It’s not surprising that sometimes your dog’s behaviour can leave you scratching your head in confusion.

After all, training dogs is, in essence, an act of one species trying to communicate with another in a language in which only one of them is fluent!

Cases of ‘dognapping’ are on the rise - -

Does your dog jump up at you and even bite or nip you or your visitors?

Although jumping is a natural behaviour for a dog it can be annoying, embarrassing or even at times downright dangerous.

Jumping happens when a dog becomes excited and is looking to get your attention. They have learned that if they jump you will respond by:

Getting a puppy or dog can be a minefield these days and its worth being in the know. After all, you may have your pooch for 13 years plus.

How can you protect yourself and make sure you get a healthy dog? There are a couple of rules to follow.

It can be really distressing to see a dog that’s very frightened and nervous. These dogs are in a constant state of panic and will run or hide if they get the chance. Their body language is very telling - their ears will be flat back, body low and will hesitate or even pull away from anything that frightens them. They can get quite agitated facing something they are uncomfortable with.

January is a time for starting over, making New Year’s Resolutions and thinking about the changes you would like to make for the year ahead. This January, my challenge to you is to take a moment and think about your dog. Be realistic and rather than putting up with those annoying behaviours let’s make this the year to make some changes. Are you with me?

Dragging you along, pulling the socket out of your armpit and embarrassing you in front of the neighbours? Don’t worry; it is possible to enjoy walking your dog on the lead again!