Holly Willoughby's puppy made its debut on This Morning but viewers have one sad criticism

Holly Willoughby's puppy made its This Morning debut but viewers had one sad criticism.

Holly Willoughby's puppy made its This Morning debut but viewers had one sad criticism.

The TV presenter, who was recently off sick with a tummy bug, welcomed the new arrival to her family last week as she shared her new addition with fans on Instagram.

And while fans swooned over the cuteness of her new female golden retriever puppy when ITV daytime viewers were introduced to the dog when she brought it to work with her and Phillip Schofield, some fans were concerned that Holly was encouraging people to buy pedigree dogs and that it's putting people off adopting dogs in shelters.

One viewer tweeted, 'Such a shame that you did not seek out a rescue pup!'

Another fan tweeted, ''It appears lots of people are buying designer breeds But please Don't forget the dogs in the Kennels They NEED you to rescue them They'll love you forever.'

And a third viewer added, 'As with lockdown pups this will now fuel a desire for Holly lookalike pups. Just don’t feel it needs such heavy presence on a daytime show. Nothing against Holly just my thoughts...'

Holly, who is mum to daughter Belle, 10, and sons Harry, 12, and Chester, seven, has a cat called Bluebell and she was able to get some great advice from in-house vet Dr Scott Miller and he told her where she was going wrong as a new dog owner.

He explained, “I think puppy pads are a good thing, particularly early doors. One of the key things of toilet training is not to tell them off. They think in the present so there’s no point telling them off.

“Being a little dog with a little bladder they do need to go to the toilet a lot, so you need to be available to take them out.

“Every hour or two set an alarm and take them outside and when they go in the right spot give them lots of praise.”

When Philip asked for the key signs of them needing the toilet, Dr Miller said tell-tale signs like sniffing the ground and circling, should be watched out for but it was a ‘process that takes time’.

Another dilemma for Holly was trying to get her puppy to go on walks. she shared a video clip of her puppy not wanting to go any further laid on the pavement but soon got up when it was time to go home.

Scott explained, “She clearly just has a good homing instinct. It’s not about being lazy. She’s a young puppy and is outside and overwhelmed by the sights and sounds and smells of the great outdoors and at home she’s surrounded by love and family and food and has a great time.

“So you just need to incentivise her more with food and toys and make it really fun and energetic. Sometimes it's a good idea to drive them with you to the park and then walk them home.”

How old is Holly's puppy?

Holly Willoughby's puppy is just 15 weeks old. Holly and her husband dan Baldwin adopted the pooch around a fortnight ago and they have shared the new addition to their family with fans.

Holly uploaded an adorable snap of the pup sat between her and Phil on the This Morning sofa and captioned it, 'Bailey made her sofa debut on @thismorning and I couldn’t be prouder… I think she’ll be back soon 🐾♥️🐾 📸 by @kenmckayphoto'

The TV star showed off how well trained her puppy is already - although she admitted she's not had much sleep so far and she's been having to wipe off added puppy fur from her outfits.

Is Bailey Holly's dog?

During This Morning Holly Willoughby brought her new puppy Bailey to work with her.

Holly told viewers, "I'm delighted to introduce you to the newest member of my family. This is Bailey, who has sort of fallen asleep!"

Holly then knew just the trick to wake Bailey up - a pink squeaky dog toy, and she knew exactly when she was allowed to 'get it' - proving she is listening during puppy training.

It's not yet known why Holly Willoughby's puppy was called Bailey - perhaps she named her after her own favourite festive tipple!

This Morning is on ITV weekdays 10am-12.30pm.