Have you tried finding dog training advice and just felt that sinking feeling because your dog continually disobeys your commands? The thing is, dog training is a little bit like being a teacher.
Until you learn to recognize the signs and know how to deal with them authoritatively it's an uphill struggle to control the situation.
All dogs seek attention from the person they feel is the leader of the pack.
That means that if they don't see their owner as the leader of the pack then the relationship is heading for choppy waters.
Just the other day I saw a dog out on the beach going about his business while his owner shouted and screamed at him to "heel", "come" and "come here <b>now</b>!" The effect on the dog was zero.
I didn't feel at all smug because my dog had done something similar a short while before.
Unlike this fellow, however, having been a teacher I knew that shouting does little to remedy the situation.
In the end, like my dog, his four-legged friend came back in his own good time.
In the ideal situation we need to keep control of some sort over our dogs all the time.
It's just too dangerous to do anything else.
So when we lose control like this we have to win back the respect of the dog and reinstate ourselves as the leader.
An appropriate reward has to be given when a dog acts the way we want.
Too many rewards, however, and it becomes a bribe.
Finding that balance between a bribe and a reward is a hard process.
It's tempting to keep giving the dog rewards to ensure the good behavior continues.
In practice, the positive effect of treats starts to wear off after a very short time if any and all behavior is met with a reward.
Fortunately we have endless amounts of advice all around us.
When you first start exploring the subject it can be a little daunting so it pays to be quite focused about what exactly you want to achieve.
Scanning the pet section at the local book store I found I could learn about dog whispering, welcoming, separation, aggression, feeding, worming, depression and just about any other subject you'd care to name.
But I didn't want to do tricks, learn advanced sheep herding or hunt for truffles.
I just wanted a good all round pack of tips and advice to make my dog walking experiences a stress free event.
In the end it can pay to search online for dog training advice.
Apart from the many comprehensive programs available you'll also find that there are plenty of free courses you can sign up to and have delivered straight to your inbox.
They're well worth it and the hints and tips at this beginners level is more than enough to achieve a basic level of dog training to find your way back to a healthy relationship with your dog.
Finding dog training advice didn't turn out to be that hard.