Teaching your dog the correct behaviour by Matt Whittaker, store manager at Pets at Home, Swindon

We love our dogs for their unique characteristics, but sometimes they can misbehave.

It’s important to understand why our dogs act naughty as it will help you to steer them away from this behaviour in future.

If your dog is digging around in your garden, the chances are that they are doing this out of boredom so to tackle this it might be worth constructing a specific area, like a sandpit, in your garden for them to dig around in. To make it even more engaging for your dog, it could be a worthwhile idea to hide a few toys or bones under the surface.

Barking is natural for dogs and their way of communicating with us. However, if you feel like it is becoming an issue it can be dealt with through training. Using rewards will help to positively reinforce good behaviour and teach your dog when to bark. Introducing a “quiet” command and a “speak” command will also let your dog know when to bark.

If your dog steals something from you, it’s likely they are trying to get your attention. So, establishing a solid routine and making more time for your pooch will help prevent this kind of behaviour.

Pets at Home stock a variety of taste-based deterrents, that when sprayed on an item, will prevent your dog from chewing them. Ensure that you provide alternative items for your dog to carry around such as a sturdy chew toy.

For more advice on training your dog, pop in to our store and one of our friendly in-store colleagues will be happy to help.