According to the newspaper, the four-month old dog had to be taken in by the Dogs Trust charity when her owners did not want her.

However, after just three weeks of training, she can sit, stay and walk in response to hand gestures.

Trainer Leslie Carley told the newspaper the puppy was "the brightest spark" of all the animals at the centre.

Cats given the kiss of life by firemen

Six cats, which were overcome by smoke in a house fire, were given the kiss of life by firemen.

Breathing apparatus usually reserved for babies was used to resuscitate the animals, meaning fire crews did not have to attempt mouth-to-mouth on them, newspapers report.

However, a seventh cat died in the fire at the house, which is believed to have started in the kitchen.

A spokesman for Buckingham Fire and Rescue Service said that crews had searched the smoke-filled room to rescue the pets.

He told the newspaper: "We were told about the cats and ran around the house in the thick smoke trying to locate them all.

"We took them outside and fitted them with baby oxygen masks. A few of them were unconscious or a little woozy but they soon came round."

However, Hannah Graves and Richard Morton told the newspaper they fear one of their cats, Bramble, may not survive the next week due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Choosing dog will be Obama 'family event'

As the election fever dies down, the Obama family have stated that they will begin deciding which dog they wish to take in.

The process has been hindered by their daughter Malia's allergies and by a need to settle in to a routine before committing.

Speaking to CBS News, Michelle Obama revealed that people were already making suggestions and that they will take advice about which breed to go for in the new year, also adding that it would be "a family event".

"As responsible owners, I don't think it would be good to get a dog in the midst of transition. So when we settle, get in a routine, we think about late winter, early spring, we're gonna get the dog," she said.

The story of the Obama dog first hit the headlines when the president-elect made a pre-election promise to his family that they would get a dog if he was elected.

Having made a similar promise to his wife Jill, vice president-elect John Biden recently chose a German shepherd puppy, reports the Daily Times.