training books

[osky]

Hello All!
I am getting a new puppy in a few weeks and want to read up on proper training. I am planning on taking an obdience course with my pooch and eventually I may want to get into field work and agility, but right now a clear book on general training will do.
There are many ... any opinions on the "Dog Training for Dummies" book?

[Lissa]

Congrats on getting a puppy (soon !)! What breed(s)? Male or female!?

I have "Dog Training for Dummies", "Dog Tricks for Dummies" and "Dogs for Dummies"...They are pretty good, easy to read and very clear...

One of my favourite books is called "Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson - it is one of the best books I have ever read!

If you really want to compete later on, I've heard good things about "Purely Positive Training: Companion to Competition" by Sheila Booth

Lastly, "Clicking With Your Dog: Step-by-Step in Pictures" by Peggy Tillman is also a really good book!

Good Luck with training!

[tenderfoot]

Read a lot and talk to people who have good dogs and find out what they did. There are so many training methods out there and you need to find the one that works for you. Do you want to use treats? clickers? halter collars? If not what are your other options? Anyone who knows us and is reading this would smile because they know we don't believe in gimmicks. But that doesn't mean that they won't work for you. You have to do what makes sense to you and what works. Having said that - know that your new pup can have a vocabulary of 30-40 words in a matter of weeks, so any training system that only teaches you a few commands in several weeks is not doing you or your dog a service. Set your expectations high - of both your dog and your trainer - be ready to learn more than just commands, but to learn about behavior and problem solving too.