Dogs should be taught life skills rather than simply how to sit, stay and hand over their paws, a pet mindfulness coach has said.

Carolyn Menteith, a leading dog behavioural expert, said dog owners should lose their obsession with teaching traditional obedience exercises and instead focus on the skills the pet innately has.

“It doesn't matter if your dog sits the moment you say sit if it goes and rips up the curtains and knocks over granny,” she said.

"We should be teaching life skills instead of behaviour commands - how to settle when people are watching television and how to enjoy being handled."

Ms Menteith, who was the trainer for the Crufts 2018 Channel Four programmes and won the Kennel Club Accredited Instructor of the Year award three years previously, said training should be about building a relationship with the animal, rather than teaching it various tricks.

“It doesn't matter so much whether a dog does obedience exercises - like a dog walking perfectly to heel - we need a dog to be happy and fun with our family,” she said.