If you’re looking for a few great training books to help out with raising your Blue Heeler, stick around! Below, we’ll take a look at some general training books for herding dogs, along with one or two Blue Heeler-specific ones. We’ll talk a bit about WHY I picked these books before we get into their individual reviews.
Best Blue Heeler Dog Training Books at a Glance
In a rush and don’t have time to read all of my reviews? Here’s a quick peek at my favorites. FYI, this post includes affiliate links. If you buy anything through them, DogVills earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. We thank you for your support!
What You Need to Know About Choosing the Best Blue Heeler Training Books
Finding a useful training book for specific breeds is more difficult than you might imagine. Authors are rather sneaky with how they sell these books. In many cases, they’ll write ONE general training book, then slap something like “Blue Heelers” somewhere in the title. They’ll do it again with another breed, and another, and so on.
It’s a very common practice that can cause dog owners with more challenging breeds a lot of problems.
But don’t worry, there’s some good news. It’s easy to tell when one of these general training books is being offered as a breed-specific guide. You just need to click on the author’s Amazon bio and look at what they’re selling.
If you notice a pattern about it being the same book every time, but with a different breed, it’s time to disregard that training book.
What to Look for In LEGIT Dog Training Books
Our previous section raises the question of what to watch out for when you’re searching for a breed-specific training book. If you shouldn’t search by breed, though, then what SHOULD you look for?
First, I’d suggest using keywords based on Blue Heeler’s personality traits. Try searching for training books about teaching independent, energetic, herding, or stubborn dogs.
Blue Heeler owners should also avoid any training book that advocates dominant training methods. These tactics won’t mesh with this breed and aren’t what a dog owner should be doing. Honestly, those tactics don’t work well with ANY breed. Multiple studies show that “alpha” or “dominance” training methods do more harm than good.
You instead want training books that focus on using positive reinforcement techniques. It’s a much more successful and fun way of teaching your Blue Heeler.
Last, but definitely far from least, choose books that are authored by actual dog training experts. Anyone can write a training book and self-publish it on Amazon. That doesn’t make them an expert. Again, the author’s bio will tell you a lot about their experience. A quick Google search of their name should also give you a good idea of whether or not they’re legit.
Now that you know what makes up good Blue Heeler training books, it’s time to look at a few.
The 5 Best Blue Heeler Training Books
When available, I included a preview of the Kindle version of each book so you can check out the excerpt right here. Just click on “Free Preview” to read it.
1. Zak George’s Guide to a Well-Behaved Dog
I am a HUGE fan of Zak George’s positive training methods! Technically, the methods in this book apply to all breeds, but they should help you curb any common training problems.
Some of the issues he covers include barking, aggression, begging, and separation anxiety. Given these topics, it shouldn’t be much surprise that the book has a known reputation for working well with Blue Heelers.
According to expert veterinarian Dr. John Ciribassi, “Zak George takes his dedication to humane and effective dog training from the screen to the written page. His techniques for managing common training problems are spot-on.”
By the way, if you’re looking for more in-depth knowledge about his training methods, George has an excellent YouTube channel.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- George, Zak (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 224 Pages - 07/09/2019 (Publication Date) - Ten Speed Press (Publisher)
2. The Power of Positive Dog Training
If you want to use your dog’s training as a bonding experience, you’ll love this next book. Pat Miller, the founder of Peaceable Paws Dog & Puppy Training Center, details several positive training techniques to ensure mutual respect is built between you and your pup.
One of my favorite quotes from the book really just says everything you need to know about her methods. She writes, “Open your eyes, your mind, and your heart. Sign on the dotted line of your canine social contract, make a commitment to having fun, and get ready to discover your dog. That’s the power of positive dog training.”
The Power of Positive Dog Training goes through all of the basics you’ll need to know to successfully train your Heeler. She also gives you a great guide to understanding your pup’s body language so you can forge a deeper and more meaningful bond. Miller goes step-by-step to help you phase out treats and clickers once your dog learns commands.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Miller, Pat (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 393 Pages - 03/15/2012 (Publication Date) - Howell Book House (Publisher)
3. The Complete Guide to Australian Cattle Dogs
Our next book is an Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) specific resource. I know I said most of these books are junk, but this one has received glowing reviews from several ACD owners.
Many of these buyers were impressed by its detailed discussions on several topics: ACD health, house training, preparing your home for an ACD’s arrival, basic command training, and much more.
In other words, Tarah Schwartz’s book does a great covering all the Blue Heeler basics. It’s a perfect resource for anyone who intends on getting a new Blue Heeler in the near future.
All that said, a quick Google search and a glance at Schwartz’s author bio tell us that she’s not an expert dog trainer. So, I’d buy this one as an “extra” for a little more insight into the breed, and not as my main training book.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Schwartz, Tarah (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 273 Pages - 12/02/2019 (Publication Date) - LP Media Inc. (Publisher)
4. The Most Amazing Silly Dog Tricks
Any Blue Heeler owners looking to teach their dogs some advanced tricks will love this book. Kyra Sundance’s a known stunt dog show performer and world-renowned dog training book author. I think it’s fair to say she knows a bit about training even the most stubborn dog some cool tricks.
You’ll learn how to train your dog to do household chores, jump over hurdles & through hoops, run an obstacle course, and so much more. Don’t worry your dog still hasn’t mastered the basics, though. Sundance starts with basic tricks such as sitting, fetching, and rolling over before she jumps into the really fun stuff!
The best part is each command comes with a step-by-step process. Sundance makes sure anyone reading her book can quickly grasp how to teach their dog various tricks.
- Quayside Publishing-Quarry Books: 101 Dog Tricks
- Engage Challenge And Bond With Your Dog! Each Trick Is Rated With A Difficulty Rating And Prerequisites To Get You Started Quickly
- This Book Contains Full Color Step-By-Step Photos For 101 Tricks
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Sundance, Kyra (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 906 Pages - 04/01/2007 (Publication Date) - Quarry Books (Publisher)
5. Teach Your Herding Breed to Be a Great Companion Dog
Our last book tackles training herding breeds on how to be better companion dogs. As you may know, Blue Heelers and other herding dogs often have issues with socialization.
Plus, as their name implies, they’re literally born and bred to herd. When they can’t satisfy that urge by rounding up sheep, cattle, and other farm animals, they’ll try to herd your kids, cats, other dogs…and even YOU!
Nothing can completely override those instincts. However, Dawn Antoniak-Mitchell’s book teaches you how to curb these herding behaviors enough to make make sure your dog park visits aren’t a complete and utter nightmare.
The book also provides a glimpse into a herding dog’s mind. In other words, it’ll help you understand why your Blue Heeler might be acting in a certain way. You can then use this information to help perfect your training methods.
I hope one of these books becomes a useful resource in your training routine. If you can only buy one, I’d go for the Zak George or the Pat Miller book. While neither is specifically a Blue Heeler training book, they’re both loaded with everything you need to know to teach your pup the basics.
Do you have any favorite dog training books for Blue Heelers or other herding breeds? Share below!
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Last update on 2023-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API