Top Five Dog Training Books

Here I am again writing about a canine subject. Recently I have been obsessed with learning new ways to train my new addition, chopper, a very large five month old harlequin great dane. I know he depends on me to make him a great pet and by writing these articles I may be able to help others do the same. Plus it gets my mind off this horrible "swine flu". Yuck!

First of all I want to point out a few books written by the same Author, Cesar Millan. Yes folks, the infamous "Dog Whisperer". This guy is a genius; he understands the canine breed as if he were really one of them. The first book, Ceasar's Way: The natural everyday guide to understanding and correcting common dog problems by Ceasar Millan (Amazon.com), I recommend for all first time dog owners or even ones who are thinking about getting a dog. Read this book first to see if you are truly committed to investing your time into an animal. The book shows you that you cannot rush a dog to instantly behave, you have to gain his trust and the dog must be able to trust you. I have also watched Ceasar's television show, The dog whisperer, and in every show I have seen trust was the most common element that was missing in the dog/owner relationship. He also discusses how your energy can feed into the dogs energy, so if you think negative the dog will not respond.

The next book is one of my favorites, Be the pack leader by Ceasar Millan (Amazon.com). This book describes how a dog will naturally try to claim his dominance in any situation. By doing this it will not allow the owner to give commands and succeed. The owner must again, gain the dogs trust and then teach the dog that he will only be rewarded if the dog shows he is in a submissive and calm state. This is the state you should always reward your dog for, otherwise if you have an out of control, excited dog and you do not correct the behavior, you will not be the pack leader, therefore will not have trust or control over the animal. The book also mentions that you must claim your space as a pack leader. If the dog runs up to you and jumps on you, to touch him only rewards him for this behavior. The best way to overcome this is to simply turn the opposite way of the dog and not return with eye contact until the dog has stopped the behavior. Great book to read if you feel like you need to regain control of your pack.

Next is the most impressive books of all, after reading The Power of the Pack by Ceasar Millan (Amazon.com), you will understand what Cesar means by gaining control of your pack or becoming the pack leader. Cesar owns a rehabilitation center and he uses this center to help the dominant or more aggressive dogs learn to respect the pack or owner. Once the owners drop of the dog to the rehabilitation center the dog is greeted by Ceasar's pack of his own dogs. Instantly a dominant dog becomes submissive and learns that he is not the leader and has no control. It allows Ceasar to train the dog to be in this state of mind even after the dog leaves.

I have learned many techniques from the first three books and my dane, Chopper, is a happier dog because of it. Granted I don't have time to read from cover to cover, and if you are like me and just want tips you can highlight the chapters that you need and read the rest later.

The last two books that are very helpful are, Puppies for Dummies by Sarah Hodgson (Amazon.com) and Dog Training for Dummies by Jack Volhard (Amazon.com). The puppy book is a perfect book again for those thinking of adding a puppy to your family. The book gives you tips on how to pick a puppy that is right for you, basic puppy training and socializing your puppy. It is a very time consuming responsibility and if you honestly do not have time to feed a dog in the morning and then wait for him to relieve himself before keeping him in the house all day while you run off to work, than get a fish! I have been known to hit the snooze button and waste time catching up on some more sleep, but when I really have to leave out the door I feel terrible for Chopper and hoping he can hold it until someone gets home to let him out. Don't be selfish and do your research before getting a dog. And remember, dogs are not Christmas gifts they are lifelong companions!

Last but not least, Dog Training for Dummies. Again you don't have to be a rocket scientist to train a dog, you just have to be patient and give it some time. There are no miracles to be made here. Using positive reinforcement is key in this book, if you give off negative energy and scold your dog for every wrong move, the dog will think there is no such thing as rewards if the dog is good. Learning how to communicate with your dog will gain trust and you will not have to struggle on trying to figure out what you or the dog is doing wrong and why nothing seems to work. Make training fun and effective is a good key point in this book as well. Speaking in a happy voice will show the dog there is some fun to be had. This also teaches the dog when you talk in a stern leader-type tone, he knows you are serious and trying to regain control of the situation.

Training your dog does not have to cost thousands of dollars, so start as soon as you can and be consistent, and your best friend will never let you down.