At a private training session with the pint-sized star pupil on Sydney's northern beaches, he showed off skills learnt from Dr Katrina's new Wonderdog School. Ollie, known as a "jug", was the first dog to enroll in the online four-week program designed to enable owners to confidently train and manage their dogs.

"Ollie's a high-energy little bloke," Jacobz says.  "So it's important to prevent him from being bored, and also teach him to handle my work schedule. He needs to be comfortable with me coming and going a lot."

Wonderdog School is aimed at busy owners like Jacobz who don't have time to commit to regular classes. Participants have access to live online chats with Warren as well as videos, activities and training tips. "I wanted to do something positive to improve animal welfare and inspire owners to experience a happy lifelong relationship with their animal companions," says Warren,   who devised the program with dog trainer Kelly Gill.

She believes every dog can benefit from decent training. "Often people don't know where to find help to solve minor everyday dog behavioural problems, and as a result many dogs are surrendered to pounds and shelters."

Both Ollie, who was bound for the pound when Jacobz adopted him as a pup, and Riley, Warren's rehabilitated rescue golden retriever, are poster kids for the cause – and their famous owners are more than happy to let them bask in the spotlight. See wonderdogschool.com.