Choosing the Right Dog Training Book
There is a wide variety of dog training books on the market, and this great variety can become very confusing when you are shopping for the perfect book for you and your dog. Luckily, there are some tips that can help you choose the right book for training your particular dog. Keep these things in mind when you go shopping for your dog training book.
When analyzing all of your dog training book options, you must first think about what you and your pet are trying to accomplish. What you many not realize is that the true goal of dog training is forming a stronger bond between you and your dog, and a great dog training book will focus towards achieving that goal, not simply on training your pet.
It’s really important that you be aware of what “method” that each of the various dog training books use before you decide to purchase it. There are obviously some dog training methods that just won’t work for you. When you are choosing a method for yourself and your dog there are a variety of factors to look at. A few things you need to think about when deciding upon which technique you will employ are:
• Are other pet owners employing this technique effectively?
• How difficult is this method to understand and, therefore, implement?
• Do you believe you will be able to use these techniques yourself?
• How will your own dog react to these techniques?
• What motivation are they using?
• Do they continually use treats and praise incentives, or do they include affirmative reinforcement techniques?
• Are there other devices, like a clicker, that you will be required to buy to accompany the written material?
Not all dog training books are written for novices, and so you should also take into account your dog’s experience level. If you have a puppy, or a dog that’s a beginner, then look at dog training books that will be geared specifically toward beginners. But you can also find advanced books for dogs that already have basic training. What you may not realize, is that your experience level in training is also important to take into account. For those who are somewhat new at training dogs, some of the more complicated methods and advanced techniques for learning tricks might end up confusing both of you.
Be sure to take your dog’s breed into consideration when you are choosing a dog training book. Purebred dogs will sometimes have certain quirks that are specific to each of the breeds. These quirks are acknowledged and discussed in a lot of the more breed specific books. You may be surprised to find out, however, that purebreds are not the only dogs with specialty books. There are also dog training books that are geared specifically toward some mixed breeds. Hybrid dogs, or mutts with no proof of lineage, can obtain specialized training as well.
It is also helpful to look at the customer reviews of dog training books when making your decision. Customers who have already purchased and tried the methods offered in the book are a good source of information. These reviews can answer those earlier questions like whether or not the method worked for other people. Not only are the reviews opinion-based, they’re also independent and can give you a great feel for the effectiveness of the book, based on other people’s real experiences using it.
The last suggestion is to talk to people you know. Locate some dog owners and find out which dog training books they suggest. At least, with various people’s input, you can narrow down your list you have. It allows you to find out what people had great success at doing, and what methods may have been worthless to them. Just remember the most important part is that you and your dog find a type of training that fits both of you well.
