As I write this, we’re still stuck in the depths of winter — gloomy days, widespread flooding, freezing conditions… and lockdown — but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that by the time this issue appears in print, things will be looking up. Let’s hope so!

Make sure you read our feature ‘The lockdown saviours’ on page 14; it is bound to bring a smile to your face. A book, produced by a number of dog-owning Londoners who’ve formed their own WhatsApp group, celebrates, in words and pictures, the support and comfort their dogs have provided throughout the pandemic.

“The project was embraced as a way of everyone celebrating the dogs who helped make the year bearable,” says one of the book’s creators Peter Jones. And we can all agree on that!

There has been lots in the media recently about the surge in the number of people getting dogs and puppies during the pandemic, so our lead feature this month should prove a reassuring read if you’re among them. Puppy panic is not uncommon, as the shock of the care, commitment, and responsibility required in bringing up a pup starts to filter through, but it will pass, advises trainer and behaviourist Carol Price, who offers her 10 point guide to managing the arrival and rearing of a puppy (see page 10).

Finally, we’re also celebrating the very special bonds forged between older dog owners and their pets (page 40) and the benefits these precious partnerships bring, both for dogs and their owners. There’s lots to celebrate and lots of good reading in this March issue of Your Dog Magazine.

Until next month…

Sarah Wright, Editor