A lady showed me her arms covered in bites inflicted by her six-month-old puppy and asked what she should do. I told her to reprimand him making it clear his outrageous behaviour was unacceptable.

She said she’d tried scolding him but he simply ignored her so I told her to smack him on the snout the moment he attempted to bite and she burst into tears of relief.

"I knew I needed to do something physical but I read in a book that I shouldn’t." This lady understood what was needed but allowed her natural instinct to be overruled. There are so many conflicting opinions about dog behaviour that it’s easy to get lost in a blizzard of theory.

Whenever that happens I clear my mind completely and observe an experienced mother rearing her pups. We currently have a litter of eight puppies and watching mother Honey raise them is an education not to be missed.

Whatever the challenge Honey never loses her temper (Rule No 1).

She keeps things simple and consistent (Rule No2).

Puppies that don’t obey get nudged until they do (Rule No3).

Unruly behaviour in her immediate vicinity is not acceptable (Rule No 4).

Honey gives her puppies increasing amounts of time alone to prepare them for independence (Rule No 5).

By the time Honey’s puppies leave her they will be well-adjusted, sociable little dogs ready for the outside world.

Honey hasn’t read any books or confused herself with conflicting theory she’s followed her natural instinct and educated her puppies in a calm sensible manner that will serve as an indelible blue print throughout their lives.

Calm sensible mothers raise calm sensible dogs and you can too.

Listen to your inner dog.

Read more training tips on Vic’s website at www.vicbarlow.com , and click here to read some of Vic's previous columns