Every year, almost a million of us enjoy the fun and excitement of getting a puppy. But they don’t come with instructions and puppy parenthood can be hard work. Help is at hand with Channel 4’s unique pop-up Puppy School. Set against the spectacular backdrop of Chatsworth House, and run by three of the UK’s leading dog experts – Oli Juste, Katie Patmore and Hannah Molloy – each episode a new class of puppy parents from across the country enrol.
Many new owners got their puppies for a reason, often at a crucial time in their lives – whether young couples with a ‘practise baby’, parents facing an empty nest, or new owners overcoming illness. Through bespoke classes at puppy school, and coaching at home, owners learn how to navigate puppy parenthood.
In this first episode, Hannah and Jack have just moved in together and bouncy Labrador is their practise baby. But with differing parenting styles, the Middlesbrough couple are finding Reuben more of a handful than they’d imagined. Laura from Cornwall has a giant Newfoundland puppy who was supposed to help with a fresh start after her divorce – but the colossal canine is now dominating her life. Sheffield couple Deepti and Dave have a feisty dachshund puppy they agreed to during Deepti’s cancer treatment.
Puppy School – Friday at 8.00pm on Channel 4.
