Does your dog refuse to sit or stay at your command and does it bother other people by jumping up and barking? This may be your dog's natural exuberance getting the better of him but when you are out in public, not only is it embarrassing for you, it can be frightening for people who are unsure of themselves around dogs. If you want to avoid these situations then you need to start getting your dog to change his behavior now.

In some respects dogs are like children and this means that they have to be taught how to be social beings without indulging in anti-social habits. If you are trying to get your dog to respond to your commands and behave in an acceptable manner, then you need to instigate regular training sessions. Training a dog to display acceptable behaviour is not easy if you are a first time owner. Some people take their dog to professional trainers once or twice a week but if your budget won't run to that then you have to fall back on your own resources.

Not quite, there are training books and manuals out there; some of which come as a complete package, that will take you through the training sessions one step at a time. Always remember with dogs that the way to instill the behaviour that you want is by repetition and reward ? losing your temper is counterproductive. If you get the right package and apply the right amounts of praise, patience and time you will soon have a well behaved and probably happier dog.