APRIL

THE brother and sister are growing quickly. And, as with all puppies of this age, it’s time for them to start with some basic training.

For Nel, this means regular trips out and about with her carer, Rebecca King. The aim is to get her to be comfortable and confident in any situation, so it’s all about exposing her to new things on a daily basis.

Whether it’s crossing a road in Milton Keynes (above), where the charity is based, navigating crowded pavements or meeting other dogs, the more Nel can experience at this age the better.

When she is finally matched with someone to live with full-time, Nel must be perfectly trained.

As for Tala, he makes his first visit to the bio-detection unit, where all of the Medical Detection Dogs charity’s research work takes place.

He watches as a fully-trained dog, Florin, tries to identify prostate cancer in urine samples.

When Florin identifies one that is positive for the disease, she will stand stock-still and stare at the sample.