to work!

-Right. Perhaps we go in first.

-Yes.

Right, Cherry, this is going to be fun.

We can't do it, can we?

-That's the first, um...

-There we go.

-What do you call it?

Try it now. There we go. Come on, Cherry.

Oh, bless! What an intelligent girl.

Hello, beautiful. Thank you for coming to my house.

Can she get through?

Cherry, come on, baby.

Here we go, darling. There you go.

That will have gone in no time, I bet, won't it?

I would never have thought, looking at the dogs out there

and in here, that they would have taken up so much room.

Quite surprised, looking at the amount of space

just one dog takes up with Kim.

I would have thought, previously,

"Oh, you know, no problem - two of us and a dog on the couch."

Ooh, baby!

Luckily, Kim is man with a plan.

Thinking about considerable downsizing of furniture

and that sort of thing to make room for...

-At the very least, move it about.

-Make room for us!

-Yeah.

But it's not just their furniture

Karen and Kim should be worrying about.

There might be some slobber on the walls

and your paintwork needs washing down.

They do have a very dense undercoat, and a couple of times a year,

they can what they call blow the coat.

And big chunks come out and it's their undercoat.

Because of the size of them, the vet's bills can be higher

because, you know, if they need an injection,

they need to use more of the actual medication.

But has any of that given Karen and Kim pause for thought?

It's given me a thought that I'm going to have to shift

a few of my ornaments that I'm particularly fond of!

Mum's going to go first!

Time for a walk.

Oh, it's a definite change of situation with the settee, isn't it?

Betsy, come and size our car up. What do you think?

Come on. Good girl. Come on.

-Wow!

-Good girl.

-We're in.

-We're in!

Well, I think we might have to try

and get something bigger or a van or something like that.

To the beach! And don't spare the horses.

-Or the Newfies.

-Or the Newfies.

SEAGULLS CRY

She suits you, Kim.

As well as being one of the biggest breeds,

the Newfoundland is also one of the strongest.

These dogs were originally used by fisherman

to help haul in their nets,

and on dry land, they were used as draft dogs,

pulling goods carts.

Because of their size and strength, training is very important -

you don't want one of these pulling on the lead or jumping up at you.

But it's something that I'm sure,

once we've got the training course in,

I'm sure they would be no problem.

So what's the verdict on a puppy that, by the time they pick it up,

will already weight as much as a one-year-old child?

It was lovely today

cos it just reconfirmed that we're exactly Newfie people.

Not only is it, like, we're not off our rockers,

I think we were off our rockers

to consider any other kind of breed, really.

-As it turns out, yeah.

-Yeah.

-DOG BARKS

-Oh, bless!

Whatever size dog you bring home, training is important.

Puppy classes are a great place to start.

As well as teaching your dog how to behave around people,

it's also an important part of their socialisation with other dogs.

But are some breeds easier to train then others?

A well-trained dog can go to more places,

it will fit in better with friends and family

and generally be a more sociable,

happier and popular companion to have around.

We've called in a crack team of canine competitors

representing all the different breed groups.

They're going to take part in a test

devised by animal behaviourist Gwen Bailey to find out

how much each dog naturally wants to please its owner -

a quality that makes training far easier.

How on earth do you test willingness to please?

We're going to do a sit test.

We're going to ask the owners to ask their dogs to sit on cue repeatedly

and only reward them with praise.

-Right.

-No other rewards, not even touching.

-OK.

And what we'd expect to see

is that those dogs that are willing to please will go on for longer.

All our contestants are lined up, ready for the off.

OK, go!

-Sit.

-Sit.

-But after just one sit,

Oscar the Great Dane is calling it a day already.

Great Danes are bred to work independently of people,

so don't have as much natural drive to please as some other breeds.

Pug Floyd makes an early exit, too.

Pugs are companion dogs and if they don't have to work hard

to get their owner's affection - and most don't - they won't bother.

Sit.

Meanwhile, Chester the Labrador is sitting for Britain.

He's now on his fifth sit and showing no sign of tiring.

As gun dogs, Labradors excel at working closely with their owners.

Good boy!

Sour, sit. Clever girl!

Chester, sit. Good boy!

The others are dropping like flies.

Boxer Neeve is out...

Sit. Sit.

..followed by Terrier Fern...

..and Bavarian Mountain Hound Sour.

-And the last dog standing, or rather sitting...

-Chester, sit.

..is Chester the Labrador.

He's currently on sit number ten,

and doesn't look like giving up any time soon.

Well done!

Desperately willing to please.

Gun dogs have been bred for generations

to please their owners and he is a classic example.

So if you want a dog that's easier to train,

go for one that's been bred to work with people,

like the Labrador, the Poodle and the German Shepherd.

And if you like a challenge,

go for a more independently-minded dog and stock up on sausages!

Deciding between over 200 different breeds,

not to mention even more crossbreeds, is far from easy,

but there are plenty of ways to find out more about them,

from a walk in your local park to a visit to a dog show,

because if there's one thing about dog owners,

they're always more than happy to talk to you about their dogs.

In Cheltenham, Frank Thornley is trying to find a breed of dog

that's suitable for his three young daughters and their apartment.

The girls are obsessed with toy breeds, like the Maltese,

but Louise Glazebrook wants Frank to consider alternatives.

So he's travelled to the Kennel Club in London

for a unique speed-dating event.

Here, potential dog owners and different breeds of dog

can get to know one another better.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm Frank.

-I'm Jane.

-Mind if I give her a stroke?

-Got a nice soft coat, hasn't she?

-Yeah.

-Hiya.

-I'm Frank. What's your name?

-I'm Roma.

-Can I stroke your dog?

The Standard Poodle is about ten centimetres taller

than the Toy Poodle that Frank and the girls tried.

This is a little cutie. We've gone from one extreme to another.

Cute little thing, isn't it? I'm trying to see your face!

Dachshunds come in two sizes - miniature and standard -

and can be smooth-haired, long-haired or wire-haired.

-Cos they like families, they're good for retired people.

-Yeah.

I'm not really a pensioner but it's good to know that.

-This is a Portuguese...

-Pointer.

-..Pointer.

So is Frank any closer to finding the right breed?

You know, you go one dog to another one

and then you think, "Oh, that's a lovely dog. THAT'S a nice dog!"

So, given me too much choice!

I don't know about helping me decide.

This is getting more difficult!

But luckily, Frank has a breakthrough,

and today, he's driving 150 miles north to Preston

to see a litter of puppies.

So which breed has he gone for?

I was coming back for a car auction

and popped into this little country pub.

There was this guy, an old boy, and he had this little dog with him,

lovely-looking dog and friendly as well, you know.

He said it's a Cavapoo.

The Cavapoo is a cross between a Poodle and a King Charles Spaniel.

Size and colour can vary depending on the parents,

but they're small enough for a flat and have a friendly temperament.

I think I like the idea of the Cavapoo is, you know, with the mix,

with the Poodle side of it, and the King Charles is a companion dog,

something which, you know, blends in with the family.

To avoid any impulse buying,

he hasn't brought the girls with him to see the puppies.

I'm not just buying something just because it looks cute.

And I think I'll make a better decision if I'm on my own.

Before he arrives, he puts in a call to update Louise.

We've decided on the type of dog we want.

-'OK. So what have you gone for?'

-We're going for the Cavapoo.

'Yeah, that's great. They're a really lovely combination

'of a companion dog and a clever, bright dog

-'which loves being part of a family.'

-Yeah.

But she also has some words of warning.

'It doesn't really matter whether it's a pedigree

'or whether it's a crossbreed.

'Fundamental health, from the starting point, is really key.'

'Those two dogs that they're breeding from

-'have to be really good.'

-Yeah.

The Kennel Club and British Veterinary Association

provide health screening programmes which enable breeders to check

for a range of inherited diseases before breeding from a dog or bitch.

The tests are specific to each breed.

A King Charles Cavalier should have

eye tests, heart tests and an MRI scan.

I think this is the hardest part now, what I'm about to do -

looking at the dog, asking the questions

and hoping that it's a genuine person and it's a genuine set-up.

As I say, I'm going to have to watch my heart

doesn't ruin my head as well, put my proper...

..you know, decision hat on,

make sure I'm making the right decision.

HE LAUGHS

Lovely, aren't they? Gorgeous little things.

-So the mummy is... The King Charles is the mummy?

-She is.

You've got a nice little face!

-If you want to hold that one and I'll bring the other one out.

-Yeah.

OK.

Cuties, aren't they?

So cute that Frank can't resist showing the puppies to his girls.

Can she see them? It's Lulu on the phone.

Daddy, they're so cute.

They are, aren't they?

But what about the recommended health checks?

Dad's KC reg and he's eye-tested as well,

and you get a copy of the KC reg and his eye certificate as well.

The mother lives here cos the mother...

Yes, the mother lives here and she has one litter a year.

The Kennel Club recommends

that bitches do not have more than one litter a year

and more than four litters in their lifetime.

They're renowned for having a few little sort of health problems.

-About SMC, MRI scan, have they have any of this?

-No.

The tests aren't mandatory, so it's up to Frank

to decide if he wants to buy one of these puppies without them.

Let me see your eyes.

Ah! I don't know.

And it's thrown me into a little bit of a spin now,

to be honest with you.

And to make Frank's decision even harder, the girls call,

desperate to find out if they have a puppy.

-Daddy!

-I need to come back and talk to you about it.

Are we getting a new dog today?

I feel as though I've promised them they're getting them something,

they've got the date fixed in their head, 12th of December,

"Oh, we're getting our puppy then,"

and, um, I'm thinking, well...

..maybe we won't, but I don't know.

Louise's advice was clear

but can Frank bear to disappoint his daughters?

You know, they say a puppy is for life and, you know,

I think I need to sort of make the right decision,

so I'm going to sleep on it.

Choosing a healthy puppy is obviously important

but what should you be looking for?

First, find out if there are any health issues

specific to your chosen breed

and check that the breeder has health-screened the parents.

Second, make sure the puppy has a moist but not runny nose,

bright eyes and a glossy coat.

It should be alert and interested in you.

And all puppies should have a check-up at the vet's

as soon as you bring them home.

Shouldn't you?

For most families, a dog's role is companionship

but, for some, the dog will have an even more important job.

Meet the Hodgkins family from Essex -

Mum Mary, Dad Michael and their two sons, John and Ethan.

I kicked it right.

Two years ago, seven-year-old John was given a life-changing diagnosis.

John has got speech and language and communication problems.

He's autistic with learning difficulties,

which is his official diagnosis.

At home, it can challenging.

John can have meltdowns over the silliest little things.

He'll get frustrated and storm off

and go and hide under a chair somewhere for a few hours.

Ow!

For him, it's like the end of the world's just happened.

He likes spending a lot of time on his own,

which isn't necessarily a good thing.

So now they're looking for a very special puppy to help him.

John's been going on about having a dog for, what,

two years or more now?

-Right, what we're going to build, John?

-A robot.

-A robot?

I think the dog would be... It's a great attribute,

to be a friend to him, someone that will understand him

in a way that we can't.

I want to throw a stick and play fetch.

But it's not the first time

the Hodgkins family have brought a puppy home.

And, last time, it didn't end well.

We got a puppy, he was eight weeks old.

He was a Cockapoo.

And we brought him home

and we had two nights of him crying all night, constantly,

the neighbours screaming at us.

It was tough and it wasn't an easy decision.

And goodness knows how many tears later. It didn't really work.

The puppy was rehomed.

John, he missed it straight away.

So this time, they know they have to get it right.

Ow! Ethan!

I don't want to make a wrong decision.

It's too big a decision and we've done it wrong once.

-We don't want him getting upset.

-And I don't want to do that again.

Luckily, Louise Glazebrook is on hand

to help them avoid making the same mistake again.

What do you feel like the benefit of you now having a dog would be?

We're hoping, from the information that we've read,

that it will start to bring him out of his shell a bit more

and give him more confidence.

Another little friend, if you like,

but obviously to bring him out of himself a bit more.

So hopefully, he won't want to go off so much.

He'll be more part of... Sort of downstairs with the family.

Do you have any breed preferences?

Retrievers cos I've been brought up round Retrievers all my life.

But Labradors, my cousin's got.

So it seems like Labradors and Golden Retrievers are something

which are ticking your boxes and appeal to you.

-For us, as a family, yeah.

-Yeah, OK.

-100%.

After their past experience with a puppy,

Mary is questioning whether an adult dog

might be an easier option for them.

If you bring a puppy into the family,

you're bringing, basically, a baby into the family

that needs training, potty training, everything,

whereas when you bring an older dog, they're normally house-trained.

We need to set you up for success

so that this is something that can work.

We can go either way.

It really is just finding the right dog that's going to suit you.

So for this family, we need a really special dog,

and they're talking about Labradors or Retrievers

and I'm happy with either of those breeds.

There is obviously the decision about

whether it's a puppy or an adult dog, and again,

I think either could work.

The key is finding a dog that has been bred for this situation.

To help them with their decision on puppy or adult,

Louise is taking the Hodgkins to a Labrador breeder.

Here, the boys will be able to interact with a puppy,

an adolescent and an older dog.

First up is eight-week old Anna.

-Ahh!

-Can I touch him?

Of course you can. Nice stroking, though.

At this age, a puppy needs all its basic training

and a lot of supervision.

What do you feel, though, with her the challenges might be?

-Chewing's the obvious one.

-Yep.

He likes me!

A bit like babies, they explore the world with their mouths.

So what she's doing is putting everything in her mouth

-to try and understand...

-No, not your fingers John.

-Not fingers.

No, not fingers.

But an eight-week-old puppy is also at its most adaptable.

She's in a secondary socialisation period,

which is sort of roughly 8 to 12 weeks.

And what you're trying to do in that phase

is you're trying to teach them all about your life.

During this period,

a puppy accepts new experiences without fear,

so it's the ideal time to get them used to life with a family.

This age is an amazing age in terms of bringing them home

-and experiencing a puppy but it's also incredibly hard work.

-Yeah.

Next is eight-month-old Pickles.

At this age, a dog should be house-trained

and have had some basic obedience training.

But this is the adolescent stage

and, as with humans, it brings its own challenges.

I'll go.

-Yeah, he likes your face.

-Do you like be licked?

Wait for it. Here he is. Ooh!

Well, that's you had a wash, isn't it?

Oh, no! Stinky breath!

LAUGHTER

And they're now at a point where, a little bit like a teenager,

they're testing boundaries, they're becoming more independent.

There's a lot more energy, hormones are surging.

An adolescent dog will be more excitable

and often more prone to jumping up.

Calm down, Johnny, a little bit, please.

-Oh!

-Oh-oh-oh!

-OK, OK.

-Are you OK?

-He's still only a puppy.

-Are you OK?

Big puppy but he's only little. OK, show me. It's OK.

They're going to bring a dog in now, boys.

Finally, it's Bill - a seven-year-old adult.

Hello, Bill! Hello!

Having been through puppyhood and adolescence,

Bill is a much easier dog to manage.

-He's calmed down quite a bit.

-He's calmed down quite quickly as well.

But Labradors have a life expectancy of around 12 years.

What do you feel like we've achieved in terms of...

seeing the different sizes and ages?

There's lot of issues to consider and I think

that's something we're going to have to talk about over

-the coming months, what way we go.

-Yeah.

I hope today has been really useful for them.

We've seen a number of different dogs at different life stages

so they can see what the pros and cons of that is.

What I hope that they take away is that any dog

that they bring into their household needs to be calm.

If you think an adult dog is a better option then a puppy,

where do you find the right one for you?

The best place to start is a reputable rescue centre

that will work with you to find your perfect match.

Founded in 1891,

the Dogs Trust is the UK's largest dog welfare charity.

Here at their Manchester site,

they've rehomed over 1,000 dogs in the last year alone.

So I met manager Dawn Bishop to find out more.

So what sort of breeds do you see coming through the doors

here at the Dogs Trust?

The main breeds - we get Staffordshire Bull Terriers,

around 14% here, Jack Russell Terriers, get a lot of them,

-and then around 8% are what we would call a Terrier cross.

-Yeah.

Lab and Collie cross - both are fairly common.

Do you ever have dogs coming in where owners

have simply not really realised the ramifications of taking on a dog

-and just simply can't cope?

-Yes, and not able to cope with the traits.

We get a lot of dogs that have just become too boisterous.

It's fairly common to get people in their 70s handing over

-quite large...your Lab crosses, particularly.

-Right.

They're just too strong for them to handle.

But how does the centre match dogs to new owners?

Lynne Barber is their head of canine training and behaviour.

Every dog that comes in is thoroughly

-and completely observed in the first week that they're there.

-Right.

So do you have a sort of grading system, if you like?

Yes, absolutely.

The vast majority of dogs that we have in, we call them white dogs.

-Right.

-No problems,

maybe need a bit of training, bit of looking after, bit of habituation,

-that sort of thing.

-Yeah.

And then we have amber dogs, which are dogs that have got

an identified issue that needs to be worked on.

And what type of thing might that be?

That might be somebody like her,

who's just getting a little too carried away, jumping up and down.

Usually, that's caused by some type of frustration, so we need to

figure out what the frustration is and help the dog to deal with that.

-Yeah.

-And then very few of our dogs we have classed as red dogs.

And they're dogs that have got either a severe behaviour issue

-or dogs that have got a complex set of behaviour issues.

-Right, right.

So very much, we have to work on those before we find them a home.

Not everyone's going to be a little live wire like Izzy is,

and she's not the type of dog that I would say for a first-time owner.

-Right.

-She's going to need a lot of training, a lot of input.

But we have other dogs here who are just angels, nice as pie,

who are just looking for a sofa to lie on, somebody to feed them,

somebody to tell them how lovely they are.

We've got all sorts of dogs here

and other rescues are exactly the same.

Live wire Izzy found her perfect match

just a few days after we filmed with her

and she's now living with a family in Cheshire.

In Lytham St Annes, it's been two months since Karen and Kim Caulfield

decided that they were definitely Newfie people.

We've totally fallen in love. It's a love story.

Nobody could look into the face of a Newfoundland

and not be totally in love.

But as with all love stories, there are obstacles to overcome.

With less than 1,000 Newfoundland puppies

registered every year in the UK, will they get their hands on one?

We know that there was a waiting list so we were on tenterhooks.

It was almost like grandparents or parents waiting for the scan,

-weren't it?

-Yeah.

But eventually, good news for Karen and Kim

because today, four months after they started their search,

they're picking up their new family member.

I'm really aware that people will probably think we're crackers

behaving like this but Kim and I met late in life,

we haven't had children. So, yeah, it's kind of like...

..having another new baby.

It's completion of a family unit.

Yeah, definitely. That's well put, that. Well put.

-Here we are.

-The magic moment.

-Yeah!

-Hello!

-Are you ready?

-I think so.

Karen and Kim are about to find out

what one of the world's largest dogs looks like

at just eight weeks old.

Hello, little Elsie baby!

Oh, there she is.

Mummy's here. You don't know it yet but Mummy's here.

-Come on.

-Hello!

-"Oh, I'm waking up!"

-Oh, hello, sleepyhead.

-Oh!

-Look at the size of her!

Hey, I'll tell you something - she's heavy.

Elsie, as they've named her, currently weighs ten kilos

and she'll put on around one and a half kilos every week

until she's fully grown.

-You've made up our little family again, yeah?

-Aww!

Yeah.

I'm in love with you.

Who'd have thought, a few months ago,

-that we would have ended up with her?

-No.

With a two 260-mile journey ahead of them,

it's time for Karen, Kim and Elsie to hit the road.

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Come on then.

-Come on, Elsie baby.

Oh. All right, darling. All right, darling.

For most puppies, the journey home

will be their first experience in a car.

Make sure they have fresh air and water,

as they may feel anxious and sick.

Eight hours later, an exhausted but happy Karen and Kim

are finally back in Lytham St Annes.

Oh, it's amazing.

Yeah, it feels absolutely brilliant.

I'll just be happy when she feels completely at home.

And it doesn't take Elsie long.

Trying to pull... She's pulling books out!

-LAUGHING:

-Cos she's not been taught.

Excuse me! Excuse me!

SHE LAUGHS

-I think we've got...

-She's taking it into the kitchen to read!

She wants a bedtime story.

Really, we should stop her doing that

because otherwise she'll eat all my books.

Try it.

Elsie, no!

-SHE LAUGHS

-She stopped!

Aw, bless!

I think we've got our hands full.

-I think we definitely have.

-Yeah.

Looks like Karen and Kim's Newfie adventures are only just beginning.

-SHE BARKS

-Oh!

Did we bring the right one home?

With all puppies, you can expect a bit of collateral damage

to your home.

But, when fully grown, are some breeds more destructive than others?

Chewing is natural behaviour for dogs,

but if they chew the wrong things,

it can have serious financial repercussions.

A detailed survey of 2,000 dog owners

asked what their dogs damaged,

when they did it and how much it cost.

30% of owners had their carpets and rugs chewed, scratched or stained...

..19% had seen damage to sofas...

..while 14% had lost clothes and shoes to their canine housemates.

Owners also reported chewed children's toys,

mauled remote controls and the loss of a whole frozen turkey.

Nearly half of owners said their dog

caused up to £100 worth of damage a year...

..and almost 2% spent over £1,000 a year repairing or replacing

items damaged by their dog.

In fact, 12% of owners surveyed said they'd considered

giving up their dog because of the damage it caused.

So did some breeds stand out as more destructive than others?

According to this survey,

the dogs that caused the highest average

annual amount of damage were...

the Husky,

the Boxer...

..and the worst offender, the Rottweiler.

So what causes a dog to create mass destruction like this?

Well, 43% of cases that led to insurance claims

were caused by dogs that were left alone.

So not leaving your dog home alone for too long

will prevent most destructive behaviour.

But, for persistent offenders,

make sure they have plenty of safe dog toys

that they are allowed to chew and reward them for doing so.

In Cheltenham, Frank Thornley has been trying to make the right

decision on a puppy for his three very determined little girls.

Having decided on a Cavapoo, Frank found a litter of puppies,

but the mother hadn't had the recommended health checks.

I wanted to make the right decision, pick the right one, a healthy dog.

But I did like the dog

and I thought, "Hang on, I'm letting my heart rule my head here."

So Frank has spent the last two days

wrestling with this difficult decision.

It's probably like buying a car, you know.

"Show us the service history," and there isn't any!

"Hang on, I like that car," a nice red convertible, you know,

with nice wheels on it and sounds great and all the rest of it.

But you think, "It should really have the service history, you know."

Um, you might regret it one day.

And I was thinking about that with the dog. I thought, "Oh, God!

"What do I do?"

The girls was another big part of making it difficult for me

because they've been over the moon

about this idea of getting the puppy,

and they were so disappointed when I said,

"look, you know, I don't know what to do, girls."

And their faces...

Well, you know, they just dropped with disappointment.

So they thought their little dream would come to an end.

And then we begged Daddy because once we'd seen that puppy,

we fell in love with it.

You've got three daughters, like I've got.

They just don't let you off the hook.

Looks like there was no way out for Frank.

We all agreed, a unanimous decision, um, to get the little boy.

They've named the puppy Ray and will be picking him up at the weekend.

I'm overexcited.

I've been talking about this for at least three weeks in a row,

each day, and my teachers have told me to be quiet.

And it looks like there might be an upside

to puppy ownership for Frank, too.

Somebody said to me, "You know what, Frank? You get a puppy,

"you're going to start attracting the opposite sex."

So watch this space. We shall see, eh?

HE LAUGHS

A few days later...

Daddy, are we nearly there yet?

..and Frank and the girls are driving over 150 miles north

to Preston to pick up Ray.

I feel excited.

Really excited!

They've been pestering their dad for a puppy for over a year.

Right, girls. We're here.

-Yeah!

-Yes!

We're here.

-Hello, girls.

-Hello.

Let's have a little peek in. Don't shout too loud.

And now, finally,

the girls are about to see him for the very first time.

-Hello! Aw!

-I like him.

-They're so cute.

-And tiny.

-Which one's Ray?

Aren't they gorgeous?

Hey, they've grown a bit since I was last here.

He's really cute.

You can stroke Ray.

-Oh, hello!

-He feels so soft.

-He does, doesn't he?

Looks like it's love at first sight.

Aw, his little face! He's tiny.

Ray is costing Frank £900, and before they can take their pup home,

there's some paperwork.

-Here are our terms and conditions.

-Right.

These puppy contacts are highly recommended.

They're a record of how the puppy has been cared for

up until now and what the breeder expects the new owner to do

to ensure the puppy's welfare.

Be in the Foreign Legion tomorrow!

HE LAUGHS

Finally, it's time for Frank, three very smitten little girls

and one puppy to start the journey home.

It's not going to be boring, I know that, on the way back.

Should be fun.

Cheers. Look at this!

I might need this.

If things get really bad, I'll just bite on this!

Puppy, home!

Four hours later, three tired little girls, one tired little puppy

and Frank arrive back in Cheltenham.

Tonight, I think we're all going to sit here and look at Ray all night.

And it looks like Frank, at least,

has taken on board Louise's words of advice.

Try and not be too affectionate.

Try and give him a bit of space.

Leave him for a minute, darling.

Don't keep stroking him all the time.

You've got to leave him.

Leave him. Just leave him for a bit now.

Remember what you were told?

Leave him alone. He's sleeping.

-"Leave him alone! Leave him!"

-He's fully asleep now.

-Well, don't wake him, then, if he's asleep.

-Are you sure?

-I feel like I'm in a dream.

-Same.

I just feel like this isn't happening, it's not real.

-What if this is a dream?

-But it is real. Pinch me.

I know we got the right dog in the end

and they're happy with it.

It's nice to give them what really wanted.

-Who do you think Ray will like most?

-Me.

-No, but who do you think he would actually come to?

-Probably me.

I think it would either be you or me.

Yeah, it's probably me.

The dog will have three nice people sort of in its life

and, of course, there's me as well.

But it'll have three young girls who will be there for it all the time.

A puppy should be brought home at around eight weeks old.

At this stage, you'll need to housetrain it

and teach it what it's allowed to chew and what it isn't.

It can be a challenging first few weeks.

In Essex, Mary and Michael Hodgkins have been trying to agree on

whether a puppy or adult dog would be best for their family.

And they've made a decision.

At one point we were going to go for an older dog, but then as we

went further down the line, Michael wasn't really happy with that.

He wanted to go with the puppy.

If a child grows with a puppy, and obviously the dog is older,

they'll get more attached

because they go from stage to the next, all through its life.

So it's a puppy.

But out of their original choice of Labrador or Golden Retriever,

which breed have they decided on?

Talking to my cousin, who owns Labs and things,

and other breeders and things, it was decided that

out of the two breeds, the calmer one would be the Retrievers.

And there's another reason.

Many autistic children are more sensitive to sensory stimulation,

including touch.

John loves the soft feel and the comfort.

So a puppy... A Lab puppy, don't get me wrong, they do have

that soft feel, but as a lab puppy gets older, their coats change.

Whereas a Goldie puppy stays fluffy and soft all the way though.

And even in adulthood, they've got these fluffy coats.

Louise advised Mary and Michael to look for a puppy being bred

in as similar a situation to their own as possible.

It was a long process.

The breeder we've gone to is a father of two autistic children,

so he knows where we're coming from

and what we're looking for in our puppy,

because he's done it himself.

So today they're off to choose

which puppy from the litter will be theirs.

John, come and look at the puppies.

-Are you going to go and show them the puppies?

-Nice and gentle.

-Do you like that one?

-Yeah.

Do you want to hold him? Give him a stroke.

Stroke him nicely. Yeah?

The puppies' mum has a proven gentle temperament.

You can see she's not fazed by what's going on today.

The breeder has selected two puppies out of the litter of ten

that he thinks are best suited to the Hodgkins.

Because we went through this process three years ago,

we knew roughly what we were looking for.

Not choosing the smallest one, because if you've got children

who might not respond absolutely immediately to your instruction,

you don't want the smallest, most timid one to be around them.

But again you don't want the biggest one, and the most boisterous one

because you want the dog to be able to be easily controlled as well.

PUPPIES WHIMPER

-I'm favouring...

-So am I.

That's the one John actually picked.

From start to finish, it's been a painstaking selection process.

-She's gone to John again.

-Yeah.

Now John and the puppy have clearly made their choice.

Three weeks later, they pick her up.

And the boys can't wait to get home from school to see her.

John! John!

-John!

-SHE LAUGHS

LAUGHTER

Good girl. Good girl!

-She's come out to see you, has she?

-She's so cute!

John has named her Star, and so far she's living up to her name.

She's very, very laid-back and placid.

He's licked my face!

-SHE licked your face?

-Yeah, and my bum.

-Well, it ain't a he, is it? It's a she.

-She.

She likes me.

You keep forgetting, don't you?

Hey?

LAUGHTER

Careful, you nearly sat on her!

HE LAUGHS GLEEFULLY

That's all right.

The family's previous puppy cried so much at night

they had complaints from their neighbours.

So how will their first night go with Star?

-Night-night, Star.

-Good boy.

She was so much better then any of us expected.

The only time I heard her whimper was

when Michael turned the light off, and that was it. Never heard a peep

out of her. He came down to her at quarter to six.

It took months of research and they contacted countless breeders

before making their decision.

Has it been worth it?

She's living up to her name, what more can I say, really?

You can't always pick a perfect dog, but for the majority of people,

if they spent a bit more time on picking their dog,

you'd have a lot less dogs being put out on the street.

It's been long time ago.

-A long time waiting?

-Yeah.

Hasn't it? Are you really happy?

Yes!

Choosing the right puppy is a lot of hard work.

It takes plenty of patience and even more careful thought.

It's a long process full of challenges and pitfalls

and that's even before you've got your puppy home.

But if you make the right choice,

then all that effort is more than worth it.

Isn't it, Yoda? Yeah.

Our families have all had their puppies home for over a month.

How are first-time dog owners the Hopes getting on with Labrador Red?

We're a hectic, chaos kind of family,

and he's just fitted in quite well.

Red's chewed table legs, chair legs,

he's taken up a little bit of carpet in the kitchen,

he's chewed the footstool.

He's just part of the family now.

Is Cavapoo Ray living up to the Thornleys' expectations?

When Ray came, everything, like, changed,

but it was like a really good change.

Well, Ray has brought a lot of fun and joy to the family.

Go get them, Ray. Go get them.

We've realised that he isn't a toy.

He needs to have his own space.

We try not to let Ray into our room as much and sleep now because...

-He's pooed in Daddy's.

-Yeah.

I just think Ray's a really good dog. Aren't you, boy?

What's he eating?

Is Golden Retriever Star still living up to her name?

We've not had any whimpering or whining at night, not ever.

She's had a little gnaw of one of the walls.

She thought she'd give it a try,

but I don't think it's worked out as tasty as she thought.

Being more of the assistance dog that we hoped for John

is going to take time to develop.

Do lots of things.

Chase cats.

Overall she's been... Well, I'd have said perfect.

Come on then, kid.

And what is the reality of life with a Newfoundland like

for Karen and Kim?

'Well, since we've brought Elsie home, life has been changeable.'

You could go out to work

and you'd come back and think,

"I'm sure you weren't that big when I left."

You try to pet Elsie and all you would get from her is biting,

biting, biting.

'She'll start growling, proper growling,'

and she'll literally lunge at you, won't she?

And I haven't liked that.

When we first moved here, we enjoyed the way the garden looked.

It was one of the selling points for the place.

-But that was pre-Elsie.

-Yeah.

I would say, there's quite a lot we're going to have to put right,

the day we leave this place.

We thought, is it going to have to come to the fact we're going

to have to send her back? Because we wouldn't be the first.

But now it's turning a corner gradually, after even a few weeks.

Yeah.

So did our families choose the right puppy for them?

I wouldn't swap Ray for the world now. He's right for us.

You're always worried if you've made the right decision,

have you got the right breed and temperament and everything else.

But I think because we've got that right,

and I know we have, then we've done the right thing.

I think if we hadn't gone through this process,

I probably would have been like,

"Oh, my goodness, what on earth have we done?"

So long as you know what you're getting into,

so long as you research the breed, go down the right channels,

I would say a Newfoundland puppy is...

I can't understand why half of England haven't got them.