The Puppies are back with extraordinary, moving and funny stories, from the formative months of their lives. This week, the puppies are in action. Sledding, sheep herding, wrestling and ice-skating (sort of)!

In the rolling hills of North Wales, we meet four month old Border Collie sheepdog puppy, Mickey. His keenness and intelligence have put him at the top of the class and now his human trainer wants to see if he can herd a flock. But Mickey just can’t contain his enthusiasm and after a promising start, the sheep outwit him. So it’s back to school for the star pupil.

Seven month old Siberian Huskies, Rocco and River, are in training for competitive sled racing. The problem is that in Gloucestershire, there’s not much snow. So they’re learning a new sport, dryland dog sledding, in which they get to pull a scooter. But getting a puppy used to pulling anything with a harness is not going to be easy…

On a farm in Fife, a litter of sproodles (a spinger spaniel-poodle mix) is growing up and discovering the world around them. The farm house’s slippery stone floor presents a significant challenge to puppy muscular co-ordination. But these are action farm pups and they don’t give up easily. Instead, they treat us to an impressive demonstration of puppy ‘ice skating’.

And then there’s Herman and Heidi the Bavarian Mountain Hound puppies. At six weeks old, Herman is learning the rudiments of puppy wrestling and becoming accomplished at getting his siblings on the canvas. But thoughtful Heidi can’t quite see the point.

Finally, what better way for Action Pups, like Metropolitan Milo, to build up their muscles than with a carefully balanced power brunch, rustled up to order?