We been given the name of a dog training centre who our vet has used for his own dogs and they're very good. I'm going to telephone and speak with them shortly.

I prefer to train a dog with the reward system. I do not, and never have, believed in using force to train any animal. Max is highly intelligent and although we've only had him for two days, already he has learned different commands. One is, and it's a very important one, is to sit at the kerb and wait until we tell him to cross the road. We make him do this at every kerb we come to, varying the times we make him sit and wait. At first he didn't really know what we wanted but when we took him out for his bedtime walk last night, Graham told him to sit and he did. He's a very quick learner and I think he will enjoy dog training classes.

Of course, in our house the other thing he has to learn is not to chase the cats. He's getting much better now and I don't think it'll be long before the cats are curled up with him