Getting a new dog is one of life's great joys. Getting the training wrong in the early months, however, can cause problems that take years to undo. Here are the five most common mistakes.

1. Inconsistency. If "come" sometimes means come and sometimes means nothing, your dog will learn to ignore it. Every member of the household must use the same commands.

2. Punishing after the fact. Dogs live in the moment. Telling off a dog for something it did 10 minutes ago is completely lost on them — they have no idea what you're upset about.

3. Skipping socialisation. The window for socialisation closes around 14-16 weeks. Expose your puppy to as many people, sounds, environments and animals as safely possible during this period.

4. Too many commands at once. One command, one action, one reward. Keep it simple until the behaviour is solid.

5. Giving up too soon. Consistency over weeks and months is what builds reliable behaviour. Most owners quit just before the behaviour solidifies.