Taking a firm line

The principle of all dog training should be to praise and reward good behaviour. Incorrect or unwanted responses should simply be unrewarded.

You don’t have to be harsh when correcting your dog – you won’t get the best out of him if he’s frightened of you. When correction is necessary, most dogs only require a firm talking to.

Never punish your dog for something he has done unless you catch him in the act. He can’t associate the cause and effect unless they occur together.

For normal correction in the course of training it should be enough just to use the lead when the dog does or is about to do something wrong. Never use a stick or your hand to slap, nor wave a rolled-up newspaper – all this does is to drive the dog out of reach when most of your training requires close contact.