As I work with my young horse, Cherokee, I keep these words to the front of my mind and they form an essential part of everything that I do with him. For many readers it will be no surprise that they are from Monty Roberts, the renowned horseman, my original inspiration and friend.

Whether it is when teaching Cherokee to work on" long lines" to simply walking him from the field to the stable, every step is taken calmly and with me making the decisions on pace and direction.

With my dogs it is exactly the same; before we step out of the door I ensure that they are calm and responding to my pace and movements, which in turn helps them to understand that being on a lead always means that they walk relaxed and happy by my side, making it easy for them to put their trust in me. This is one of the four areas recognised with 'Amichien � Bonding', the process that enables all dog owners to create the relationship that we and our dogs need and enjoy.

This simple process means that I am able to step up to the role of leader for my dogs, at one of the most important times of their day, which is venturing away from the house (den) and for my horse he learns that to be relaxed and calm therefore he too is happy to walk with me, as we explore the world in which we live and this quiet manner he too can put his trust in my leadership qualities.

Of course there is another time that I ensure that I control the pace and the direction travelled and that is whenever I drive a car.  I pay particular attention to the condition of the brakes, as not only does my safety depends on this but also the lives of others too and it is ultimately my responsibility to ensure that the vehicle that I take into society will prove as safe as I can possibly make it.

Common sense and experience teaches us that a car driven too fast, in poor condition or without due care can cause the death of others and sadly the same is true for dogs, as they too can cause the death of an innocent person.

This is one of the many reasons that I find it incredible that so many people seemed to consider that near enough is good enough when it comes to the control they have over their dogs when venturing outside, when the reality is quite the opposite. For this reason I invite you too, as a responsible member of society to 'check your brakes' and then you can take up the pace at appropriate and safe times and make every minute a joy for everyone.

Jan Fennell
29th March 2012