[.ca] Puppy Preschool (ISBN 0312140290)

From Amazon.com:
This should be a prerequisite for any potential puppy owner. Authors John Ross and Barbara McKinney provide essential information on the preparation and selection of your puppy, as well as the best way to care for and train your new pet. Puppy Preschool traces the puppy development process from birth through the age of 18 months. In this thorough guide, the authors--dog training experts--explain all the details of making the most of your puppy experience. Sections include "Ten Best Breeds for the Home," "Safe (and Fun) Toys," and "Introducing Basic Obedience Commands." Also included are chapters on health and grooming, housebreaking, and preventing unwanted chewing. Full of photographs and written by obvious dog lovers, this easy-to- follow, straightforward instruction book gives potential puppy owners a lot to consider before purchasing a furry little friend for the family.

trainers poin of view:
I have read over 20 books that I like and this is (in one trainers opinion) an Awful book. I would never recommend it to anyone! I'm sure many of the methods work but why use them when modern training methods have advanced in so many effective positive ways. First of all the author says that every puppy should have a choke chain at 4 months old. I have trained hundreds of dogs that never had to have one and definitely not at 4 months old. Also, the list of the top ten breeds not to get was very untrue. I have had success with chows, Australian shepherds, Huskies and many of the breeds not recommended. Of the most recommended breeds the author mentions several that I would say are not for the average pet owner. Some of the info is just not current. Before I was a dog trainer I could train without having to growl at or roll my dogs over. Advice like this should be taken carefully. It's a good recipe to get bit or make your dog overly submissive. Instead try reading; Andrea Arden "Dog Friendly Dog Training," "Culture Clash," or any book by Karen Pryor.

This is a GREAT Puppy Book!:
I love this book. I used it when I got my four-month-old shepherd-mix, and the "nhaa" thing really does work! I found this book talked more about imitating the puppy's mother's behavior than some other books I've read. I also loved this author's informal style. I know some people disagree with the "10 Problem Breeds," but the author isn't saying that you should never get any of those breeds. He's just warning potential puppy owners so they don't bring an extremely energetic Aussie or Dalmation into an apartment, or get an Old English Sheepdog when they have very little time to spend with the dog. This book is very detailed (but not ridiculously detailed) and I recommend it to anyone.

Worked for us:
My wife and I bought this book two years ago before we got our first dog- a male golden retriever. We thought the methods were a little strange, too, but we tried them out and they work great! He housebroke easily, though we could not bring ourselves to crate him every night. Our dog is now two years old. He is well trained, obeys simple commands, walks easily on a leash, has NEVER chewed on a single thing in our house (an amazing feat for a lagely indoor golden) and he stops whatever he is doing when I give a short guttoral growl. There was lots of helpful information for us novice dog owners. I don't know if these methods would work as well for a german shepherd or a chow, but I couldn't be happier with how they worked for us. Whatever methods you use, spending the time and energy it takes to direct your dog to proper behavior at an early age will pay big dividends down the road.

The most important puppy-training book you'll ever need!:
This is the best training book for puppies I ever read. It tells you how to pick out a puppy, what breeds would be best for you, health issues, housebreaking, obedience training, and so much more! I even gives you pictures of how to teach your puppy what you want. If you are getting a puppy you want and need this book!

Only Puppy book You'll ever need:
I bought this book by accident in 1996. I only picked it because I was getting a puppy and it had the most recent publication date. This book is well written - funny and informative. I bought a lot of puppy books and this was the best one. I am getting ready to purchase it again - my neighbors just got their first puppy.