Jack loves shoes more than I like Lindt chocolate and Irishmen, which is to say: A LOT. The positive dog training method is to keep shoes out of reach… but as enthusiastic as I am about positive methods, I had to admit defeat on this. I’m only able to train myself to put away my shoes about 80% of the time, so all I wound up with was a puppy that thought shoes were toys. He would disappear into our bedroom with a set expression at bedtime and emerge with a hiking boot as if to say “Don’t mind me, just picking up a little something to chew on in bed…”

I tried an expensive “Stop Chew” spray that smelt bloody awful, but made NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER to Jack. He fell on my shoes like they were candy. Mmm. Yummy pepper-tasting shoes… I’m thinking of making Stop Chew sandwiches for him now, he seems to like it so much…

A more practical solution for me came from a book called “Dog Problems” by Carol Lea Benjamin. As a new convert to positive training, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with her ideas at first but one thing I’ve learned about dog training is that NOBODY has all the answers. And this shoe thing with Jack – I was a woman on the edge, I tell ya.

So here’s how it works. When your dog picks up a shoe, take it off him straight away and smack the shoe (not the dog, obviously) five times with a “No, no, no, no, no!” Then redirect the pup’s attention to a toy and tell him in a happy voice: “You can chew on this instead!”

I was amazed at how well this worked – a few days later, Jack ignores my shoes and plays cheerfully with his own toys instead.

I should hasten to add that you should think carefully before using what trainers call “negative punishment” on a puppy. The consequences can be a dog that tends to ignore you, or at worst, a fearful, yappy or even aggressive dog. My theory is that it’s best to “pick your battles” and only resort to negative methods when you’ve tried everything else.