Choosing the right dog training books is vital to helping you train your new pup. The wrong information can lead you to all kinds of problem with your new dog. Fortunately, there are a ton of great books on dog training out there. You can literally find dog training books on pretty much any subject. Some of the best, however, focus on the basic approaches to dog training. Having a solid grasp of the basics will give your dog the start they need to learn more complicated commands in the future.
Here are five dog training books that are extremely popular for those getting started:
Before and After You Get Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog by Dr. Ian Dunbar
This awesome little book dives deeply into the notion that positivity breeds the best dogs on the planet. Screaming and yelling at your dog or using punishment is rarely effective when training. Positive reinforcement is the key to a happy dog and a happy owner. It allows both the dog and the owner to learn to communicate and this book focuses on doing just that…opening the lanes of communication.
The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia B. McConnell
If you ever look at a poorly trained dog you will often find a poorly trained owner somewhere close by. Oddly enough, this phenomenon is not entirely uncommon in the animal training world. Dogs learn when given the proper stimulus. In fact, we are often the biggest roadblock to our own efforts to train our animals. This book explores both ends of the leash and uncovers some of our most interesting interactions with Fido and friends.
How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days by Shirlee Kalstone
Every dog owner on the planet wants to know this at some point. The dog pooping and peeing on the floor is enough to drive anyone nuts. Ironically, it is also one of the simplest problems to fix. If you read this book, follow the principles and do what she says, you will have a dog that no longer goes in the house. No method is one hundred percent, but this method will get you pretty darn close.Give it a shot!
How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond By Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier
Cesar Millan is one of the most respected dog trainers in the world and it is largely because he uses humane methods to get excellent results. His dog training methods are respectful to the animals as well as the trainers and they work. This particular book offers up so much advice and tips that you will find yourself chomping at the bit to get out and try them. His wonderful ideas are a great place to start if you are just getting a new puppy. He will lead you in the right direction from the start.
Don’t Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training By Karen Pryor
Karen Pryor is another well respected dog trainer and author and this book is a Bible of the industry as well. If you are wanting to learn about dog training at any level, this is a book that is on the must read list. Pryor uses very similar methods to Millan, but she does so in way that are slightly different as well. If you really want to get the best of dog training in general, read both books. Then you can decide which methods work the best for you and your dog. Both are wonderful and fundamentally sound.
