Training

The first weeks: the first night, toilet training, chewing and the lead. Most of what works here is free, so these guides spend as much time on what not to buy as on what is worth the money.

• Best puppy harnesses in the UK: three picks by dog size and budget

  The best puppy harnesses in the UK by chest size and budget, with October 2026 prices, what each does badly, and who should not buy one yet.

• Dog training classes in the UK: cost and what to look for

  What dog training classes cost in the UK (about £12 a session in the listings we read), what RSPCA and Dogs Trust say to check, and who can skip them.

• The first night with a puppy: what the UK charities actually say

  Where should a puppy sleep on night one? What Blue Cross, PDSA, Dogs Trust and Battersea actually say — and the claim with no UK source behind it.

• Leaving a dog alone in the UK: how to build up to it

  How long can you leave a dog alone? What Dogs Trust, PDSA and the Royal Kennel Club say, a step ladder to build it, and what is worth buying.

• Lick mats, snuffle mats and food toys (UK): what to buy

  Lick mat, snuffle mat or KONG? What each does, what the UK charities say, and prices from zooplus UK. Most dogs need one cheap item, not a drawer full.

• Dog long lines in the UK: what to buy for recall work

  A long line is a training tool, not a licence to let a dog roam. Which length, material and price to buy in the UK, and who should skip it.

• Dog poo bags and walk kit in the UK: what to buy

  Black, biodegradable or compostable dog poo bags compared by price per bag, plus the only walk kit worth buying. Zooplus prices checked November 2026.

• Puppy checklist (UK): what to buy before collection day

  What to buy before you collect a puppy, what can wait a month and what to skip, checked against Dogs Trust and Battersea's own lists.

• Puppy leads, collars and harnesses: what to buy once and what to buy cheap

  Which puppy lead, collar and harness to buy in the UK: what to buy cheap, what to buy once, and the one item British law requires.

• Puppy teething toys: what survives, what breaks teeth, and what you can skip

  Dog teething toys that are safe: the two-second thumbnail test, why antlers and tennis balls fail, the frozen Kong trick, and how long teething lasts.

• Puppy toilet training: one thing worth buying, and five that aren't

  Puppy toilet training in the UK: the method every charity agrees on, why the hour-per-month rule is folklore, and the one product worth buying.