'It's important to train dogs so that owners are able to control them even when they are not leashed,' said professional dog trainer Patrick Wong, who has 23 years of experience.

'You never know when accidents could happen.'

There are at least 10 dog training firms in Singapore. Basic obedience lessons are usually held once a week and courses usually involve four to 10 lessons.

It can cost from $300 to $500 for group lessons, which train between three and 20 dogs each session. One-on-one sessions may cost up to $1,600 for a 10-lesson course.

Only 10 per cent of Singapore's 53,000 licensed dogs have been trained, according to estimates from trainers and experts. There are no official records kept.

The Straits Times recently visited a basic obedience class conducted by MrWong at Bukit Panjang.

It had several levels of advancement and was specifically tailored to each dog.

They are trained to respond to an owner's command, whether they are on a leash or off.

The animals learnt commands such as 'sit', 'stand', 'down' and the recall command, used to make a dog walk towards the owner.

One dog owner, Miss Lin Jiapei, was there with her eight-month-old dalmatian, Oscar. The 20-year-old enrolled Oscar, which is deaf, for classes just days after getting it as a puppy.

'Oscar would go into the kitchen and open the drawers to pull out pots and pans. It would also jump on the table to steal food,' she said.

Months of obedience lessons changed all that. Oscar now responds faithfully to Miss Lin's hand signals.

Ms Jina Williams, vice-president of the Singapore Kennel Club, which also holds obedience classes, said dog owners should attend training sessions to learn to be responsible owners.

'We encourage dog owners to come in with their dogs and train their dogs as it is more about teaching the handler,' she added.

But several dog owners said obedience training was unnecessary as their dogs were not troublesome.

'I've read many books on dog training,' said retiree Lee Kay Soi, 65, who owns a five-year-old West Highland terrier named Happy.

'I've trained it since it was young to do basic things and it listens to me, so that should be enough.'

Mr Kabir Singh, president of the Singapore German Shepherd Club, believes many dog owners see obedience training as an 'unnecessary inconvenience'. He feels that obedience training should be mandatory for all breeds.

He said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's proposal of compulsory obedience training for dangerous breeds will help people to 'educate themselves and achieve positive results'.

'If dog owners see it in this light, then most would consider obedience training a worthwhile investment,' he said.

'It's important to train dogs so that owners are able to control them even when they are not leashed. You never know when accidents could happen.'
Dog trainer Patrick Wong