What do you think?
Rate this book
Zak George's Dog Training Revolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love
A revolutionary way to raise and train your dog, with “a wealth of practical tips, tricks, and fun games that will enrich the lives of many dogs and their human companions” (Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian and animal behaviorist).Zak George is a new type of dog trainer. A dynamic YouTube star and Animal Planet personality with a fresh approach, Zak helps you tailor dog training to your pet’s unique traits and energy level—leading to quicker results and a much happier pup.For the first time, Zak has distilled the information from his hundreds of videos and experience with thousands of dogs into this comprehensive dog and puppy training guide that • Choosing the right pup for you• Housetraining and basic training• Handling biting, leash pulling, jumping up, barking, aggression, chewing, and other behavioral issues• Health care essentials like finding a vet and selecting the right food• Cool tricks, traveling tips, and activities to enjoy with your dog• Topics with corresponding videos on Zak’s YouTube channel so you can see his advice in action Packed with everything you need to know to raise and care for your dog, this book will help you communicate and bond with one another in a way that makes training easier, more rewarding, and—most of all—fun!
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2016
2915 people are currently reading
2276 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
March 17, 2024
Since moving to our new house last year, I have gotten to know most of the dogs and cats in the neighborhood.
My partner and I take long daily walks and I have to greet every animal I see.
Dog, cat, bird, squirrel - it doesn't matter what, I talk to them. People, not often. Other animals, always.
A few weeks ago I was excited to greet a dog I hadn't seen since last autumn. She had been a puppy then and has grown so much.
In my high-pitched dog-talking voice I said, "Oh, you have gotten so big, haven't you? Oh yes, you have, you've gotten so big!".
The young woman with her got really offended, her face turning red with anger. "What did you just say to me?!" she all but screamed.
I said, I'm talking to your dog! She was just a puppy before!
"Oh," she exclaimed, calming down.
We continued on our walk and I thought, What a weird woman, thinking I would talk to a stranger, let alone baby-talk to her!
So anyway. My partner was like, Jenna, we really need to get a dog. You're feeding the stink bugs [they LOVE apples], falling in love with all the animals, and pissing off all the people. It's time we expand our family again.
Neither of us have had dogs before, except me as a kid and that apparently doesn't count. Therefore, we had and have a LOT we need to learn, and I learned an enormous amount from this book.
Zak George is so exuberant in his love for dogs and his insistence that all dogs can learn and be well behaved. He is a little repetitive but that's ok - I need to learn after all.
There's a lot about what our dogs might be feeling and also why they might act out (mainly due to lack of exercise). He gives step by step instructions for training your dog, developing a deep bond at the same time.
I love and appreciate that he is all about positive reinforcement and NOT dominance. It is never ok to use pain to train our dogs. They are family and we want them to learn and do things because they want to please us, not because they fear getting hurt.
Our adopted girl Cinnamon is 2 and she's quite well-behaved, though there are some things we need to work on. I've been using the directions in this book and we're making lots of progress.
I had borrowed the book from the library but ended up buying a copy for myself - something I rarely do. It has so much important information that I'll refer back to from time to time so it was imperative that I have my own copy.
If you want to learn how to train your dog and have fun at the same time, this is an awesome book!
My partner and I take long daily walks and I have to greet every animal I see.
Dog, cat, bird, squirrel - it doesn't matter what, I talk to them. People, not often. Other animals, always.
A few weeks ago I was excited to greet a dog I hadn't seen since last autumn. She had been a puppy then and has grown so much.
In my high-pitched dog-talking voice I said, "Oh, you have gotten so big, haven't you? Oh yes, you have, you've gotten so big!".
The young woman with her got really offended, her face turning red with anger. "What did you just say to me?!" she all but screamed.
I said, I'm talking to your dog! She was just a puppy before!
"Oh," she exclaimed, calming down.
We continued on our walk and I thought, What a weird woman, thinking I would talk to a stranger, let alone baby-talk to her!
So anyway. My partner was like, Jenna, we really need to get a dog. You're feeding the stink bugs [they LOVE apples], falling in love with all the animals, and pissing off all the people. It's time we expand our family again.
Neither of us have had dogs before, except me as a kid and that apparently doesn't count. Therefore, we had and have a LOT we need to learn, and I learned an enormous amount from this book.
Zak George is so exuberant in his love for dogs and his insistence that all dogs can learn and be well behaved. He is a little repetitive but that's ok - I need to learn after all.
There's a lot about what our dogs might be feeling and also why they might act out (mainly due to lack of exercise). He gives step by step instructions for training your dog, developing a deep bond at the same time.
I love and appreciate that he is all about positive reinforcement and NOT dominance. It is never ok to use pain to train our dogs. They are family and we want them to learn and do things because they want to please us, not because they fear getting hurt.
Our adopted girl Cinnamon is 2 and she's quite well-behaved, though there are some things we need to work on. I've been using the directions in this book and we're making lots of progress.
I had borrowed the book from the library but ended up buying a copy for myself - something I rarely do. It has so much important information that I'll refer back to from time to time so it was imperative that I have my own copy.
If you want to learn how to train your dog and have fun at the same time, this is an awesome book!
February 11, 2020
As we all know puppies are all cute, cuddly, fun and adorable, but if you haven’t been through puppyhood for a long time like me it can be a challenging time. In November (2019) we decided it was time to find another dog after having to say goodbye to our 17 year old Gypsy in 2018. Then on the 10th of November we went and picked up our 8 week old Border Collie, Rosie.
Whilst researching different things on training puppies I stumbled across Zak George’s dog training YouTube videos. I found the videos very helpful and very informative and when I discovered he had a book I immediately went and got a copy and I’m glad I did. This book covers everything you need to know about not only training your dog, but also what to expect when you first take your puppy home. I have had dogs most of my life, but it has been a really long time since I’ve done puppyhood and I must admit as cute as our Rosie is she is still a handful and very full on, so this book has helped me deal with those challenging times. This is a brilliantly written book and I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of introducing a new dog into their family.
Whilst researching different things on training puppies I stumbled across Zak George’s dog training YouTube videos. I found the videos very helpful and very informative and when I discovered he had a book I immediately went and got a copy and I’m glad I did. This book covers everything you need to know about not only training your dog, but also what to expect when you first take your puppy home. I have had dogs most of my life, but it has been a really long time since I’ve done puppyhood and I must admit as cute as our Rosie is she is still a handful and very full on, so this book has helped me deal with those challenging times. This is a brilliantly written book and I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of introducing a new dog into their family.
May 4, 2020
Composition: 3/5
Evidence: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Balance: 1/5
Bringing a new puppy into one’s life is a big decision, and I assume that making informed decisions early on with training will make life with a dog much easier and more enjoyable in the long run. So that meant finding a resource to help me do it right. Finding and choosing a book to teach the ways of dog training is a formidable challenge because of the sheer bulk of manuals, guidebooks, and tutorials. I sought out a book because I considered myself ignorant on many topics and probably ill-informed on those which I thought myself knowledgeable. That ignorance and misconception also makes it difficult for me to be a good judge of which book would be the right one to pick. So, I went with what was popular on lists, reviews, and sales. Now, having read it, I can say that while Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution helps set expectations, clears up some common misperceptions, and can work as a reference book, it was not the definite puppy training guide I was hoping for.
Part of my mediocre impression of the book lies in expectations. I wanted a book on how to train a puppy. There is certainly some of that in the book, but Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution is really meant as a broad introduction to dog care. George and Port are writing for long-time dog owners who are only now getting around to trying to train their dogs, new adoptees of adult dogs from the animal shelter, and for owners of puppies as well. So, its attention is divided. Also, the book does not focus exclusively on training. There are sections or entire chapters on such topics as picking a suitable dog, preparing your home for the dog’s arrival, and health care for your pet. For someone like myself, wanting to know how to start training an eight-week old puppy, there was a lot of extraneous material. That extraneous material was not all bad; I learned a lot, in fact, picking up interesting facts and helpful recommendations scattered throughout the book, but the reward-to-word count ratio was fairly low. The book will be better received by a reader with different expectations. George and Port do a great job keeping the text and instruction simple. There is a lot of repetition and reminders. The authors were quite successful in writing a book for someone with zero dog knowledge. This was aimed at those with no clue as to what age, size, or energy level of a dog they will want to choose; how much of a time commitment to expect, or what equipment will be needed as a dog owner. The final product was a one-size-fits-all guide made accessible to those wanting to learn the general basics on everything touching on dog ownership.
The heart and best part of the book is a mentality to go along with dog ownership. The authors want to dispel the ideas long common to dog trainers and pet owners that dogs are wolf-ancestors who need firm discipline and must be taught to yield authority to their masters. The authors are proposing instead, as the title suggests, a revolution. The revolution is positive reinforcement only. Love and attention exclusively. Patience and understanding completely. George and Port bring in supporting evidence from veterinary and animal associations as well as from animal behavior research. They make expert opinions, research findings, and anecdotes simple and accessible, neatly and convincingly building a case for their revolution. The sections and chapters which do deal directly with training explain how to encourage positive behaviors (such as housetraining, sitting, walking on a leash, fetch, or roll over) and discourage negative ones (biting, jumping, chasing cars, etc.) using the positive reinforcement method of “lure training.” This is basically using tiny treats to coax your dog into wanted behaviors. Whatever the problem, whatever the frustration, the author’s advice is to a) make time for your dog, b) put your dog in a low-distraction environment, and c) use the treats alongside repetition of voice commands or hand signals to train the dog. Those portions on dog training go through and explain how this positive-reinforcement method can be used with different breeds, pet personalities, dog ages, environments, and to address different goals and problems. The message is the same throughout the book: it is never your dog’s fault, you should never punish your dog; adult humans are responsible for making themselves available to teach, for limiting distractions that can interfere with teaching, and for consistently and patiently teaching using rewards. It is a clear and, in some ways, appealing message.
There are two main weaknesses to the book, the first already mentioned. Even though “Dog Training” is in the title, probably at least half, and perhaps closer to two-thirds of the book, is actually devoted to topics other than training. Most of this is helpful information for the new dog owner, but George and Port seldom pass up an opportunity to make clear their ethical position on a number of pet-related issues. Therefore, animal shelters are good, puppy mills are bad. Ear cropping and choke collars are both unnecessary and undesirable. For most of these, the authors genuinely seem to have the well-being of the animal at heart, and their values and recommendations resonated with my own preferences. In other places, however, advice creeps in which one suspects is not based on dog care but on other outside social or environmental values. For instance, in a section on treats George and Port recommend “100 percent naturally shed deer antlers.” The “naturally shed” portioned caught my attention. Is there something about antlers from butchered deer that would harm the dog? Do naturally shed antlers have some unique property that ones taken from a hunted animal do not? The authors do not say. One suspects, however, that here, as in many places throughout the book, their values on social and environmental issues sneak into the instructions in the form of health advice. George and Port have opinions on such various issues as avoiding crass and disrespectful dog names and declining to try to pass your dog off illegitimately as a service animal. Most of these are reasonable positions, but they were unnecessary for a book on dog training and ultimately result in diminishing their trustworthiness as experts because they do not limit their advice to their expertise. In other places, they are more upfront about their limitations as experts. There are over 100 mentions of the term “vet” throughout the book, many of them some form of “ask your vet,” “check first with your veterinarian,” or “consult your local vet.” This seems to serve as a sort of legal disclaimer. It would not be a complete guide if the authors did not discuss behavioral or health problems, but as they are not licensed veterinarians themselves, they regularly begin or end a section with a caution that the vet should always be consulted before or in conjunction with addressing some concern or starting with some new activity. Much of this guidebook, then, turns out to be more for preparing yourself to know what kind of questions to ask or what to expect from the vet visit. The definitive answers are going to come from there it seems, not here. If every section in the book which contained the refer-to-vet-disclaimer were removed, there would be little remaining for readers. The recommendation to see a vet becomes so repetitious that one must start to doubt the reliability of the advice being given.
The second main weakness to the book is its one-size-fits-all approach. Here, as with clothing of the name, it leaves out those who do not fit standard sizes. This book is written with the assumption that the reader will be an upper-middle class suburbanite without young children and who has concerns about such things as whether or not to leave up the pool fence or how to evaluate professional pet groomers. There are instructions on how to appropriately use dog parks, the importance of selecting a good veterinarian, the usefulness of doggy daycare and dog walkers. None of this is relevant if you live in a place where there are no dog parks, there are limited veterinary options, or doggy daycare is unheard of. A few of these assumptions lead to some fairly dispiriting conclusions for an aspiring dog owner. The authors’ estimation of the cost of caring for a dog is “from about $1,000 a year to ten times that.” The implication, unfortunately, is that dogs are only for people who can pay one to ten thousand dollars a year. Similarly, George and Port have very little to say about children’s relationship to pets. They offer some advice on keeping young children from getting hurt by an excitable dog and acknowledge that “it can be one of the best things you ever do for your children,” but it soon becomes clear that the children they have in mind and which are participating in the dog training revolution are older children. “Kids older than twelve can help train the family pet if they’re serious about doing so,” the authors write, “but it’s not realistic to expect your dog to listen to kids much younger than that.” For the vast majority of the book, children are out of sight and out of mind, which anyone who has children will know, is seldom true in a home. Because “Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution” is so insistent on patient repetition and the refusal to use punishment, there seems to be little place for children in the year the authors think it will take to adequately train a dog. The training method always involves removal from distracting environments, being patient with problems such as a nipping mouth, and consistently rewarding good behaviors. George and Port are at least honest here, even if the implication is buried as a single sentence in the 240-page book: training a dog does not work with young children. This points to a larger problem with the book. Because it is selling an idea, a mentality for dog training, it sells it uncompromisingly. This is not a guide offering tips on how to work in a non-ideal situation with minimal financial means, limited time, or in the presence of children. The proposed method is intensive. The dog is more needy that a new baby is and is going to require more time and energy than will a newborn through their first few months. The results George and Port are able to get with their revolution are spectacular and inspiring. Readers can follow the links in the book to George’s well-known Youtube channel and watch demonstrations of the principles he is trying to teach. Those results, the authors consistently tell us, depend on consistency with the principles of the dog training revolution. If the Zak George method is the only proper way to train a puppy, the sad implication one has to draw from this is that most people cannot responsibly get or satisfactorily train a puppy.
Evidence: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Balance: 1/5
Bringing a new puppy into one’s life is a big decision, and I assume that making informed decisions early on with training will make life with a dog much easier and more enjoyable in the long run. So that meant finding a resource to help me do it right. Finding and choosing a book to teach the ways of dog training is a formidable challenge because of the sheer bulk of manuals, guidebooks, and tutorials. I sought out a book because I considered myself ignorant on many topics and probably ill-informed on those which I thought myself knowledgeable. That ignorance and misconception also makes it difficult for me to be a good judge of which book would be the right one to pick. So, I went with what was popular on lists, reviews, and sales. Now, having read it, I can say that while Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution helps set expectations, clears up some common misperceptions, and can work as a reference book, it was not the definite puppy training guide I was hoping for.
Part of my mediocre impression of the book lies in expectations. I wanted a book on how to train a puppy. There is certainly some of that in the book, but Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution is really meant as a broad introduction to dog care. George and Port are writing for long-time dog owners who are only now getting around to trying to train their dogs, new adoptees of adult dogs from the animal shelter, and for owners of puppies as well. So, its attention is divided. Also, the book does not focus exclusively on training. There are sections or entire chapters on such topics as picking a suitable dog, preparing your home for the dog’s arrival, and health care for your pet. For someone like myself, wanting to know how to start training an eight-week old puppy, there was a lot of extraneous material. That extraneous material was not all bad; I learned a lot, in fact, picking up interesting facts and helpful recommendations scattered throughout the book, but the reward-to-word count ratio was fairly low. The book will be better received by a reader with different expectations. George and Port do a great job keeping the text and instruction simple. There is a lot of repetition and reminders. The authors were quite successful in writing a book for someone with zero dog knowledge. This was aimed at those with no clue as to what age, size, or energy level of a dog they will want to choose; how much of a time commitment to expect, or what equipment will be needed as a dog owner. The final product was a one-size-fits-all guide made accessible to those wanting to learn the general basics on everything touching on dog ownership.
The heart and best part of the book is a mentality to go along with dog ownership. The authors want to dispel the ideas long common to dog trainers and pet owners that dogs are wolf-ancestors who need firm discipline and must be taught to yield authority to their masters. The authors are proposing instead, as the title suggests, a revolution. The revolution is positive reinforcement only. Love and attention exclusively. Patience and understanding completely. George and Port bring in supporting evidence from veterinary and animal associations as well as from animal behavior research. They make expert opinions, research findings, and anecdotes simple and accessible, neatly and convincingly building a case for their revolution. The sections and chapters which do deal directly with training explain how to encourage positive behaviors (such as housetraining, sitting, walking on a leash, fetch, or roll over) and discourage negative ones (biting, jumping, chasing cars, etc.) using the positive reinforcement method of “lure training.” This is basically using tiny treats to coax your dog into wanted behaviors. Whatever the problem, whatever the frustration, the author’s advice is to a) make time for your dog, b) put your dog in a low-distraction environment, and c) use the treats alongside repetition of voice commands or hand signals to train the dog. Those portions on dog training go through and explain how this positive-reinforcement method can be used with different breeds, pet personalities, dog ages, environments, and to address different goals and problems. The message is the same throughout the book: it is never your dog’s fault, you should never punish your dog; adult humans are responsible for making themselves available to teach, for limiting distractions that can interfere with teaching, and for consistently and patiently teaching using rewards. It is a clear and, in some ways, appealing message.
There are two main weaknesses to the book, the first already mentioned. Even though “Dog Training” is in the title, probably at least half, and perhaps closer to two-thirds of the book, is actually devoted to topics other than training. Most of this is helpful information for the new dog owner, but George and Port seldom pass up an opportunity to make clear their ethical position on a number of pet-related issues. Therefore, animal shelters are good, puppy mills are bad. Ear cropping and choke collars are both unnecessary and undesirable. For most of these, the authors genuinely seem to have the well-being of the animal at heart, and their values and recommendations resonated with my own preferences. In other places, however, advice creeps in which one suspects is not based on dog care but on other outside social or environmental values. For instance, in a section on treats George and Port recommend “100 percent naturally shed deer antlers.” The “naturally shed” portioned caught my attention. Is there something about antlers from butchered deer that would harm the dog? Do naturally shed antlers have some unique property that ones taken from a hunted animal do not? The authors do not say. One suspects, however, that here, as in many places throughout the book, their values on social and environmental issues sneak into the instructions in the form of health advice. George and Port have opinions on such various issues as avoiding crass and disrespectful dog names and declining to try to pass your dog off illegitimately as a service animal. Most of these are reasonable positions, but they were unnecessary for a book on dog training and ultimately result in diminishing their trustworthiness as experts because they do not limit their advice to their expertise. In other places, they are more upfront about their limitations as experts. There are over 100 mentions of the term “vet” throughout the book, many of them some form of “ask your vet,” “check first with your veterinarian,” or “consult your local vet.” This seems to serve as a sort of legal disclaimer. It would not be a complete guide if the authors did not discuss behavioral or health problems, but as they are not licensed veterinarians themselves, they regularly begin or end a section with a caution that the vet should always be consulted before or in conjunction with addressing some concern or starting with some new activity. Much of this guidebook, then, turns out to be more for preparing yourself to know what kind of questions to ask or what to expect from the vet visit. The definitive answers are going to come from there it seems, not here. If every section in the book which contained the refer-to-vet-disclaimer were removed, there would be little remaining for readers. The recommendation to see a vet becomes so repetitious that one must start to doubt the reliability of the advice being given.
The second main weakness to the book is its one-size-fits-all approach. Here, as with clothing of the name, it leaves out those who do not fit standard sizes. This book is written with the assumption that the reader will be an upper-middle class suburbanite without young children and who has concerns about such things as whether or not to leave up the pool fence or how to evaluate professional pet groomers. There are instructions on how to appropriately use dog parks, the importance of selecting a good veterinarian, the usefulness of doggy daycare and dog walkers. None of this is relevant if you live in a place where there are no dog parks, there are limited veterinary options, or doggy daycare is unheard of. A few of these assumptions lead to some fairly dispiriting conclusions for an aspiring dog owner. The authors’ estimation of the cost of caring for a dog is “from about $1,000 a year to ten times that.” The implication, unfortunately, is that dogs are only for people who can pay one to ten thousand dollars a year. Similarly, George and Port have very little to say about children’s relationship to pets. They offer some advice on keeping young children from getting hurt by an excitable dog and acknowledge that “it can be one of the best things you ever do for your children,” but it soon becomes clear that the children they have in mind and which are participating in the dog training revolution are older children. “Kids older than twelve can help train the family pet if they’re serious about doing so,” the authors write, “but it’s not realistic to expect your dog to listen to kids much younger than that.” For the vast majority of the book, children are out of sight and out of mind, which anyone who has children will know, is seldom true in a home. Because “Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution” is so insistent on patient repetition and the refusal to use punishment, there seems to be little place for children in the year the authors think it will take to adequately train a dog. The training method always involves removal from distracting environments, being patient with problems such as a nipping mouth, and consistently rewarding good behaviors. George and Port are at least honest here, even if the implication is buried as a single sentence in the 240-page book: training a dog does not work with young children. This points to a larger problem with the book. Because it is selling an idea, a mentality for dog training, it sells it uncompromisingly. This is not a guide offering tips on how to work in a non-ideal situation with minimal financial means, limited time, or in the presence of children. The proposed method is intensive. The dog is more needy that a new baby is and is going to require more time and energy than will a newborn through their first few months. The results George and Port are able to get with their revolution are spectacular and inspiring. Readers can follow the links in the book to George’s well-known Youtube channel and watch demonstrations of the principles he is trying to teach. Those results, the authors consistently tell us, depend on consistency with the principles of the dog training revolution. If the Zak George method is the only proper way to train a puppy, the sad implication one has to draw from this is that most people cannot responsibly get or satisfactorily train a puppy.
February 10, 2017
As a first time dog mom, I found Zack George on the YouTubes first. I like his positive approach to building a relationship with your pup. When he released this book, I decided to give it a try.
The format is user-friendly. The chapters follow a logical order:
1. Choosing the Right Dog for You
2. Everything You Need to Prepare for Your Pet's Arrival
3. Steps for a Smooth Transition
4. Dog Training Revolution: The Key Principles
5. House Training 101: The Five Basic Rules
6. Basic Training: The Fundamental Skills Every Dog Needs to Know
7. How to Troubleshoot the Most Common Behavior Problems
8. In Sickness and In Health: Basic Care for Your Dog
9. Time for Fun: Cool Tricks, traveling, Exercise, and More
I had been researching and reading before we got our puppy, but this book and the companion videos hyperlinked into the e-book definitely helped. We didn't want our little guy going to a puppy obedience class until he was fully vaccinated, so the resources here helped me start training our Labradoodle right away.
The chapter and videos on house training are worth reading and viewing, especially if you're like me and you've never had a dog before.
We still wanted to attend obedience classes for the weekly structure. Plus we picked a puppy class that included socialization time. But this book has been a fantastic resource for the past several months as I continue to reinforce training. Sometimes a method from class doesn't work, so I check out videos from the Dog Training Revolution.
The format is user-friendly. The chapters follow a logical order:
1. Choosing the Right Dog for You
2. Everything You Need to Prepare for Your Pet's Arrival
3. Steps for a Smooth Transition
4. Dog Training Revolution: The Key Principles
5. House Training 101: The Five Basic Rules
6. Basic Training: The Fundamental Skills Every Dog Needs to Know
7. How to Troubleshoot the Most Common Behavior Problems
8. In Sickness and In Health: Basic Care for Your Dog
9. Time for Fun: Cool Tricks, traveling, Exercise, and More
I had been researching and reading before we got our puppy, but this book and the companion videos hyperlinked into the e-book definitely helped. We didn't want our little guy going to a puppy obedience class until he was fully vaccinated, so the resources here helped me start training our Labradoodle right away.
The chapter and videos on house training are worth reading and viewing, especially if you're like me and you've never had a dog before.
We still wanted to attend obedience classes for the weekly structure. Plus we picked a puppy class that included socialization time. But this book has been a fantastic resource for the past several months as I continue to reinforce training. Sometimes a method from class doesn't work, so I check out videos from the Dog Training Revolution.
February 11, 2019
My new baby, Harriet, will be coming home from the breeder in two weeks. As a result, I’m reading five books on positive reinforcement-based puppy training and comparing them for anyone trying to decide which of the most popular puppy books to read. Links are below.
The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
Before and After Getting Your Pupppy by Ian Dunbar
The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller
How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days by Shirlee Kalstone
***
I’ve already binged Zak’s Youtube videos. He’s got a great teaching style.
This book is the same—definitely the most straightforward of the five puppy books: no nonsense, just information and explanations behind that information.
The emphasis here is on communication. Zak really emphasizes the fact that puppies don’t really know human language (body or verbal) at first, and they certainly don’t know your personal type of human language yet, just as you don’t really know your new puppy’s language right away.
He focuses on the bond you need to develop between you and your dog before you worry about anything else. You and the puppy need to learn to speak the same language before you can relate what you want from each other—you need that sense of connection, that recognition in the dog’s eyes that goes “Ah, you want me to do X? That’s what you wanted from me? Sure, I can do X for you, here.”
The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
Before and After Getting Your Pupppy by Ian Dunbar
The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller
How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days by Shirlee Kalstone
***
I’ve already binged Zak’s Youtube videos. He’s got a great teaching style.
This book is the same—definitely the most straightforward of the five puppy books: no nonsense, just information and explanations behind that information.
The emphasis here is on communication. Zak really emphasizes the fact that puppies don’t really know human language (body or verbal) at first, and they certainly don’t know your personal type of human language yet, just as you don’t really know your new puppy’s language right away.
He focuses on the bond you need to develop between you and your dog before you worry about anything else. You and the puppy need to learn to speak the same language before you can relate what you want from each other—you need that sense of connection, that recognition in the dog’s eyes that goes “Ah, you want me to do X? That’s what you wanted from me? Sure, I can do X for you, here.”
March 21, 2017
Dogs rule. Ruff!
May 27, 2021
Lovely! 💖
Useful, straight forward, full of examples and tricks. I feel ready to bring a dog home!
Useful, straight forward, full of examples and tricks. I feel ready to bring a dog home!
Read
April 13, 2021relevant to my current interests.
March 26, 2019
Even before i brought home my sweet furry boy i started looking for training tips and all the stuff i can learn since it was long time ago i had a dog(nearly 10 years ago) and i needed a refreshment course.
I learned about Zak George trough youtube tutorials which are really helpful and decided to read his book as well.
I am a husky mom and with that strong willed breed, consistent training is crucial!
This phrase comes to mind in that case "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." - this book is not about do this or that and be a stamp generalizing things...it's about teaching a proper way of thinking and be creative with the training and adapting to your dog!Like hoomans,every dog is different and its not one cure for all thing.
The most wonderful part of all is that he is pushing a new kind of training!No more "Roll the paper" or be the alfa old debunked methods!Instead it's all done trough positive reinforcement and making everything fun for both and all the while building a bond with your pup!
Really recommend this book to all who want to train their furry companions!
I learned about Zak George trough youtube tutorials which are really helpful and decided to read his book as well.
I am a husky mom and with that strong willed breed, consistent training is crucial!
This phrase comes to mind in that case "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." - this book is not about do this or that and be a stamp generalizing things...it's about teaching a proper way of thinking and be creative with the training and adapting to your dog!Like hoomans,every dog is different and its not one cure for all thing.
The most wonderful part of all is that he is pushing a new kind of training!No more "Roll the paper" or be the alfa old debunked methods!Instead it's all done trough positive reinforcement and making everything fun for both and all the while building a bond with your pup!
Really recommend this book to all who want to train their furry companions!
January 1, 2020
I normally loath self-help books, but I have a dog with a complicated past and a few issues. This is a great book for a new or soon to be new dog person.
February 9, 2020
Even before getting a dog I loved these little or rather big cuteis and I always searched and read about them.
I first watched Zak's videos on YouTube which helped me a lot to train my first hyperactive dog and then I found his book and read it.
It gives all essential details about dogs but sometimes you really gonna need to watch videos.
I first watched Zak's videos on YouTube which helped me a lot to train my first hyperactive dog and then I found his book and read it.
It gives all essential details about dogs but sometimes you really gonna need to watch videos.
February 24, 2020
A good resource if you're considering a dog (or preparing for your new puppy!) covering ownership basics and positive training methods. (His ongoing YouTube series, Dog Training Experience, is a great resource as well.)
February 5, 2020
Seemed like a great manual for dog ownership.
March 10, 2020
Top tips for raising an obedient dog
August 6, 2024
I think everyone should read this book before getting a dog. The only reason that 1 took away a star was that I wish he explained his training methods in more detail, although I'm sure he has a book just for training. Overall very helpful / informational for dog owners!
August 12, 2020
Love his methodology, now to execute...
April 19, 2021
Now I don't have a dog, but this is the book I'll use for when I do have one. I did already read it though and I think it's great for anyone like me who has no idea what they're doing!
July 1, 2020
This book is a MUST read for all dog owners and especially for new puppy parents. It is highly informative and not only does it tell you how to train your dog but it gives you a basic understanding of your furry friend's nature. It teaches you the best way of developing a healthy relationship with your dog and personally I love the fact that it is very against choke collars, electric collars etc which to me is just animal abuse. I don't understand why, some people still resort to such harsh methods. It debunks common myths that the general public have about dogs and it covers up many important topics that we the common people are just unaware of. My rating for this one is a solid 5
February 9, 2023
I have been cramming knowledge about dog training into my skull the last...few weeks? (I don't even know because I feel manic and time is a blur) because I have been dogsitting a puppy great Dane, and dogsitting other dogs for years, and lost my own dog half a year ago, and I have decided this is my destiny. (Of course I don't actually believe in "destiny", but I do depending on how you treat that word, and it is a spiritual experience for me nonetheless.)
Found this guy, Zak George, from a friend of mine who is a wonderful dog mom. Watched some of his YouTube videos and...he fucking annoyed me! Seemed like he beat around the bush a lot. But he seemed like a good dude, and well would you look at fucking that, I already like to read books! So why the fuck would I be a lazy piece of shit and NOT read a dog training book? Time to give Zak another shot. Grad I did: this is the perfect first book to read. Also makes more sense why it can be hard to explain dog training in YouTube videos. (Another amazing trainer, who unfortunately doesn't have a book, I think, is SpiritDog Training.) This book is amazing for every reason: informative, to the point, completely about positive reinforcement and rightfully destroys all types of force training (if you are one of the type of people that don't know better and assume you have to use some level of dominance on a dog, you are mistaken; in just days of using this books methods, I have trained an older dog how to follow many commands perfectly; but I must do this every day for many days until it becomes second nature to the dog to act how I want in certain scenarios and to see me / check with me for everything he does, because he knows that's how he'll live an exciting and rewarding life), scientific, and just an all around purely positive and ACCURATE book. If you ever want to get a dog and want that dog to obey you perfectly while living a fulfilling life, you must be willing to put in time, and if you're already dedicated to putting in time, reading this book will tell you how to do everything right the first time.
Random notes: [I'll add this later. I don't need to right now because I have physical and e-notes and bookmarks and I'll type it all down when I need to reinforce my memorization (funny how humans are just like dogs in this regard, it's almost as if we're both animals 🤔)]
Found this guy, Zak George, from a friend of mine who is a wonderful dog mom. Watched some of his YouTube videos and...he fucking annoyed me! Seemed like he beat around the bush a lot. But he seemed like a good dude, and well would you look at fucking that, I already like to read books! So why the fuck would I be a lazy piece of shit and NOT read a dog training book? Time to give Zak another shot. Grad I did: this is the perfect first book to read. Also makes more sense why it can be hard to explain dog training in YouTube videos. (Another amazing trainer, who unfortunately doesn't have a book, I think, is SpiritDog Training.) This book is amazing for every reason: informative, to the point, completely about positive reinforcement and rightfully destroys all types of force training (if you are one of the type of people that don't know better and assume you have to use some level of dominance on a dog, you are mistaken; in just days of using this books methods, I have trained an older dog how to follow many commands perfectly; but I must do this every day for many days until it becomes second nature to the dog to act how I want in certain scenarios and to see me / check with me for everything he does, because he knows that's how he'll live an exciting and rewarding life), scientific, and just an all around purely positive and ACCURATE book. If you ever want to get a dog and want that dog to obey you perfectly while living a fulfilling life, you must be willing to put in time, and if you're already dedicated to putting in time, reading this book will tell you how to do everything right the first time.
Random notes: [I'll add this later. I don't need to right now because I have physical and e-notes and bookmarks and I'll type it all down when I need to reinforce my memorization (funny how humans are just like dogs in this regard, it's almost as if we're both animals 🤔)]
April 7, 2020
*Zak George's Training Revolution* is, to me, pretty close to a perfect book for all of your dog's needs, and more importantly for all of your needs when introducing a new family member to your home. It provides incredibly valuable training tips, as well as good overviews on what to expect from the experience, how to deal with behavioural issues or illness and even pick the right food.
To supplement the advice within, he also provides a host of accimpanying videos from his illustrious career as a professional trainer to solidify concepts and provide extra information.
As a new dog owner, the respect-based training paradigm and comprehensive information contained in this book are both highly reassuring. The work will remain close as a reference as my pup -- and the bond my wife and I share with it -- grows. This is an essential read for any dog parents! I cannot recommend it highly enough.
To supplement the advice within, he also provides a host of accimpanying videos from his illustrious career as a professional trainer to solidify concepts and provide extra information.
As a new dog owner, the respect-based training paradigm and comprehensive information contained in this book are both highly reassuring. The work will remain close as a reference as my pup -- and the bond my wife and I share with it -- grows. This is an essential read for any dog parents! I cannot recommend it highly enough.
June 3, 2021
I’m a big believer in Zak George’s training methods. I watched his “New Puppy” videos ahead of bringing home my pup last year, and he has a ton of excellent advice to share with dog owners with varying levels of experience.
This isn’t fully a book about training dogs. A significant portion of it talks about choosing a breed, vaccinations, shelters, breeders, etc. It had a lot of valuable information that is definitely evidence-based, but it was also kind of irrelevant to me at certain points. The structure is also very disorganized, as George tries to talk about puppies, rescues, adult and senior dogs, etc. I think the book could have benefitted from a more linear structure. Overall, it was a good guide, but I don’t know if I would revisit it – his YouTube videos are more informative.
This isn’t fully a book about training dogs. A significant portion of it talks about choosing a breed, vaccinations, shelters, breeders, etc. It had a lot of valuable information that is definitely evidence-based, but it was also kind of irrelevant to me at certain points. The structure is also very disorganized, as George tries to talk about puppies, rescues, adult and senior dogs, etc. I think the book could have benefitted from a more linear structure. Overall, it was a good guide, but I don’t know if I would revisit it – his YouTube videos are more informative.
January 18, 2021
This book provides a good introduction and basic guide to raising and training a dog. It is thorough and covers a wide variety of topics in an organized way. I enjoyed reading and learning about Zak’s positive reinforcement-based approach to training and appreciated the scientific evidence he provided to support this method. I think this book will serve as a great resource to refer back to as needed.
May 4, 2021
Modern positive reinforcement training for new dog owners. A little basic, and a little light on science but, absolutely essential for noobs or old timers who need a brush up how to do it right. What I really appreciate is how George lays out what is wrong with old techniques in a simplistic way that doesn’t make you feel guilty for having learned something incorrectly, but explains why it’s wrong. I’d recommend this to anyone thinking of getting a dog.
July 5, 2021
Very accessible guide for beginner dog parents! Having had my dog for 2,5 years now, there's a lot of beginner information that I no longer needed, but it was good to hear it repeated anyway.
I've wanted to read this book for a long time but kept putting it off because I thought it was going to be a book with lots of 'how to' steps that I felt like I had to do in that moment, but it was really mostly about behavior and care and all that stuff. Near the end there are some instructions for certain tricks, but I'd prefer to just watch his videos about that!
I've wanted to read this book for a long time but kept putting it off because I thought it was going to be a book with lots of 'how to' steps that I felt like I had to do in that moment, but it was really mostly about behavior and care and all that stuff. Near the end there are some instructions for certain tricks, but I'd prefer to just watch his videos about that!
December 31, 2018
I really like the way Zak advocates for positive training methods. This book is set up in a logical order and in a manner that you can flip to whatever chapter you need at that moment. I've watched plenty of his YouTube videos too. If you get a new pup or have one who needs some help, I highly recommend this book!
January 15, 2022
I believe Zak George's Dog Training Rrevolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love, is a great book for anybody looking to raise a dog, no matter their age, breed, size, or gender. In this book, Zak covers every aspect to a dog's life, and how to raise them humanely. The only reason I gave this four stars is because some of his expectations in here were not realistic.
July 23, 2023
This was a thorough, readable, and entertaining book that I probably should have read before bringing home my puppy instead of after. However, there were still great insights around my dog’s behavior and ways to discourage behaviors we don’t want and encourage those we do. I definitely will be bookmarking certain sections and coming back to them again and again!
May 21, 2024
This is the first book I read (listened to) to prepare to take home an 8-week-old Golden Retriever. Zak George has great positive-reinforcement dog training principles and the book is a great reference for his free YouTube content. Hopefully I can instill some of his wisdom and experience into my training!
November 28, 2024
Solid overview of what one should do as a responsible, kind person that is bringing a dog into their life. It covers the basics for lots of topics, from making the decision to get a dog and what kind of dog to get, to choosing a vet and dog groomer, to crate training, housetraining, and keeping dogs from eating their own poop.
I read through this book in advance of bringing a dog home and I like that I now feel equipped with basic knowledge that will keep me from going into situations blind, but specific chapters / sections will be very useful references as I begin training my pup.
Recommend as a lightweight, accessible introduction to dog training from a positive reinforcement lens
I read through this book in advance of bringing a dog home and I like that I now feel equipped with basic knowledge that will keep me from going into situations blind, but specific chapters / sections will be very useful references as I begin training my pup.
Recommend as a lightweight, accessible introduction to dog training from a positive reinforcement lens
August 18, 2019
Useful. Am new mother of two huskies and I learned a lot. I love Zac’s passion and enthusiasm. Will go along well with the you tube series to see the techniques in action. Sometimes a bit repetitive in terms of content but it hammers things home I suppose.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews