Owning a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences that you can have.  Dogs are loyal, loving and fantastic company.  However, with ownership comes responsibility.  It is not just a case of building a dog kennel, feeding him and giving him exercise.  As soon as you bring him home you will need to start with dog training.

If you don’t start to train your dog at a very young age then you could end up with a disobedient dog on your hands.  Bad behaviour ranges from barking at other dogs and strangers, pulling at the lead, running off when you let him off the lead, chewing things in your home and a whole host of other misdemeanours.

The most important aspect of training is that your pet comes to realise that you are the top dog, to be obeyed at all times.  Luckily the internet is a wealth of information about dog training techniques.  You can find in depth instructions on everything from how to house train to dog barking training.

If you lack the confidence to start disciplining your dog yourself then you can book yourself and your pet onto a dog training course.  There are hundreds of these courses being run in every corner of the country and covering everything from basic commands to agility.  Before you sign up remember that word of mouth is a good way to find out how good a course is.

As well as courses there are many dog training devices to help you to control your dog.  These include clickers which help him to link good behaviour to rewards, gentle head collars to help stop pulling and silent dog whistles.  One training device that, though still commonly used, is getting quite a bad name is the electric dog collar.  This has recently been banned in Wales and other countries may follow suit.