Dogs who pull are not bad dogs, they just haven’t been taught how to redirect that energy.

There is always a reason why dogs do every single thing that they do.

Before we can stop the pulling, we need to understand why they pull in the first place:

Have you ever come home to a mess? Your dog has chewed up his own comfy bed and some of your favourite cushions. He may have scratched the paintwork off the door and upended a pot plant or two.  You may have scolded him, “Bad dog!” and if so, he would have given you that ‘guilty’ look.

It’s September as I write, which only gives us a couple of months to ready our dogs for the onslaught of continual loud explosions throughout the night, for several weeks. Terrifying for many of our canine friends, not to mention cats, horses, birds etc.

We have Guy Fawkes night, closely followed by Diwali, followed by New Year’s Eve, sometimes with not much respite in between.

So you want to get a puppy? Exciting times. But before you rush into buying the first cute little thing you see, take a moment to think about what breed of dog would suit your lifestyle. The decision you are about to make will affect the next 13 or so years of your life.

It is proven that positive reinforcement works. Your dog does something you approve of, you reward him, therefore he will give you more of that behaviour in order to get more rewards. His good behaviour has been reinforced in a positive way.

Is your dog anxious or just bored? Some destructive behaviours can be interpreted as separation anxiety, when the dog just needs something to do.