Carson is our cat. I feed him, clean his room and launder his bed. He doesn’t know or care but  I do it.

Like most cats Carson sets his own agenda and may be inside or outside the house as the mood takes him. He roams around the garden and works entirely to his own agenda.

I have very little control of what Carson does and as long as he’s safe and sound that’s all I need to know.

What makes dogs so much more fun is they will interact with us. Half of your dog’s behaviour is down to training i.e. what he knows. The other half is governed by your relationship.

He may know what you want him to do but whether he does it or not depends on the relationship. And only his opinion counts.

Every day I see dogs chasing around the park ignoring their owner’s calls to come back. It isn’t that these dogs don’t understand the command they just choose to ignore it. Whatever the distraction it’s more important to the dog than his owner.

You and your dog need to be a team if you are to live in harmony. You need to be as important to his life as you want him to be to yours. Feeding him and following him as he pulls you down the street is not enough.

He needs to see you as the epicentre of all his fun and games. You need to be his teacher, protector and guide through life. Once you have that relationship living and working with your dog is a joy.

It’s hard work to begin with but it’s well worth the effort when you can take him anywhere and know he will be well behaved.

I have a two-day master class on June 22/23. Email vicbarlow@icloud.com for details.