For successful training, practice the following basic training steps with your puppy every day. Keep training sessions short. Your puppy will see everything as a game, so keep them stimulated by changing what they’re learning. Do each command for about five minutes and come back to it whenever you can.

Practice the commands in lots of different places — in the living room, garden, hall or kitchen, even out on walks — so that they get used to responding to you in all sorts of situations. You can use the click technique to help with other aspects of your puppy's training, such as encouraging standing still for grooming and getting them used to travelling by car.

Your puppy will learn very quickly and respond to love and affection as well as rewards. Obedience training will help build a lasting bond between the two of you and you'll be rewarded with a happy, well-trained dog.

Table manners

Giving in to your puppy's every need is not a good thing. As puppies grow, so will their need to assert themselves. Puppies often choose mealtimes as a battleground. But giving in is a mistake. You need to make sure your puppy knows that you won't respond to every demand.

Your puppy needs to learn that people, particularly small children, can be a bit unpredictable and to accept that their unpredictable behaviour is not threatening. You can help by imitating a child's behaviour. Try stepping quickly towards their bowl — then drop in a treat. Gently bump into them, while they’re eating, or roll toys nearby — anything to cause a distraction, but drop a treat in the bowl to reward for continuing to eat calmly. Do this every so often, but not at every meal. If your puppy freezes mid-mouthful, growls or glares at you, stop and try again another time. If this continues, it's best to seek advice from a veterinary behaviourist or certified dog trainer.

Reading your puppy's body language

Dogs have always communicated with each other by using body language. This involves facial expressions, body postures, noises and scents. Dogs will use their mouth, eyes, ears and tail to express emotions. By learning how to interpret your puppy's body language, you can interpret your puppy's intentions.

Signs of aggression or submission

If your puppy is feeling brave or aggressive, they'll try to make themselves larger by standing tall, with ears and tail sticking upright. They'll also push out their chest and raise the hair on their neck and back. They might also growl and wave their tail slowly.

On the other hand, a submissive dog will try to make themselves appear small and act like a puppy. This is because an adult dog will "tell off" a puppy but not attack them. Submission will take the form of a sideways crouch near to the ground, tail held low but wagging away. They may also try to lick the face of the dominant dog or human and even roll onto their back.

Your puppy's tail

Most of us recognise that tail wagging is a sign of friendliness and pleasure, but the tail can indicate other moods, too.

The normal way a dog holds their tail varies from breed to breed but generally speaking, a tail held higher than 45 degrees to the back expresses alertness and interest.

If your puppy's tail is waved slowly and stiffly, that's an expression of anger. If it's clamped low over hindquarters, it means your pet is afraid. An anxious or nervous dog may droop their tail but wag it stiffly.

Your puppy's eyes

If your dog's eyes are half closed, that's a sign of pleasure or submission, while eyes wide open can indicate aggression.