Saturday, November 26, 2011

Dog Health Questions: Dog training book recommendations?

I am going to be adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue sometime this summer. I have a bit of knowledge about dogs and have spent a lot of time around them, but I was wondering if anyone has any specific dog training books you read and thought were very informative. Please no "dog training for dummies" or any of that Cesar guy's nonsense as I don't agree with his training methods. I'm looking for books that mostly focus on positive training methods (clicker training, etc.). Thanks in advance!

Dog Training: What Is Dog Training?



Recommended Answer:
Woo hoo! Glad you're adopting, and definitely glad you don't want any of Cesar's crap.

These are all great:

Parenting Your Dog by Trish King
Family Dog Training by Patricia McConnell
Complete Guide to Dog Care by the HSUS
Don't Shoot the Dog! by Karen Pryor
The Power of Positive Training by Pat Miller
Clicker Training for Obedience by Morgan Spector

If you get a pup, Before and After Getting Your Puppy by Ian Dunbar is a must. Actually, the info can be helpful even if you get an adult who needs a bit of work on basic housemanners such as chewing or housebreaking.

Small Dog Training - Obstacles You Need to Know About


  • Hey there. You'll love _The Culture Clash_ by Jean Donaldson. Also Pat Miller's _Positive Perspectives 2_, available here:
    http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?I…

    Those are my 2 big faves right now. I also recommend:
    Patricia McConnell
    Susan Garrett
    Suzanne Clothier
    Turid Rugaas
    Karen Pryor
    Melissa Alexander
    Bob Bailey
    Leslie McDevitt
    Brenda Aloff

    ....just to name a few. The _Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Training_ is excellent. Good luck!

  • The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete...they have other books I think, but I've read this one and personally love it. It has all your basic commands that would work for an older dog as well.

    Thumbs down for what? Come on people, you're killing me? Did you not like the book? Jeez!

    Thanks Rachel...too lazy to look it up =)

  • If you are going to be training those methods please be sure you adopt a dog that can be trained with those methods, not all can.

    My favorite link: http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/%2… Tons and tons to read on that site. I like Stitch's blog when things aren't progressing- it reassures me there are plateaus in training.

  • "How to be your dog's best friend"....also by the Monks of New Skeete. Best book I've ever read, and I recommend it to any potential dog owner. Features more than just basic training tips. Also touches on dog psychology, and references body language. Great read.

  • Well I know you don't want "Dog training for dummies" but I highly recommend the book :

    "Idiots guide to Positive Dog Training"

    This book includes clicker training, and it's so easy to understand the step-by-step instructions. I love this book!

  • Just to make it easy. I havent read the book but according to these how-to videos.. The Amazing Dog Training Man looks like he know what he doing. Plus it might be good to see how they doing it.

    http://www.teachme.tv/category/72/dog_tr…

  • If you already know the basics, I'd recommend anything by Jan Fennell or Stanley Coren. All their stuff is brilliant.
    Best of luck and BTW, no dog book is a "bad" book. There is always something to be learned.

  • Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons is a really good book. I don't know any books that deal with clicker training. But I think you can buy magazines about it at petstores.

  • Anything by Patricia McConnell! She's my favorite!

  • Dr. Ian Dunbar is probably the "father" of positive training. His very informative book " BEFORE You Get Your Puppy". It is now available FREE in a download. Highly recommend this book. Download free, no membership etc at this site: http://www.jamesandkenneth.com/new_puppy…

    I am a behaviorist, have read 100's of books and tried to boil down the essentials into a book my dog acutally wrote:

    SIT, DOWN, STAY: DOG TRAINING SO EASY A HUMAN CAN DO IT. By Dozer Kingsbury
    (Find it at Amazon, Ebay etc.)

    I would recommend this book a few weeks after you get your dog, when your bonding is complete.

    You can go to my website: http://www.pawsitivethinking.com/
    and find links to both books.

    This is a list of excellent books/ DVD in the order I would recommend reading:

    Dr. Ian Dunbar
    VCR: Training the Companion Dog 1, 2, 3, and 4
    Before & After Getting your Puppy: The Positive Approach
    Dr. Dunbar's Good Little Dog Book
    How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks
    Dog Behavior: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet

    Jean Donaldson
    Culture Clash
    Dogs Are from Neptune

    Patricia McConnell
    How to Be the Leader of the Pack
    The Cautious Canine
    Feeling Outnumbered? with Karen London
    The Other End of the Leash

    Karen Pryer
    Don't Shoot the Dog
    Clicker Training for Dogs

    Pamela Reid
    Excel-erated Learning

    Turid Rugaas
    DVD: Calming Signals

    On Talking Terms with Dogs
    My Dog Pulls. What do I do?

    Brenda Aloff
    Canine Body Language

    Emma Parson
    Click to Calm

    D. Caroline Colie
    Beyond Fetch

    Stanley Coren
    How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication

    Jana Murphy
    The Secret Lives of Dogs: The Real Reasons Behind 52 Mysterious Canine Behaviors

    Bruce Fogle and Anne B. Wilson
    The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior

    Roger Abrantes, Alice Rasmussen, and Sarah Whitehead
    Dog Language: An Encyclopedia of Canine Behavior

    Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson
    Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

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