This is a good introduction to dog training for new puppy owners. It includes the "how-tos" for basic commands such as sit, down, stay, etc. It also provides helpful suggestions on how to correct common problems such as barking in the backyard or jumping up on people. However, much of the information is repetitive and lacks depth. There's much talk about a positive approach to dog training, however, little discussion on behavior problems beyond "seek help" or distract the puppy. Additionally, I'm disappointed that the authors charge a fee for access to their My Smart Puppy website. ( )

This is a fair introductory puppy training book. The information on puppy life stages, socialization and house breaking are very good and provide a ton of information that a lot of first time dog owners would not be aware of. However, the training exercises fall flat in many ways. The author's pervious books all taught physical methods of getting your dog to perform. As the industry has moved more and more towards positive dog training, it looks like the author's are trying to incorporate these methods with theirs, but instead they come up with strange half-measures. There's no reason you need to touch your dog to make them sit or apply pressure to a leash to get them to lie down. As animals are programmed to resist pressure on their necks, pulling your dog down is only going to make them move in the opposite direction. So recommended for the information, but go with The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller for the best training exercises. ( )

I actually bought this book in preparation for a dog trainer class, at our local SPCA, where the instructors told us to get this book. I almost couldn't put it down when it arrived in the mail, because there is so much sound advice in it. And all of it is presented in a very approachable way. The authors start out with a long chapter on understanding your puppy and its different growth stages. Then they get into the basics of good dog training - from the beginners level all the way to the more advanced training levels. All throughout the book there are plenty of scenarios that you might encounter while training your dog and specific advice on how to deal with them. This book even comes with a great DVD that demonstrates some training techniques for housebreaking, barking, jumping etc. A very handy tool for all visual learners. Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It's one of the best training guides out there. ( )