According to a recent PDSA report, 1.3million dogs in the UK are now displaying problem behaviour.  The worst area was the east of England (was moving to Suffolk such a good idea, I ask myself!) where a fifth of owners reported behavioural problems on a regular basis.  In contrast, the figure for Wales was only 8%.  The study also found that one in three dog owners have been bitten or attacked by a dog and more than 50% said they knew somebody else who had.

These are appalling figures.  Yes, it's good news for a dog psychologist such as me and explains why my case load increases year on year - but the vast majority of these problems are down to lack of training.  At the risk of sounding as though I am stuck in a groove, I have to say yet again: when it comes to owning a dog, training is not an optional extra.  Training is essential; it is not a chore but carried out correctly, proves to be a great deal of fun for both dog and owner, strengthening the bond of mutual respect and understanding in the process.

Yes, a dog is for life ... but it's also for training.

One of the joys of moving to Suffolk has been the discovery of so many new exciting walks: on heathland, in the woods and on the beaches.  (Today we were on a footpath that led across a golf course and before I realised it, the dogs had happily decided to join in by kindly retrieving their balls - fortunately the golfers saw the funny side!)

Now that Titus is showing his age we don't normally walk for more than two hours a day but even so, I am amused to discover that this could be adding years to my life.  A recent study on 600,000 men and women aged 40+ found that walking just two and a half hours a week could add more than seven years overall.

Other recent research has shown that taking a daily walk can make you more able to cope with life's ups and downs.  The lesson is clear: if you want to live forever and take life in your stride, get a dog and get walking!  But if you can't have a dog for any reason but would still like to walk one, visit www.dogwalkingnow.co.uk that tries to match dogs that need walking in your area with friendly walkers. 

My older flat coat Titus has never been a licker but the younger, Rosco, has his tongue in your face or ear whenever possible.  Personally I think it's a disgusting habit and I hate it - I know all too well all the unsavoury places his tongue has been!  But some owners revel in their dog licking their face although they might not be so keen when they discover that recent reseach by the Japanese shows that mutual kissing can result in gum disease - for the owner.  They found that certain types of bacteria can be exchanged between dogs and owners, working both ways, and that dog owners had a higher rate of bacteria in their mouths than non dog owners.  After finding that three kinds of disease-causing bacteria were prevalent in dogs' plaque, they concluded that several gum infections could be transmitted to humans.  However, others argue that many bacteria in a dog's mouth are naturally the same as in a human's mouth - and that it may well be safer to kiss your dog than a human!