Let me begin with a personal experience that will illustrate the importance of getting your dog training right. A few years ago I had some friends who had a rottweiler. My daughter would go around to their house to play with their daughter sometimes. One day while I was there with my daughter, I noticed that the dog was allowed to be in the house all of the time. That was ok I thought until we were all sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee. For no apparent reason the dog took exception to my daughter taking a biscuit from a plate on the coffee table and began to growl at her. I must admit I felt very concerned about the behaviour of the dog. It was apparent that this dog had decided that it could make the rules regarding the family's food. Not only that but because it was such a big dog, I realised that it could potentially do a huge amount of damage to a child – or anyone for that matter.

On another occasion I happened to be at this friend's house and she was having a lie down on the bed. The dog was also laying on the bed as it usually did. My friend's husband came into the room at this moment and suddenly the dog was up on it's feet, still on the bed, growling and snarling.

Here was a dog who was totally in control, a dog who had been allowed to assume the role of pack leader and here was a family that didn't know how to deal with a situation that they had inadvertently created.

The reason for this true story is to illustrate how we can create a situation where a dog becomes a threat to people and possibly other dogs simply because effective dog training had not taken place.

How could this situation have been avoided?

First and foremost if we are thinking of getting a dog as a family pet, we must do the research first before we go out and buy one. It is all too easy to go into a petshop or whatever and be ruled by our emotions. You see a fluffy bundle of fur and you just have to take it home. Or you go to an animal rescue centre and the plight of some poor abandoned pooch pulls so hard at your heart strings that you find yourself agreeing to look after it and give it a good home.

For the sake of the dog and your family you need to be fully aware that training a dog is one of the most important things you can do. Correct obedience training for the dog is essential for the harmony of the entire household.

In order to be competent in training a dog you first have to have some knowledge about the types of training techniques that are available. This involves spending some time on the internet or reading books to find out which method of obedience training is going to be right for you and the type of dog you would like to own.

It may seem like a big investment of your time but it will certainly pay dividends in the quality of the relationship you will have with your pet,. The kind of dog training that you decide on should depend on not only the breed of dog you choose, but also the age and background of the animal.

Different breeds can sometimes require different training methods and rescued dogs are an unknown quantity altogether.

Many people want to help a rescue dog and that is a very kind thing to do when you realize how many dogs there are waiting for a good home. In this situation, it can be really helpful to know some of the background of the dog you choose.

As an example, imagine you take home a dog that has had a history of abuse. It may be either aggressive or scared. It may even resist being touched. How would you deal with a dog like this? How would you know what dog training method to use?

Well you wouldn't want to launch into a strict regime of obedience training straight away. The first thing you would have to do is to establish trust between you and the dog. How would you go about this?

Trying to rush things isn't the way to go. Gradually encourage the dog to approach you for physical contact. Begin slowly by placing a treat on the floor a short distance from the dog and then step away from it. When the dog takes the treat, give lots of verbal praise. This will demonstrate to the dog that you are not a threat to it. Continue with this and eventually the trust will be established and you will find that the dog can approach you without fear or aggression. Patience and love are paramount here because the dog has possibly never experienced kindness before. It will take time and the patience that you will need to demonstrate is second only to that of bringing up a child.

Of course there are many more things to consider if you are thinking about adopting a rescue dog and again it is the course of wisdom to check out what is available in the way of dog training programs.

Whether it is a rescue dog, a puppy, or a pedigree animal, I would recommend that you do spend some time looking at various ways that you can train your pet before you bring him or her home.