Where your mealtime coincides with the dog’s mealtime, make sure that he/she is not always fed before the human family has eaten. This helps to reinforce that you decide when it is time to feed and will not give in to demands for food. It is a mistake to feed your dog from your plate, while you are still eating. This can cause confusion in the relationship but it is also a nuisance to have a dog sitting on your feet, drooling over every mouthful that you take!

Avoid allowing your dog to manipulate you with regard to food. Decide on a good diet, put the food down and leave it for ten minutes. If there is anything left in the bowl, clear it away and offer nothing until the next regular mealtime. Fussy eating habits tend to develop very quickly if you constantly offer alternatives and plead with your dog to eat.

There is another advantage to establishing a feeding pattern. It is easier to judge potential illness and seek early Veterinary advice. If your dog is a fussy eater, it will take longer to find out if the dog is refusing to eat because he/she is unwell. Refusing a meal could just meat that the food on offer for the last couple of days has not been up to the required standard.

Encourage your dog to feel confident about humans being near the food bowl while he/she is eating. People are often advised that it is a useful training aid to take the bowl away from the dog 'to prove the owner is boss'. In reality this can actually stress the dog and encourage growling and guarding of food or bowl. A simple and effective alternative is to add tasty extras to the bowl while the dog is eating. It is then potentially rewarding for people to be near the food bowl. On a very rare occasion that you may have a valid reason to remove the bowl there is unlikely to be a problem as the dog has no reason to feel defensive.

Housetraining

This should not become a nightmare experience for either dog or family. Dogs generally need to relieve themselves, on waking up, after feeding or after an energetic game. Watch for signs of circling or sniffing. It is important to accompany your dog out into the garden initially, so that you can immediately reward when he/she goes to the toilet.

If there is an accident, it is too late, avoid telling the dog off or over reacting as he/she may become confused and think that the reaction is to them actually going to the toilet. This can encourage a dog to eat mess in order to get rid of it. Clean the area with a biological solution to get rid of the scent and keep a closer eye on the dog in the future. The more times you can reward him/her for going in the right place, the quicker housetraining and the dog asking to go outside will progress.

The safest way for your dog to travel is by using a custom car cage or a car dog harness for restraint. It is dangerous and distracting to have a dog leaping around inside a moving vehicle. If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident, an unrestrained dog will be thrown violently and can cause serious injury to other passengers or be thrown out of the vehicle on impact.

Your dog should become used to travelling in the car as soon as possible. Put the dog in the place you want him/her to travel. It is unfair to allow him/her in the front on your lap, if ultimately you want the dog to travel on the back seat or behind a dog guard. A cut down cardboard box with a familiar blanket enables the dog to lie down and brace itself against the sides so that the movement of the car does not throw him/her around. Praise the dog when he/she is still and quiet. Do not speak if there is noise or jumping around, just calmly replace the dog in the box until settled then praise quietly.

Begin with short journeys and gradually build up the distance he/she learns to travel happily and comfortably. When your dog is used to travelling in the car it is also worth remembering that it’s helpful to include some routine and less exciting destinations. Dogs who only travel to exciting/fun places by car often become over enthusiastic and noisy travellers as they anticipate the fun that lies ahead!

If for some reason your dog has been sick or become frightened of the car, things need to progress more slowly.

• Tellington TTouch can be really helpful to calm an animal who has been frightened by travelling

• Putting on a dog t-shirt, body wrap or in some cases even a dog coat can be comfrting and help your dog to relaz a little

• The dog should first get used to lying quietly in the box/crate away from the car and recieve lots of praise and rewards for doing this

• If the dog is food oriented, giving some meals in the stationary car may help to change his/her perception so that a nicer association with the vehicle is formed

• Place the box/crate in the car and encourage your dog to lie down quietly in the box while the car is stationary. Praise and reward for quiet, calm behaviour

• When your dog is comfortable move on to the next stage of starting the engine but don't move the car

• As the dog gains confidence, begin with short journeys and build up gradually