The best dog training book is The Art Of Raising A Puppy.
So you have a new puppy! Congratulations on your furry addition to the family. Now what? Training is an important part of any dog’s development, and there are many things that can go wrong if it isn’t addressed properly.
In order for your pup to grow into a well-adjusted adult dog, training needs to start from day one with socialization and basic commands like “sit” or “stay.” It is essential to train your pet so they don’t develop bad habits before they become ingrained in his personality.
With the right books, videos, classes, and other resources available today, it is easier than ever to find out how best to help your dog through this process. These books are written by authors that are experts in raising and training different breeds of dogs and have many years of experience when it comes to this.
To help you out, we’ve prepared a list of the best dog training books along with a brief review for each of them.
#1 The Art Of Raising A Puppy
Our top choice is “The Art Of Raising A Puppy” written by Monks of New Skete. They are a group of dog-loving monks who are indeed experts in the field of canine training. This book is getting lots of positive reviews and is, in fact, one of the best-rated books for dog training. The Art of Raising a Puppy has a total of 352 pages, and the entire book is filled with lots of useful information about training, petting, behavior, and caring for your new pup.
The behavior information provided in this dog behavioral book is very useful and is based on more than 30 years of experience in raising German Shepherd puppies – the very same breed the 46th POTUS has. It’s a great book to assist you in helping your pup to adjust to its new home while providing some useful tips in every stage of the life of your pup.
We like The Art of Raising a Puppy simply because it’s a very well-written dog behavioral book that’s filled with useful information that every new dog owner needs to raise and train a new pup well. It’s the best dog training book that you can get right now.
Pros
- This dog training book is written by the Monks of New Skete, who boast over 20 years’ worth of experience in breeding, raising, and training dogs.
- This canine training book uses visually appealing images to complement the text and pass vital information to its readers.
- The Art of Raising A Puppy canine training book is available in either kindle or hardcover format, depending on a customer’s preferred choice.
- This dog training book from the Monks of New Skete contains updated chapters on dog play, appropriate crating behavior, tips on raising dogs in an urban area, as well as how to adopt dogs from shelters and rescue organizations.
- Apart from training tips, this dog training book contains valuable information on the latest developments in canine health and canine behavioral theory.
Cons
- Some customers have commented that this canine training book contains walls of text that can be boring to read at times.
We recommend giving this book a read because its authors are certified dog lovers who have years of hands-on experience in dog breeding and training; plus, this new edition comes with photos and updated information that can truly provide dog owners with insightful knowledge.
#2 Training The Best Dog Ever
For the budget-conscious, we would love to recommend this puppy training book written by Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz. It’s especially recommended for those that are having difficulties with obedience training. The dog behavioral book talks about the use of positive reinforcement in making your canine friend obey you.
Training the Best Dog Ever features a 5-week program that will teach you the power of positive reinforcement. It covers a wide range of training techniques, and it’s ideal for pet owners who believe that their furry friends should have the same rights as any other member of the family. Just like humans, dogs long for love, care, and affection, which the pet owner should be able to provide.
The puppy book emphasizes that there should be no room for cruelty when it comes to obedience training. It talks about the value of building trust and loyalty with your pet and how a simple treat could be used to earn the trust of your furry friend.
It also talks about not yanking the leash, which is a common practice among dog owners, causing dogs to be hurt in this manner. For those who need a dog training book that can give you the best value for your money, this would be the best dog training book to buy.
We like this puppy training book because we believe that it’s the only book you need to read if you want to get your pet pooch to obey you. This dog behavioral book features a 5-week program that’s easy to follow for most pet owners.
Pros
- This canine training book contains instructions on how to train pooches for between 10 to 20 minutes a day, thereby making it ideal for customers who lead busy lives.
- The use of illustrations in this dog training book makes it possible for customers to learn using step-by-step pictures for easy instruction.
- This canine training book also contains advanced topics like how to prevent pooches from barking, jumping, and pulling on leashes while out on walks.
- The dog training program outlined by this book emphasizes the use of trust, treats, and bonding exercises, rather than choke collars and negative reinforcement, to build a positive relationship with your canine buddy.
- ’Training The Best Dog Ever’ is written by Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz, a professional trainer with over 20 years of working experience, who is notable for training former white house dog, Bo Obama.
Cons
- Some readers have commented that this dog training book is wordy and lengthy and that the information contained in it isn’t organized in a way that makes it easy to read.
- Dog owners have also questioned the use of some of the training methods encouraged by the author of this book.
#3 Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution
Another dog training book that deserves to be included in this list is the Dog Training Revolution by Zak George. The author has his own YouTube channel about dog training and sometimes appears on Animal Planet. This book is one of our top choices for dog training since it offers in-depth insight into raising an obedient pup.
Consisting of 240 pages, this training book covers everything that a pet owner needs to know, from the basics to potty training and leash pulling. It also offers useful tips on dog ownership, including when you need to bring your pet to the vet to get checked and how to choose the right dog food. Indeed, George offers a friendly and humane approach to training a dog, correcting common dog problems, along with some helpful advice on how to properly communicate with your pup.
This dog behavioral book is filled with useful “how to’s”, which we believe is what every new pet owner needs to know. It discusses every topic clearly and is the best choice for all kinds of dog owners, from new pet owners to veteran ones.
We like this dog behavioral book because it teaches about establishing a good relationship and developing a strong bond with your pet. It focuses on having fun with your pet together and building the necessary mutual respect.
Pros
- This dog training book is available in several formats, including kindle, audible audiobook, paperback, and spiral-bound, to enable customers to choose and purchase their preferred form of reading.
- This book contains information that can help dog parents overcome behavioral issues such as biting, leash pulling, jumping up, barking, aggression, and chewing.
- First-time dog owners will find this pooch training book’s insight into choosing the right pup and basic housetraining and obedience tips to be particularly helpful.
- The topics contained in this dog training book have corresponding videos on Zak George’s YouTube channel, so customers can see what they are learning being put into practice.
- This dog training book also contains healthcare essentials such as helping customers select the right vet and choosing the right kind of food for their canine buddies.
Cons
- Several readers have claimed that this book doesn’t contain advanced and practical tips for training a pooch, with the provided information only being good at face value.
- Some customers have also remarked that the print text of this book was too small for them to read, even while wearing glasses.
#4 Don’t Shoot The Dog
Another dog training book that’s gaining popularity online is this book from Karen Pryor entitled “Don’t Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training” It also teaches about how you can manage and control a wide range of canine behavioral issues without the need to punish, yell, threaten, or hurt your pooch.
The author discusses her eight signature methods of addressing any undesirable dog behavior. She has been praised for encouraging pet owners to adopt a more humane approach to canine training. It’s more about using affection to bring out the best in your dog. Besides, dogs are very sociable by nature.
We like this dog training book because the author is a dynamic animal trainer and professional behavioral scientist. It’s a powerful book about the practical use of positive reinforcement in correcting your pet’s bad behaviors.
Pros
- This dog training book focuses on how to improve the behavior of dogs by utilizing the 8 methods of correcting bad habits, with an emphasis on positive reinforcement, provided in the book.
- This canine training book is available in kindle and paperback formats, as well as an audio CD for customers who would rather listen to spoken words instead of reading.
- This book also contains relevant information that can help customers to effectively and successfully housetrain their canine buddies.
- Some of the chapters contained in this book detail real-world situations and how to apply some of the lessons gotten from the book to control canine behavior, should customers find themselves in these situations.
- Book author, Karen Pryor, is a behavioral biologist who is internationally acclaimed in behavioral psychology and is known to be a leading proponent of dog clicker training.
Cons
- Several readers have commented that some of the tips contained in this dog training book are outdated.
- Information contained in this book is quite technical to the casual reader, such that the book may prove difficult to read.
#5 How To Raise The Perfect Dog
Cesar Millan is a dog trainer renowned for his TV show about dog training. If you are a fan of him or if you follow his show, then his canine training book, How To Raise the Perfect Dog, may interest you. The book also includes an in-depth discussion about dog psychology as well as learning methods through entertaining stories.
How to Raise the Perfect Dog is very informative. However, it lacks the step-by-step process that most dog owners probably expect from a dog-training book. Nevertheless, followers of Cesar Millan’s show will surely enjoy reading this book, as well as gathering a few insights on how to improve their relationship with their furry friends.
We like this dog training book by Cesar Millan as it’s loaded with helpful information aimed at training all kinds of dogs, from pups to adult dogs. The friendly style of writing is truly entertaining, as well.
Pros
- This canine training book contains unique exercise and play activities that have been researched and designed to bring out the best in each individual dog breed.
- First-time dog owners can benefit from the information contained in this training book to gain knowledge of what to expect from each stage of their puppy’s development, as well as learn basic housebreaking tips.
- The author of ’How To Raise The Perfect Dog,’ Cesar Millan, is renowned for his starring role on National Geographic Channel’s popular reality series, ’Dog Whisperer.’
- The information contained in this book is applicable to a wide range of dog breeds, ranging from puppies to adult pooches.
- In addition to containing useful training and canine psychology tips, ’How To Raise The Perfect Dog’ teaches readers the essentials of proper nutrition and the importance of vaccinating their canine buddies.
Cons
- This dog training book doesn’t contain detailed step-by-step processes that customers can use to effectively train their canine buddies.
- Readers claim that a lot of the information contained in this canine training book is outdated and not applicable.
#6 How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves
Authored by one of the country’s leading veterinarians, Dr. Sophia Yin, “How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves” is a best-selling dog training book offering the most up-to-date information about dog behaviors while conveying some crucial concepts in a more concise and clear way.
The book offers a practical and scientific approach to training your dog. It explains some in-depth concepts about dog training while also teaching you how to apply them in a practical and straightforward way. As soon as you’re done reading this puppy training book, you’ll already be equipped with all the knowledge you need to train your dog.
We like that this canine training book is very user-friendly and includes instructional drawings that help to make the text even more informative to the readers.
Pros
- The problem-solving exercises contained in this book give readers an opportunity to apply the knowledge gotten from the book to real-life situations.
- This dog training book uses clear and straightforward language to explain updated concepts of the science of canine behavior to assist customers in better understanding their pooches’ peculiar behaviors.
- Customers can purchase this dog training book in either kindle or hardcover formats, depending on their preferred reading choices.
- This canine training book contains evidence-based techniques that have been researched and proven by scientists to be effective in correcting and shaping dog behavior.
- Dr. Yin Sophia, the author of ’How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves’, was an award-winning pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and author of a textbook for veterinary students, ’The Small Animal Veterinary Nerdbook’.
Cons
- Several readers have bemoaned the choice of the font used in printing this dog training book, claiming that it makes the book difficult to read.
- The scientific concepts explained in this book can prove to be bothersome for casual readers to skim through.
#7 Decoding Your Dog
Another good dog training book that deserves to be on this list is Decoding Your Dog by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. There are various dog-training approaches that pet owners apply these days. If you’re a new dog owner, it can be a challenge to decide which of these approaches you should go for.
Decoding Your Dog tackles the different approaches used by pet owners when training their dogs while offering an easy overview of what’s going on out there and how each of these approaches works.
Although the canine training book includes some expert advice, it’s written in such a way that it can be read by just about anyone. This book is filled with helpful advice from expert dog trainers and covers different subjects, including giving rewards, treats, and even imposing punishments. It also offers tips on how to choose the right collars, leashes, and harnesses.
This book is a complete guide to the world of puppy training. Its positive training approach includes training methods approved by expert veterinarians.
We like this dog training book because it’s very easy to understand and uses a positive approach to training your dog. This guide will make it possible for you as a pet owner to train your canine’s behavior in a method that’s comfortable for you and your pooch.
Pros
- This dog training book contains practicable remedies for dog behavioral issues, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and aggression.
- This canine training book combines cutting-edge science with adaptable real-life examples to produce literature that encourages hands-on training activities.
- Readers can apply the veterinary-approved positive training methods and expert advice on socialization to ensure that their canine buddies are the best-behaved pooches at the dog park.
- Each chapter of ’Decoding Your Dog’ is written by a different author, thereby giving readers the opportunity to gain insight into canine behavior from several brilliant minds.
- ’Decoding Your Dog’ was researched and written by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, which is a body of authority when it comes to canine psychology and applied animal behavior.
Cons
- Readers of this book have reported the photographic images contained in the dog training guide to be of poor quality.
- The fact that each chapter of this book is written by a different author or team results in a lot of repetitive content being produced.
#8 Lucky Dog Lessons
There’s no need to train your dog with highly advanced skills. All they need to learn are the basics, and that’s what this book talks about. The “Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days” is written by Brandon McMillan and includes training lessons to teach your dog how to stay happy, safe, and secure. This is a very informative resource dog training book that guides pet parents in training their dogs in just 7 days.
McMillan guarantees that the methods he offers in this book are truly effective and will surely work for any kind of dog, including pooches that are deeply troubled. Every command that’s presented in this canine training book is effortless to follow, which also includes images and illustrations to further explain his point. It teaches about the basics of establishing control and trust over your pet.
We like this dog-training book because although an expert writes it, the training methods presented are very easy to understand. It also encourages the use of positive reinforcement training even for difficult dogs under challenging situations.
Pros
- Lucky Dog Lessons utilizes well-illustrated examples and relevant pictures to demonstrate the training tips that are outlined and explained in the book.
- This canine training book contains information on how customers can teach their pooches 7 common commands – SIT, STAY, DOWN, COME, OFF, HEEL and NO.
- Lucky Dog Lessons teaches dog parents the basics of raising pooches including training techniques, how to establish focus and control, as well as how to build trust between human and pooch.
- The dog training concepts outlined in this book are written in a way that is easy to grasp for readers, including first-time dog owners.
- The advice and insights provided in this dog training book are given by popular dog trainer, Brandon McMillan, who is an Emmy-winning star of the CBS show, ’Lucky Dog’.
Cons
- Some readers have bemoaned the fact that most of the solutions proffered by this book require the purchase of some form of item, ranging from clickers to shake cans and harnesses.
- This dog training book is considerably lengthy and contains a lot of stories outside of the training techniques that readers are looking forward to learning.
#9 The Puppy Primer
The Puppy Primer is a dog training book that focuses on the value of training your dog early on. Written by Patricia McConnell, the book takes a realistic approach to what you can expect from the pup you’re training. There are many books about puppies, but The Puppy Primer is a cut above the rest
While most puppy books teach about behaviors and cues, this book will dig deeper into what to ask to expect these behaviors from your pet. Furthermore, it focuses on the different cues based on the surroundings and location instead of expecting them to be accomplished in a more neutral environment each time.
This dog training book focuses on the importance of staying positive when training your pooch, and it further explains that there may be times when trying to remain positive can be a challenge. She teaches pet owners when to anticipate the puppy or adult dog to feel overwhelmed or stressed and offers functional and reasonable solutions to different situations.
We like this dog training book because it’s the perfect guidebook for new pet owners who have no idea how to go about teaching their pups the right behaviors. The methods presented are fun, entertaining, and extremely effective. It helps in training your pup to be the perfect puppy.
Pros
- The Puppy Primer is available in both Kindle and paperback format for customers looking to read electronically and those who want to own physical copies of the book.
- This training book utilizes several simple one-page flowcharts that help readers understand and remember the basic processes involved in training pooches.
- The Puppy Primer is divided into a set of progressive reviews and exercises, with customers only needing to learn one new lesson per week, thereby making this an ideal book for busy dog parents.
- The easy-to-follow exercises contained in this dog training book guide puppy owners through various aspects of raising a puppy.
- This dog training book is authored by Patricia McConnell, who is a certified applied animal behaviorist with over 20 years of valuable working experience with pooches.
Cons
- Some customers have reportedly received this book with some pages missing.
- Readers claim that this book covers only the basics of puppy training and doesn’t delve deep into the intricacies of training pooches.
Dog Training Books Buyer’s Guide
As you see, all the canine training books presented above are highly recommended for all pet owners. But if you only need to choose a few dog training books from this list, then it’s essential to consider certain factors so you can be sure that your money will not go to waste and so is the time that you will spend reading the book.
Dog training books are perfect if you’re looking for a new way to train your dog. They can be especially helpful when you have specific needs or challenges with your pup. There’s no one size fits all approach to training, so it pays to do some research and see what kind of book is right for you!
Related: New Puppy Checklist Guide
The Reputation Of The Author
First of all, consider the author’s credibility and reputation. Anyone can come up with his or her dog training book, but not everyone is an expert in dog training. Therefore, look for a book that’s authored by someone who is an expert in the field.
There are lots of reputable dog trainers out there who have written their books, so you may want to check them out. Take the time to do your research about the background of the author if he or she is not familiar with you.
Readability
Expert dog trainers may use terms that are difficult for the average pet owner to understand. Although these canine training books are informative, if you can’t understand some terms, then it defeats the purpose. Also, you might just get bored reading a book that’s just difficult to understand.
It may be a good idea to choose a book that’s written in a fun and entertaining manner. The training dog book should include images, pictures, and illustrations to help you quickly understand what the author is trying to tell you.
Book Purpose
Canine training books cater to different kinds of pet owners. Every pet owner has a different method of disciplining and training his or her dog. So depending on the kind of pet owner you are, choose a book that is similar to the kind of approach that you apply when training your pooch.
Some books talk only about a specific training method, while others have a broader topic. So read the overview and understand what you can expect from such a book before buying.
Canine training books are indeed very valuable for all pet parents. Reading the best dog training books is one of the best ways for a new pet owner to feel confident and empowered in training his or her pet for the first time. Aside from books, you may also want to consider checking out online training courses or even clicker training for dogs.
Related: Free Online Dog Training Lessons – Learn From The Experts!
Final Thoughts
Of all the dog training books listed above, we believe that our top pick is the best dog training book, which is why we chose it as our top pick. It’s written by a group of dog-loving monks who have several years of experience in training dogs.
The book is filled with valuable information not only about dog training but also about raising and caring for your pup. Indeed, it’s a great book to buy for all pet owners.
