AWL's Top Five Behaviour Tips include:

• ‘Leadership’ is the key to a great relationship with your pet. By being a good teacher then you should get a good student! Dogs are fast learners and respond to clear, consistent, realistic commands that are rewarded.

• Never punish your dog for making mistakes, after all, they’re just learning and never intentionally want to ‘misbehave’. It’s only in our eyes that behaviour is ‘wrong’ after all we are inviting a dog to live in a human world. Dogs love food rewards but praise and affection are sometimes just as good.

• If your pet shows aggression towards you or others, we must never respond back with aggression. How would they ever know not to do something if that’s what you do to them? Never ‘alpha roll’ or ‘scruff’ animals, despite what you might see on tv!

• Never train when you are tired or getting frustrated. Be a loving and gentle teacher. Just think how well you did in school under teachers who you liked! Positive reinforcement (rewarding good behaviour) teaches an animal to try to succeed; punishment only teaches them to be scared to try.

• When you think about it, all animals have their own right to act the way they need to. By expecting a dog to understand the word “Sit” might be like expecting a person who speaks Chinese to understand the word in English. Having a pet love you and enjoy your company is amazing enough; don’t let their inability to be good humans get you down!