Pete the Vet: The top three things to teach your pet in basic training

Pete Wedderburn has some tips for basic training your furry friends

Beautiful Hungarian Vizsla puppy and its owner during obedience training outdoors. Sit command side view.

Owning pets means sharing our lives – and homes – with animals. There are many benefits, from having a continual animal friend beside you, to being encouraged to walk with your dog, to the pleasure of having a purring cat on your lap. However there can also be negative aspects, often relating to the way that animals behave. Pets are sentient creatures, but they are not rational beings in same way as adult humans. You can’t expect them to behave as you wish on their own initiative. If you want to have a well-behaved pet, it’s up to you to train them.

This week, I’m writing about my top three behaviours to teach dogs and cats, to help you create an agreeably organised home shared between people and animals.