A Real Puppy’s Journey: Inside Buster’s First Year with Lola’s House

Introduction

While continuing our qualifications and developing our approach, we worked with a small number of puppies on an early-access basis — allowing us to apply what we were learning in real time, over an extended period.

Buster was one of those dogs. This is a brief look at his first year with us — where he started, what we focused on, and how things changed.

The Starting Point

We first met Buster at around 3 months old. He’s a working line Golden Retriever — full of energy, drive, and, at the time, very little off-switch.

When he came to us, he was:

• Overexcited and overtired
• Mouthy (to the point it was becoming difficult to manage)
• Struggling to settle at home
• Developing anxious attachment behaviours
• Finding it hard to regulate himself around other dogs

His owners were first-time dog owners who, like many people, were doing their best — but understandably felt overwhelmed. They’d been following a generic training app, and like a lot of puppies in that situation, Buster had plenty of input… but not much structure.

A Different Approach To Socialisation

Before working with us, Buster had already had a negative experience at another daycare — where he’d been allowed to mix freely and was quickly overwhelmed by a larger dog. That early experience matters.

Without the right structure, socialisation can easily lead to:

• Overexcitement
• Poor behaviour around other dogs
• Or even anxiety

With Buster, the goal was different.

At Lola’s House, he was introduced to calm, well-balanced dogs in a controlled environment — not to play constantly, but to learn:

How to be around other dogs without needing to engage with them.

This was one of the biggest turning points in his development.

Progress Over Time

Within the first few weeks, his owners were already seeing changes at home:

• More sleep
• Less frantic behaviour
• Better ability to settle

As the months went on, we saw steady improvement in his ability to regulate himself — both around people and other dogs.

One standout moment came a month or so in, when Buster — previously unable to switch off — began choosing to lie down and relax on his own.

No prompting. No input.

That’s when you know it’s starting to click.

The Reality (Not Always Linear)

It wasn’t perfect.

Like most dogs, Buster went through a challenging adolescent phase where some of the earlier behaviours resurfaced.

That’s normal.

What mattered was that the foundations were already in place.

Instead of things getting worse, we were able to:

• Reinforce boundaries
• Stay consistent
• Guide him through that phase without losing progress

The End Result

Today, Buster is exactly what most owners hope for:

• Calm and settled in the house
• Relaxed around other dogs
• Walking well on lead
• Reliable recall
• Able to switch off without constant input

His owners regularly tell us how easy he is to live with — and how different things feel compared to the early days.

What His Journey Shows

Buster’s story isn’t about quick fixes or clever tricks.

It’s about:

• Starting early
• Creating clear structure
• Being consistent
• And getting socialisation right from the beginning

Without that, it’s easy for puppies like Buster to go down a very different path — one where overexcitement, frustration, and poor habits become the norm.

With the right approach, those same dogs can become calm, confident, and easy to live with.

If you’d like help building that kind of foundation with your own puppy, you can find more details about how we work on our Puppy Programme page.