A bored, under-exercised dog can become destructive. One which has not been socialised may show aggression towards other dogs, and while relatively few dogs are aggressive towards family members, it is a good idea to have these traits corrected. No training or bad training is far more likely to be at the root of the problem instead of the dog. The owner needs to admit that they – and their dog – need help.

Your dog may be incredibly friendly, but could still unintentionally cause harm to itself and others. For example, if your pet is not trained to come back to you when called, they could potentially get lost or run into the road and cause an accident. Other behaviour issues are separation anxiety if your dog is left alone – potentially any barking or whining could annoy neighbours. Pulling on the lead is not only a nuisance but could also be hazardous. Over possessiveness with toys, or even food should also be dealt with. This can lead to more serious problems, so aggression of any nature should be treated seriously.

Teaching dogs new tricks

Up and down the country, dogs of every description are in rescue centres, some because of behaviour problems. But, it is not just puppies who can learn – if you have the patience and are prepared to practice, older dogs can become reformed characters.

There are plenty of training classes which can help puppies and older dogs and allow all important socialisation – but for serious problems consider one-to-one lessons, although these will be more expensive. But, be careful who you use – a good trainer should be recommended and use reward based methods. They should not show any aggression towards your dog – instead they will be calm but firm – showing you how to assert yourself as leader. A dog who does not see you as leader may be anxious – which can be a cause of problems.

Consistency is key. If you scold you dog for not returning to you, this not going to help. Dogs learn by praise, reward and repetition. Try and do too much, and your dog will switch off, so break up training sessions with play or exercise.

You might also want to consider joining a class which is part of the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme. This is the largest UK dog training scheme, which promotes responsible dog ownership. Their training covers puppies and older dogs, and delivers a bronze, silver or gold award depending on the level of competence achieved.

If you own a dog which is showing behaviour problems, don’t just hope they will disappear. Training is a part of responsible ownership, along with having dog insurance. This is not just for vets’ bills – quality pet insurance will also contain liability cover, in case, for example, your dog does cause an accident and you are sued. This is a worst case scenario; however get on top of your dog’s behaviour issues and stick with it. The end results will be a real sense of achievement for you – and can result in a much happier dog.

Issued by Sainsbury’s Finance

We are appealing for canine professionals and experts who have advice to give and would like to give it.

If you have articles and help sheets that you would like to share via this website, please get in touch with us.

We are building up a free resource here at www.cfidos.co.uk for dog owners, children, teachers and prospective owners who are in the research page.

Items for early consideration:

• Selecting a responsible dog breeder
• Selecting a high quality dog trainer / canine behaviour professional
• Dealing with destructive behaviour
• Coping with separation anxiety
• Establishing a strong bond between dog and owner(s)
• Dogs and children: (we will dedicate an entire section of the site to this topic)

If you would like to submit your material(s) for consideration, please contact us:

official affiliate of: The Pet Owners Parliament

Download our ‘Making Dog Ownership Better For All’ poster.

Print some off and distribute them to your nearest vets, pet shops, dog training schools, breeders and any other place where dog owners gather.

Working To Improve Dog Ownership for All | C-fidos Poster (1.7mb PDF)

If you can place the poster in a public (with permission) or private venue where it is likely to be seen by dog owners, grab a photograph and email it (along with your POP membership number) to admin@cfidos.co.uk and we will reward you with 100 POP points.

POP (Pet Owners Parliament) Points are available to members of the Pet Owners Parliament and are designed to incentivise POP members to help spread the message and bring awareness to the aims and objectives of the Pet Owners Parliament. At the end of the year the members with the most POP points will be rewarded with some great pet related prizes.

Do you run a dog related website or organisation?

Do you support the 7 principles of The Coalition For Improved Dog Ownership Standards?

1) That dogs and society in the UK would benefit from a nation of better informed dog owners
2) That dog related legislation should be fair and not based on breed type
3) That the UK should strive to address and reduce the number of dogs surrendered to shelters
4) That all dog owners should be made aware of the principles of the Animal Welfare Act
5) That all potential dog owners should be better informed as to how to select responsible suppliers of dogs
6) That irresponsible suppliers and producers of dogs should be properly legislated against
7) That educating young people about dogs is to the great benefit of dogs and society in the future

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In return for your support and efforts to promote the 7 principles of C-fidos we can add your website / organisation details to our official affiliates page.

Simply add our banner or logo (below) to your website with a link – perhaps alongside some words as to why your support the principles of C-fidos – then let us know using the form below. We will then add your details to our affiliates page.

official affiliate of: The Pet Owners Parliament

If you believe, as much as we do, in the following 7 principles and would like to lend your name to the Coalition For Improved Dog Ownership Standards, please spare a couple of minutes and to join us!

The 7 Founding Principles of C-fidos:

1) That dogs and society in the UK would benefit from a nation of better informed dog owners
2) That owners should be legislated against, not dogs
3) That the UK should strive to address and reduce the number of dogs surrendered to shelters
4) That all dog owners should be made aware of the principles of the Animal Welfare Act
5) That all potential dog owners should be better informed as to how to select responsible suppliers of dogs
6) That irresponsible suppliers and producers of dogs should be properly legislated against
7) That educating young people about dogs is to the great benefit of dogs and society in the future

Just a few moments of your time can go a long way.

Here’s how.

By joining C-fidos as a supporter or becoming a member of our steering group you add weight to the coalition. The more people who join and agree with our founding principles, the more impact we can make when campaigning on the issues we care about such as:

• Puppy farming
• Animal welfare
• Canine legislation
• Education
• and more

Joining is free and will take only a moment. Contact us for information.