Bailey the dog may look harmless, but a frustrated couple were forced to sleep apart and fork out for hotels because of his constant attention-seeking.
Phil Woodlock and Jacqui Mallin were driven to despair by the barking tantrums of her attention-seeking dog, Bailey the Yorkshire terrier.
Despite being a mere six inches tall, the pint-sized pooch laid down the law to Mr Woodlock, a prison governor, preventing him sharing a bed, or even the sofa, with his partner of six years.
They finally called in dog training expert, Victoria Stilwell, presenter of It's Me Or The Dog! on Channel 4, who quickly got to the root of the problem.
She was astonished to find the pampered pooch, who refused to eat dog food from a bowl, was allowed by Ms Mallin and her daughter Holly, 18, to eat from their forks and plates at the dinner table.
Ms Stilwell said: "It was obvious that Bailey belonged in a dog bed, not Jacqui's bed. There were three in this relationship - and Bailey was the top man."
Simple tricks
The expert dog trainer introduced a number of simple techniques which brought about an immediate change in one-year-old Bailey's behaviour.
She taught Mr Woodlock to turn his back on the puppy, a pacifying gesture, which now allows him to sit on the sofa without fear of being savaged.
She also prepared Bailey's food with garlic, making his meal smell enticing and for the first time he began eating from a dog bowl on the floor.
Giving rewards and squealing to signal the end of playtime were used to improve Mr Woodlock's communication with his rival.
Bedtime remains a challenge, as Bailey is banished from the bedroom to sleep in a dog basket outside his mistress's room.
But Ms Mallin, a human resources boss in Edinburgh, has stood firm and ignored the puppy's agonising barks to spend the night with her man.
Bailey's new playmate
And Bailey's new playmate, 14-week-old Molly, another Yorkshire terrier puppy, soaks up much of his craving for attention.
Ms Mallin said: "Victoria has completely transformed Bailey from a devil dog into an angelic little beastie. It's now a lot less stressful in this household.
"He used to get away with murder but now Phil and I can spend quality time together. It's saved us a small fortune on hotel bills!"
Mr Woodlock, who works at Shotts Prison, near Glasgow, said: "I would have to spend 95 per cent of the time in the spare room.
"I used to feel that if Jacqui had to make a decision between the dog and me it would be the dog! Bailey ruled this house but now he's totally changed."
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