Inuvik (Mar 25/05) - Man's best friend can be fickle at times.

Teaching your pooch to heel or even simply to behave can be challenging.

That is why Aurora College, Inuvik Campus has started a weekly introduction to dog obedience course. The classes, which began Jan. 16, take place Sunday afternoons at the learning centre gymnasium.

Thus far, more than 20 people and their dogs have participated in the first course, which ends March 20.

Dog owner Paul Doyle has found the course quite useful and says instructor Les Kutney has been excellent.

"We learned specific commands for our dog," he said. "And more importantly we learned what not to do in training her. We have a 55 pound lapdog full of energy, so learning some effective training techniques makes the whole family happier."

Presented by the continuing education department of the college, the course came about from community interest according to department co-ordinator Anne Church.

"The response to the course was so overwhelming that we had to divide the number of participants into two groups," she said. "So I believe we met a significant need within the community."