The Art of Raising a Puppy
by The Monks of New Skete
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Book Reviews of The Art of Raising a Puppy
Book Review: A must for anyone that is or wants to be proud of their dog!
Summary: 5 Stars
The only thing I regret about reading this book is the fact that I didn't buy it and read it sooner. It dips a little (actually a lot) into every essential aspect of properly training a dog from day one. Some of the best parts are the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test in the Appendix and the extensive bibliography in the back. So if you find something that wasn't covered to your expectations of completion, then you have an easy resource to locate more information on the the subject. To be honest with you, I haven't found anything in the book that wasn't necessary or covered enough. The only reason I sought more information was out of couriosity rather than need. Needless to say, the book was well written, informative and ultimately intriguing. Their methods are proven no matter how old they are. They have done their research and it shows. I am a believer for many reasons. For one, when you read the book (if you already own a dog) there are several occasions where you think to yourself and say, "so that's why..." The other reasons are because of all the times I have practiced their methods on one thing or another, the expetations of results are consistantly detailed in the book.Book Review: the best book if you're getting a puppy!
Summary: 5 Stars
Our vet recommended this book to us. As we started telling our friends about it, we discovered that everyone we know who loves dogs has read this book and loved it! That said a lot to us. One thing that I especially liked about it is all the topics that it covers like the development of puppies in the first 8 weeks--before you get to bring them home. It specifically explained the eating schedule for a new puppy and that helped give me some structure to my day when we brought our Golden Retriever puppy home from the breeder 2 months ago. Their training tips have been useful and encouraging.
The Monks of New Skete are a monastery of monks in upstate New York who raise German Shepherds. We also purchased a video set of 3 VHS tapes used and really enjoyed them and would also recommend them--if you think you'll find yourself more likely to watch a video than read a book (as is the case with me some times).
If you are having issues with the behavior of your dog and are looking for something more like the Dog Whisperer, but in book form, they have recently come out with a new book called "Divine Companion" which is a collection of stories about reforming and retraining dogs.
Book Review: Building a relationship from the start
Summary: 4 Stars
Some monks make wine, some monks are scholars, and the Monks of New Skete breed, raise, and train dogs. This book show a good path to help decide on the right kind of puppy for you and how to introduce the pup into your family. The point of view is that your dog is a member of your family, but is the dog in the family. Building a good relationship with your dog from the start is the best way to avoid problems down the line. I especially liked the charts maping physical and behavioral characteristics of pups to the type of care/personality they will have as they grow. It helps you avoid a dominant dog if you don't have the disposition to help him or her succeed in your "pack." The techniques and recommendations are included in easy to read text that helps you develop a better understanding of your dog and helps you be a better leader of your pack. If you have kids and want a dog, don't miss this guidebook on making your dog understand his/her place in your family or pack. Avoid bites and stitches and get your pup off to the right start.Don't forget "How to Be Your Dog's" best friend, it you have already selected your new best friend. (you don't need both books.)
Book Review: We Ended Up Adopting A Different Dog!
Summary: 5 Stars
We showed up to pick out our mutt puppy and were prepared to take the female. However, we had this book in hand and the monks had a bunch of personality tests to administer to a prospective puppy. We performed the tests on the female and her brother. Her brother upstaged her at every turn so we adopted him. He has turned out to be a fabulous dog,incredibly smart and affectionate. The book also has training methods, some of which we used effectively. The "sterner" methods used by the Monks we were just too wimpy to use on our dog. The monks are all in favor of the training cage though. We had never used a dog cage before but now think it is wonderful for training a pup. The monks' toilet training for pups was less effective than a method we learned in another OOP book. We stuck with the other book's method of using vinegar and tabasco sauce on the dog. Notice the monks breed German Shepherd dogs. We just applied their material to a mutt and it worked fine. We were going to get another purebred dog but our vet advised us we would do better with a mutt medically and he was right. He was seeing too many medical problems with all types of purebred dogs.Book Review: Excellent! A must for ANYone preparing to get a puppy.
Summary: 5 Stars
Having had dogs as pets growing up, but looking to get a puppy of my own for the first time, I wanted to be prepared and "do it right." Considering that a dog can be with you for 10-15 or more years, you owe it to yourself and your dog to do what you can to get the most out of your relationship. This book shows precisely how to accomplish that - it describes the stages of puppy development and how to select the "right" pup for you, to early conditioning and formal training, to how to resolve common puppy problems, to general care. This helps to cultivate the best possible relationship by preventing early mistakes on YOUR part. I have a concrete guide now by which to raise my pup to be the best companion it can be - and a way to know how I can be the best possible master. It works both ways, for sure - if you ever had a doubt, you won't after reading this book. Understanding your dog leads to better "parenting" skills and good parents raise good puppies. Even if you're not new to dogs, this book has MUCH to offer...read this before you get your puppy!! (I plan to read "How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend" (also by the monks) next...)