This adorable footage shows a former special forces soldier leading a very different kind of boot camp – as he put a litter of six-week-old, would-be guide dog puppies through their paces.
The seven tiny yellow Labrador pups were made to take on an obstacle course which included navigating around cones, vaulting a miniature high-jump, and running through a tunnel for their big finish.
Ollie Ollerton, known for Channel 4 TV show “SAS: Who Dares Wins”, called for “discipline, determination, and absolute focus” as he prepared his young recruits for the task at hand.
But there was room for improvement from the new sign-ups, with a few struggling to keep their focus on the task in hand as Ollie was mobbed by the pups, who turned on their sergeant and began licking his face.
The trial fun run, held at the Guide Dogs National Centre in Leamington Spa, near Warwick, was set up to raise awareness of Guide Dogs' Sponsor a Puppy campaign.
It included Fern, a new sponsor puppy who is just starting her journey to becoming a guide dog, along with her sisters Anne and Charley, and four brothers Yoro, Utah, Ben, and Frankie.
The former UK special forces solider said: “I’m here to see if they’ve got what it takes. It’s not for the faint-hearted, and this boot camp will prove if any of the recruits are barking up the wrong tree.”
He rallied the troops and kept discipline among the six-week-old yellow Labrador puppies, which capped off a fine performance with a sprint finish, all under the watchful eye of their mum, Sylvia.
And Ollie added: “I’m very passionate about the work they [Guide Dogs] do, and it’s my job and my mission to get much-needed donations to the charity.
“One of the ways you can help is by sponsoring a guide dog puppy. I’ve been sponsoring a puppy for probably the last three years, and it’s one of the most amazing things you can do.”
Tim Stafford, director of canine affairs for Guide Dogs, said: “We’re proud of our new recruits, and we know their mum Sylvia and dad Hartmann will be too.
“It's absolutely fantastic that Ollie came out to meet some of our puppies and put them through their paces.
“I'm not sure the pups will be putting their SAS training to use as guide dogs, but they had a fantastic time nevertheless.
“The Sponsor a Puppy campaign funds other new recruits, letting them rise through the ranks to give them a shot of becoming a true leader themselves.”
