Most of us have a preconceived notion about China’s relationship with dogs, considering dogs are still eaten as food, and it isn’t particularly difficult in major cities to find at least a restaurant or two that specialises in dog meat. But when canine behaviourist and trainer Shirin Merchant visited Beijing last month for the first time, she was in for a pleasant surprise. "I noticed that every evening you'll find at least 40 pet dogs on the streets. You'll see them at parks walking alongside the owner without a leash. They are so well behaved despite there being no solid pet trainer culture there,"she says. In fact, when Merchant was sitting at a restaurant, a colleague nudged her, pointing to the poodle on the adjoining seat. “The pooch sat on the lap of the owner, and not once did it bark. And the best part was nobody at the restaurant had a problem with it.”

Shirin Merchant with the local dogs that reside near the Great Wall of China