Required Reading

As we have quickly discovered, there are so many books, articles and websites dedicated to puppies and dog training that it can become overwhelming sifting through everything trying to determine which methods and philosophy work and don't work. In the two short weeks of puppy ownership, I have managed to breeze through two books and I have two more waiting to start. The hard part of deciding what to read and what not to read is determining what qualifies as a good and trustworthy source of information. 

Almost anyone who likes dogs or reality television knows Cesar Milan "The Dog Whisperer" and if you have watched his show you know his success rate at dealing with behavioral problems is high. Having seen Cesar on action on his show I already felt a level of trust and so his was the first book I picked up. "Cesar's Way", which as I have discussed on my personal blog, provides a great deal of insightful information on dog psychology and how human interaction affects a dog's behavior, but it answers very little in terms of specific dog handling and obedience training questions. 

The second book which both my husband and I have read and continue to reference as we attempt to train Charlie is "The Puppy Whisperer" which offers step-by-step instructions on obedience training as well as general tips and information on raising a puppy. I came across this book after sifting through the dog section at Barnes and Noble on day two of puppy-ownership, already exhausted and desperately seeking answers. So far he has learned "sit". We are still working on the rest and I continue my search for more literary guidance.