Any dog owner will know that our beloved pets soon become part of the family. Around 33% of the UK share their household with a dog, making them the nation's most popular pet.
While owners may think they know what's best for their canine companions, not everything we do for our four-legged friends is recommended by professionals.
Dog training and behaviour expert Nick Jones MA revealed the five common pet owner practices that may be doing more harm than good for dogs, warning that some mistakes dog owners make could lead to bad behaviour and poor power dynamics.
With over two thousand dog behaviour cases behind him and over 20 years of experience, Nick recently partnered with ACME Whistles to educate dog owners on training their pets and tackling behaviour issues.
From training techniques to choice of chews, HELLO! asked the expert to reveal the things he would never do as a dog owner.
Never fail to train or socialise your dog
"In my day-to-day work as a dog behaviourist, a large percentage of the issues I encounter could be prevented or addressed through adequate training and exposure to things the dog may find cause it anxiety," Nick explains.
"Even older and rescue dogs can be trained and managed in such a way that they can quickly fit into their new environment, making them safe and enabling an enjoyable life together for dog and owner."
Never feed your dog from your plate
Sorry, dog lovers. As much as you'd love to share your final bites with your four-legged friend, letting your pet eat from your plate could be doing more harm than good.
"Whilst we may be able to feed healthy leftovers to our dog, I would not feed the dog directly from my plate or allow the dog to sit at my feet and stare at me as I eat," says Nick.
"This not only causes issues with begging, but this relatively small point can set the scene for further erosion of a healthy leadership-based relationship with the dog. Balanced and consistent rules within the household are essential for happy dogs and happy families."
If you're buying a puppy, always meet the mother
While adopting or rescuing a puppy is always recommended over buying new, Nick explains the importance of meeting the mother dog.
This way, you can ensure the breeding of the puppy has been thought through and the breeders are doing everything to ensure the welfare and best outcome for the new puppies.
"Far too many people I work with have bought puppies without seeing the mother present with the puppies," warns Nick.
"Observing the mother not only allows us to see her temperament, which can influence the behaviour of the puppies, and provide an insight into the genetic health of the puppy, but it also ensures the puppies were bred in that location.
Never skip on training recall
According to Nick, nothing is more important than developing a sound and consistent recall when training a dog of any age. If your dog doesn't come back to you when called, it could put itself or others in danger.
"When training, always ensure you're setting yourself and your dog up for success," Nick says.
"For example, the use of a long training line (30 to 50 feet in length) on the dog's body harness, high-value reward food and/or a toy, and using open and encouraging body language and voice is a highly effective method of training for most dogs"
Never allow your dog to pull
Rewarding a dog from an early age to walk nicely alongside the owner is a very valuable tool.
"I have seen many owners suffer from shoulder, neck and back issues as a result of a dog that pulls consistently, but it need not be this way," adds Nick.
"Taking some time out of the day with a young dog to do some very simple and fun heel work in a variety of locations introducing plenty of stops, left and right turns, along with occasional sit and down commands for variety and interest will soon develop a dog that is far more attentive to the position of the owner."
