While I always emphasise that a dog is not human, and cannot understand the subtleties of human speech, you must always remember that the dog is a living, conscious, intelligent and above all sensitive being. So,



1) Be gentle. Never harm your dog, either by physical or mental punishment. A lot of nonsense has been written about how dogs in the wild attack each other to prove their dominance. This is an old fashioned theory based on a misunderstanding of wolf pack behaviour. To train a dog you must earn his respect, not his fear, otherwise, like a naughty child, he will only behave when he thinks you can enforce your (violent) will!

2) Be Positive. Like humans, a dog will best remember the last thing he did during training. If it was an enjoyable activity, he will want to do the training again, so you should always finish a training session by doing something that the dog likes, or is good at. If he has just mastered a new command, then finish with the most lavish praise he has ever received. If things have gone badly, then do something basic that he can do successfully. Not only will he link training with success and enjoyment, but so will you!

3) Be calm. Never get flustered. You will not help yourself by getting stressed ? just enjoy your dog's company, even if his progress is painfully slow, or non-existent. You will not help your dog either, who will sense your frustration and lose his concentration. He may get confused and could misinterpret your mood as anger and assume that the one thing he is doing right is wrong after all. A training session when you are stressed can set your dog back weeks.

4) Be loving. Give your dog plenty of attention. Remember, you want him to think that you are the most important being in his world. The more praise you give him, the more you call him to you for pats and ruffling ears, the more he is going to want to listen to you and follow your instructions.

5) Be consistent. Your dog will get confused quickly if the goalposts move every other day. Commands should always be the same ? both words and tone of voice should remain constant. Remember that your dog will read your body language as much as he hears your voice, so be calm with calm commands (like leave or stay), excited with exciting commands (come, or fetch), but above all, keep each command consistent all the time!