E04 | Wonderful World of Puppies | Play and learn

A series that follows puppies, of all sizes and breeds, through the first few crucial months of their lives. Barley is a Newfoundland pup, bred for rescuing people from the icy waters of the North Atlantic. She is growing up fast, weighing the same as a full suitcase at 20 kilos (but only a third of the weight of her mum), so now it’s time for her to learn to swim. Despite her reluctance to do anything without the bribery of treats, a visit to the local doggy hydrotherapy pool triggers an innate ability to swim, using her webbed feet. Before long she is diving into a lake and dragging her trainer through the water. Labrador puppy, Pippa, is going to become an assistance dog, caring for the disabled. She will learn how to perform useful tasks, such as pressing switches, helping with a wheelchair and even unloading the washing machine. But first,she faces the first assessment of her suitability for the job, followed by a potentially traumatic encounter with a vacuum cleaner. Some hero guard dog pups - Dobermans - learn the laws of ‘puppy physics’, including: ‘what goes up must come down’ and ‘how to test structural integrity of a play tent’. The pups then use their guard-dog instincts to mob a photographer who’s come to take pictures of them for a calendar. Single Simon was the only survivor of his litter and grew up alone with mum, Finty. For Simon, learning how to socialise with other dogs has been a mountain to climb. But now, as he moves to his new home, he not only meets a whole family of dogs, with whom he’ll share is life, but Simon also takes the first step on the ladder as a career show dog!