1.Buy yourself some sanity- use baby gates, crates and house lines to help manage any unwanted behaviours. Not only does it help to break bad habits but it gives you a chance to relax.

2. Step back and try and see things from your dog’s point of view. All dogs do what they do for certain reasons, there is always some sort of benefit to them. By working out why they do something you can figure out how to change their motivations and reward something else.

3.Visit a pet store or online pet shop and purchase some fun toys to keep their minds occupied. There are some brilliant toys available that will help tire out the mind and body. The Kong ranges are always popular but you can also get various brain games, food dispensing toys, chew toys and noisy toys all of which your dog will love.

4.Buy a child’s paddling pool and fill it up with either water during the warmer months for some fun splashing time (you could even throw treats in for your dog to try and get) or fill with sand and give them somewhere that they can dig in to their hearts content. Again you could hide food treats or toys for them to find.

5.Change your routes and areas for walks to keep things different. Make sure you mix up walk time so it’s not always ball throwing or on lead to the park. Visit country parks for a real scent explosion, go to the beach, take a trip round town to keep up their socialisation. Doing the same walk every day is not much fun for most young active dogs.

6.Give your dog permission to be messy! Let him have things he can chew up and shred. Hide food treats in toilet rolls, play ‘pass the parcel’ by layering food treats in an array of empty cardboard boxes, pop some dry food into empty drinks bottles.

7.Provide plenty chew toys or food treats that last a while. Chewing is great for releasing tension and frustration plus it keeps teeth in good condition. Nylabones, stag bars, large rawhides or filled Kongs are very popular with most dogs.

8.Make sure you are feeding a healthy diet. Many dog foods on the market are in fact very poor quality and many contain ingredients that are known to exacerbate behaviour problems. Corn, wheat, beet pulp, food colourings, artificial preservatives and E numbers are all known to cause issues in some dogs. Feed a high quality wet or dry food which is hypoallergenic and contains ample protein from named meat sources.

9.Rather than feeding your dog from their bowl try playing hide and seek by popping small handfuls of their food around the house. Once they get the idea of it you can begin to hide the food under rugs, behind cushions or in boxes. Or for a quick feed just scatter their food across the garden!

10.Have fun with your dog. Teach them funny tricks, give them a nice gentle massage or have a game of tug. Forget about any problematic behaviour they have for a while and enjoy watching them have fun. After all the reason most of us have dogs is for the benefits they can bring to our lives by giving us company, a reason to smile and unconditional love.