You have to be a hardened soul not to fall head over heels in love when you look into the eyes of a 9 week old puppy.

But can puppy love last? How do you make the relationship stick when that cute little fur ball is peeing all over the house or turning into a destructive force to be reckoned with?

My regular RadioLive Pet Show opened my eyes to the most common problem faced by New Zealand pet owners. There seems to be a skewed 3 -1 ratio of behavioural versus medical problems owners wish to discuss on air. The behavioural problem often more life threatening than the medical issues ever are.

Is a 10 minute Google search on how to tame your canine the answer to the problem? No, not something I would recommend. My best advice for your doggy-dilemma is to enlist some early intervention with the professional help from a qualified animal behaviourist as they are the specialists in this area.

Critical socialisation, firm and clear boundaries and the ability to earn respect from your dog as a calm and assertive leader are essential before the cracks in your relationship appear.

Start as you mean to go on early in the honey moon period of your ‘puppy love’ to allow something more precious and permanent to evolve. With a little pre-purchase preparation many of the problems outlined on air could have been avoided completely.

Puppy socialisation classes are an essential first step to a lasting, affectionate, mutually respectful relationship and deep down that is what we are all searching for.

For relationships that are currently on the rocks you can learn how to bridge the gap between the dog you have now and the dog you always wanted. Your behaviourist can help you to develop your dogs Attention, strengthen your current Relationship and increase your Control (essential for fun times off leash).

As with all lasting relationships communicaton and effort is required for sustainability ……cats, now that’s a completely different story!