The Puppy Whisperer: A Compassionate, Non Violent Guide to Early Training and Care

by Terence Cranendonk, Paul Owens, Norma Eckroate (Contributor)

I've known Paul personally for many years and have faithfully followed his training advice with wonderful results. I can't recommend him highly enough. —Jeff Probst, host of Survivor

"This is basically a 'perfect book'...with this knowledge there should be many more well-adjusted canine companions and far fewer dogs being relinquished to shelters. This book is an admirable accomplishment." — The APDT Chronicle of the Dog (The publication for professional dog trainers)

Following the success of his book The Dog Whisperer , Paul Owens turns his attention to puppies. In this book, Owens and his protégé Terence Cranendonk offer a compassionate step-by-step guide to all things puppy, including how Puppies can be a lot of work, but they can also be a furry bundle of joy. If you're thinking of bringing a puppy into your home, The Puppy Whisperer is your must-have guide.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals, Reference, How To

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really helpful in preparing for our puppy. Lots of great ideas for training! Although, of course, there are many ways to train your dog, I like that this book uses positive food-based training.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

We recently got a puppy (it's been crazy), and I used this as my only source of puppy knowledge for a while. After we decided to hire a trainer to help us (since my husband and I are both inexperienced with dogs), I learned that a ton of this information is useful, but maybe isn't enough to stand alone as someone's only source of puppy knowledge.

There was one piece of advice in this book that i now think was misleading. He says puppies should be tethered or penned anytime they're indoors until they can be trusted with moving freely in the house. At the very least, advice like that needs to be elaborated pretty significantly. By the time our trainer came and helped us move past that advice, our young puppy had developed real frustration about wearing a leash or being in a pen, and she hadn't learned much at all about house rules, because she was always prevented from really running into them.

[Brian Kramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read several books to prepare for our puppy and this one was our favorite.

[Katsim Simons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m of mixed feelings on this one. Some of it was not much different than several other positive dog training books I’ve read. Notably different is his recommendation to do calming breathing exercises before starting each training session. It probably helps you both to manage yourself and, since dogs read body language do well, to convey calmness to your dog.

The author does do a good job of really breaking down the steps for each training exercise, and levels thereof. It gets repetitive but it does make sure you are clear on how to progress. He also has a really good troubleshooting section near the end. It lists multiple possible approaches for each problem, instead of one like many books. Those are why I gave it four stars

On the other hand, I could deal without the anti-vaccination and pro-homeopathy parts.

[Maureen Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful guidance as we brought home a puppy with no experience with dogs at all. I apprechiate the positive behavior training advice.

[Tarzan35]

Paul Owens has done it again. Another great book an canines, this time, as puppies. When you dive into this well structured book, you will first find that the opening chapters discus wether your really ready for a puppy. Then he takes you through the long journey of what breed dog you should get, how to find a reputable breeder or shelter, how to prepare for your new family member, and then actually bringing your puppy home. Owens also takes a step back and looks at a question the most dog owners skip over, what should I feed my dog? Owens goes over different types of foods and wether they are the best choice to feed your new pal. Paul Owens doesn't stop there, he then explains the basics of potty and obedience training, giving you knowledge on how to have the most rewarding training experience possible. Owens really doesn't miss a beat in this book.
You will not regret picking up a copy of this book next time you drop by Barnes and Noble. It truly is the ultimate guide to picking out, feeding ,and training your puppy. Paul Owens has many secrets that many other trainers just don't have, so don't forget to read this book, I guarantee that it will save you a lot of time, stress and pain when it comes to your new dog. If you follow Owens advice steep by step, you will have a well behaved, healthy best friend in no time.

[Laura]

A word to the wise: if you are planning on getting a puppy and want to invest in some research material, make sure you've completed your reading BEFORE the puppy arrives.

I made it through the first chapter of this book, which posed the question: "Are you ready for a puppy?" My answer was "yes", then 2 days later I had a 4 month old border collie mix pooping on the bathroom floor and eating my coffee table. The leisurely days of perusing a good book while sipping tea in my pajamas are over, my friends. My life is now consumed by chew toys, gluten free training treats, and flea treatments. I don't even have time to read emails.

But there is some good news, here. Once a puppy is in your life EVERYONE whose ever even MET a puppy has advice about how to raise them to be well-behaved, well-adjusted dogs. And a lot of these people have probably read these books already, or at least have seen something informative on Oprah.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that The Puppy Whisperer by, Paul Owens was a great book. This book gave a lot of great tips and learning tricks for a new puppy or for an adult dog. For example it told you how to teach your dog or puppy how to sit, lay down, stay, and much more. This book also gave you some activities for you to do with your dog or puppy, for example you could play fetch, hide and seek, walk your dog or puppy, and run around with your dog or puppy. Another great thing about this book is that when the author told you a learning trick, or a new game on the side it would have a picture of a dog or puppy doing the learning trick, or a new game with or without it's owner. This book is great for animal lovers or people who just got a new dog or puppy!

[Skylar Hatfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am giving this three stars, because I haven't tried applying the puppy training methods yet. At first this book overwhelmed me with all of the lists and schedules. As I continued reading, I found the explanation of training steps very easy to understand. I also found the ideas for using Kongs helpful. There is a very good troubleshooting section at the back of the book. I am getting a puppy in a few weeks. Reading this book has made me feel more confident. I am especially hopeful that the section on house training will be easy to apply and effective.

[Alice Harbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very detailed presentation of rearing puppies by classical conditioning; or Puppy Psychology 101. Classical conditioning has exceptionally specific protocol; as if you are doing a research experiment. But, it does work, if you have the patience and perseverance of a perfectionist. It would seem to me that not all of the teaching needs to be so precise, but if you are not getting the results you want, this book can help you.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very helpful. I have only browsed through one other puppy training book so I don't have much to compare this with, but I did like it better than the other one I browsed. All the information I've utilized in this book has been effective. I like the non-violent approach. The writing is clear and the instructions easy to follow. The book is well organized for easy referencing.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough book from prior to bringing the puppy home to needed supplies to obedience/trick training to problem solving. I wish I had read this book when I brought my first puppy home. I am preparing for a second puppy, thus trying to read and educate myself more before I bring it home. I will definitely refer to this book when questions/problems arise.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

what i learned from this book:
1. people that write these books are a tad crazy
2. puppies are pretty stupid.

overall this book was full of helpful information on raising a puppy and introducing him to the world.

[Bar Shirtcliff · Rating 1 out of 5]

This method may work for some dogs, but not all. By characterizing people who ever punish their dogs for misbehaviour as uncivilized, Owens has encouraged lots of people to prefer to have completely untrained dogs.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the methods taught in this book. And it is well-organized. I bought my own copy and plan to compare the other books I am looking at against it. I guess we'll find out if it is actually 'good' when we follow it and see the results :)

[Beth A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, if fairly simple, book of instructions on how to care for a puppy. I think it could have used more detail on some of the training issues, although overall it was interesting and helpful.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful!

[Alison]

Preparing...

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It gave a lot of good ideas on how to socialize my puppy. Would recommend it for first time puppy owners!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! Lots of sticky notes and I go back to it frequently for reference and tips.

[Michael Flick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward training and behavior tips for people and their dogs. Easy and pleasant to read. Practical.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good info that we will use and some ideas that we won't. Detailed training instructions were helpful! Puppy arrives in 1 day....

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was actually finding this book useful until it started talking about pet homeopathy. Really? How can I take anything else I read in this book seriously now?

[Doris Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Love. Puppys. Dont. You.

[Tracy Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Stephanie for lending me this book!