How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond

by Cesar Millan, Melissa Jo Peltier

From the bestselling author and star of National Geographic Channel's Dog Whisperer , the only resource you’ll need for raising a happy, healthy dog.

For the millions of people every year who consider bringing a puppy into their lives–as well as those who have already brought a dog home–Cesar Millan, the preeminent dog behavior expert, says, "Yes, you can raise the perfect dog!" It all starts with the proper foundation in the early years. Here, Cesar tells you everything you need to know to create the best environment for a well-balanced dog in order to avoid behavior issues in the future, and shows you how to correct the most common behavior issues for young dogs.

Based on Cesar’s own detailed experiences raising individual puppies from some of the most popular breeds, How to Raise the Perfect Dog is like having Cesar right beside you, as your own personal expert, coaching you and your dog from the first day of your life together.

Packed with new information aimed specifically at the particular needs of puppies and adolescents, and written in Cesar's friendly, accessible style, How to Raise the Perfect Dog answers all the most commonly asked questions and guides you towards a loving, satisfying life-long relationship with your best friend.

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Cesar Millan shows you how to raise the perfect dog and prevent behavior issues before they start, including:
• what to expect from each stage of your puppy's development
• quick and easy housebreaking
• the essentials of proper nutrition
• the importance of vaccinating–and of not over-vaccinating
• creating perfect obedience from day one through rules, boundaries, and calm-assertive leadership
• how to avoid the most common mistakes owners make raising puppies and young dogs
• how to correct any issue before it becomes a problem
• unique exercises and play to bring out the best in every breed

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals, Reference, Audiobook, How To, Self Help

303 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2009

About the author

Cesar Millan is a best-selling author, public speaker, and the internationally acclaimed star of “Cesar 911,” as well as the original, Emmy-nominated host of the “Dog Whisperer” program. With “Cesar 911,” he brings more than 25 years of dog experience and his status as the most recognized and sought-after authority in the field of dog care and rehabilitation directly to communities terrorized by unruly hounds.

In December of 1990, 21-year-old Cesar Millan crossed the border from Mexico into California. He lived on the streets of San Diego, landed a job grooming dogs, and soon gained a reputation for his calming effect on even the most difficult cases. With a few dollars in his pocket, he moved north to Los Angeles and took a job washing cars.

With the money he saved, he started a freelance dog rehabilitation service, primarily offering his expertise with extreme cases. This led him to open his first Dog Psychology Center, which eventually became the current 43-acre site in the Santa Clarita Valley, now including a sheep herding area, air conditioned kennels, swimming pool, obstacle course, and hiking trails. The Dog Psychology Center is a featured location in “Cesar 911.”

In addition to co-authoring six books, Cesar has created numerous instructional DVDs and continues to host a popular series of seminars where attendees learn how to apply his extensive knowledge of dog psychology and rehabilitation techniques.

In “Cesar 911,” he continues to apply that knowledge in order to bring balance to relationships, households, and neighborhoods being torn apart by out-of-control dogs. More importantly, he helps the humans who thought their dogs were beyond saving but who learn otherwise as Cesar comes to the rescue and teaches them how to be the Pack Leader.

Reviews

[Eileen Kerrigan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please, please, PLEASE -- if you love your dog, do NOT buy this book!!,

You need look no further than the disclaimer at the front of this book to realize that that Cesar Millan has no business pretending to be a dog trainer:

"The author and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects that may result from the use or application of the information contained in this book."

Hm, now what could you possibly do to your dog that might result in "adverse effects" (dog-speak for "getting bitten and/or creating a fearful and/or aggressive dog"). And if you ARE doing something that results in "adverse effects" ... gee, maybe that's a clue that you shouldn't be doing it.

Much like the television shows featuring this TV entertainer (he is NOT a dog trainer), there's a clear "Don't try this at home!" warning and another advising readers to seek the advice of a professional. Well, if Millan is not a professional (and clearly, by all dog-training standards, he's NOT), he has NO business giving dog-training advice.

Funny, you NEVER see anything like that in positive-reinforcement training books ...

What's particularly disturbing is that every other word in this book seems to be "dominance," "dominant," "alpha" or "pack leader" -- another clear indication that Millan is light years behind the scientific community in his understanding (or rather, lack thereof) of canine learning theory. His methods have been roundly condemned by veterinary and humane groups worldwide, and genuine trainers and behaviorists cringe in horror at the abuse he inflicts upon his canine victims. I work with a dog rescue group that has had literally dozens of dogs returned after their "Dog Whispering" owners subjected them to Millan's techniques ... and then found themselves with a dog who had developed "issues." And when we ask what sort of training philosophy they'd been following, they always begin with "Well, Cesar says ..."

Yes, Cesar says a lot of things. Most of them are utter nonsense.

For an excellent explanation of why "Cesar's way" is the WRONG way, please visit:
[...]

There are so many wonderful training and behavior books available, such as those by Jean Donaldson, Pat Miller, Turid Rugaas, Alexandra Semyonova, Leslie McDevitt, Sophia Yin, Karen Pryor, Susan Garrett, Suzanne Clothier, Ian Dunbar, and other. Cesar's books, unfortunately, aren't among them -- in fact, they rightfully belong in the "true crime" section of the bookstore, because what he does to dogs (and to clueless consumers, whose money he's raking in) can only be called criminal.

It's a shame GoodReads doesn't offer a "zero stars" rating, because that's what this book deserves.

[Mariℓina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Stars!
An easy, informative and actually helpful How To book exclusively for puppy parents. I have to admit that i was a bit skeptical after reading another book of his that had a few concepts in i wasn't very fond of.


But this one is great mostly for new parents. Filled with important things that someone who never cared for a puppy needs to be aware of and some interesting general ideas. I still don't like the idea of the "perfect dog" though.


All in all it's a good guideline, with a few sour spots like the over analyzing of certain things and some pointless stories. Still if you keep the important stuff from it, you 'll have a good idea of what to expect when a new puppy comes to your family. Read it along other books to get a wholesome idea.



INCLUDES

• what to expect from each stage of your puppy's development
• quick and easy housebreaking
• the essentials of proper nutrition
• the importance of vaccinating–and of not over-vaccinating
• creating perfect obedience from day one through rules, boundaries, and calm-assertive leadership
• how to avoid the most common mistakes owners make raising puppies and young dogs
• how to correct any issue before it becomes a problem
• unique exercises and play to bring out the best in every breed

[Brenna Gorbatov · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I got a puppy in May, and started training her, all I could think about is "how can I raise the perfect dog?" That's when I started reading lots of books about dogs and watching the Dog Whisperer. I love Cesar's show. I found his work on the show to be so inspiring that I was compelled to get his book. Cesar believes in communicating with your dog on their level; to respect the fact that they are a pack animal and that they are first animal, then dog, then breed. He has a meditative approach to working with dogs, which I really connect with because I truly believe that animals connect with humans on a deeper spiritual and energy driven way. Since reading this book and practicing many of his theories and suggestions, I have seen much improvement in my puppy's behavior. True, she is not perfect, nor are my commands or reactions to her, but we are getting there together. Cesar's book is positive, easy to read, and full of great resources. If you have a puppy, or are thinking of owning a puppy, read this book in addition to whatever pieces of literature on dog training you pick up! Cheers:)

[Jdaniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

When my mother-in-law got her first Bassett Hound puppy, she decided she needed all the help she could get, and purchased this book. (Unfortunately, she only got half-way through it before the puppy ate it - True story) She then recommended the book to me.

Let me start by saying that I grew up in a house full of dogs (when I graduated college, my parents had 4 indoor Shelties), and am currently a dog owner. As such, I can thoroughly appreciate Milan's television show, and have applied some of the principles he endorses to my own life to good effect.

That said, I was looking forward to reading this book. I was curious as to what he could say that hasn't already been said numerous times on his show.

My biggest issue with the book is that the title seems to be a bit misleading. When I read that title, I expect rules and principles and guidelines I can follow to reach the appropriate result: a perfect dog. I expect a book that I can pick up at any time during my dog's puppyhood and find out what I need to be doing to help my puppy. What I *don't* expect is an almost memoir of Milan's attempt to raise perfect dogs.

Milan adopts five puppies over the course of the book, and then follows them as they grow into adults. But because of how incredibly picky he is over the dogs he chooses, in order to follow along with him in raising your own perfect dog, you would need to read this book in its entirety before you even begin looking for a dog ... just so that you get the right type of dog.

Other than that, I did enjoy the book. It was a light read, and had several cute moments with the dogs. If you love Milan's show, and love dogs, I can recommend this book. If you are looking for a serious book to teach you how to raise your puppy, you need to look elsewhere. There is very little in this book that you cannot find elsewhere in a more condensed format.

[Penelope · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found some of the general advice in this book helpful. However, it wasn't quite what I expected. The idea of following actual dogs through their puppyhood is a great idea and seems promising--until you find out that all the puppies are from top-notch breeders and perfectly fit Millan's "calm-submissive" ideal. I know MY puppy certainly does not meet that ideal, nor is she from any sort of top-notch breeder, so it made a lot of the puppy-specific stories kind of useless. This book would be more helpful to read if you're in the process of getting a puppy and want to know what you should take into consideration.

Millan's advice about how to communicate with puppies was somewhat useful--he places a lot of emphasis on understanding that your dog isn't going to respond to normal human communication and that attempting to humanize your dog is a big mistake. The concept of using "calm-assertive energy" is more like a general thing to keep in mind while interacting with your dog...certainly useful, but I guess I was hoping for more concrete advice.

Overall, I think this book provides some useful GENERAL information about raising the "perfect dog." Probably better to read this book well before you've brought your puppy home, however.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Cesar Milan - and I love his show. This book didn't seem to be as in depth as I would like regarding actually raising and training your dog. It seemed to be more of an overview, and it certainly didn't tackle some of the more common behaviors as I would have expected. This also would be a good book to read before you actually add a dog to your family as Cesar spends a good deal of time talking about how to pick out a dog that would be appropriate for your family's energy level. I was most disapointed about the section of this book that discussed nutrition and injections. Specifically, Cesar discusses that dogs do not need injections as often as they get them - but he doesn't discuss how often dogs should receive each type of injection (bordatella, for example). He also said he does not like the big commercial dog food, but he didn't discuss alternatives. If you want a book that tells you all the things that you should be researching, then this is the book for you. I was mainly frustrated by unanswered questions/issues.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

So after putting my baby to sleep who was part of my family for thirteen years, we decided to adopt a new puppy. She's a rescue and I wanted help getting to establish good behavior and socialization early on. Since I love reading, I went and bought a bunch of books including this one.

How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond by Cesar Millan it has some cool anecdotes and I do believe it has some helpful insight into vaccines, puppy behavior, and intervening early on when a puppy is developing an issue. However, I found it lacking in details.

In this book, Cesar adopts five calm puppies (most from elite breeders) and raises them from puppyhood. Yet, not all puppies are created equal and a calm puppy is not always available or what you end up getting.

I would say the one thing I learned was to treat your puppy the same way a mother dog does instead of treating them like human babies.

Overall, it was an entertaining tale but had too much filler.

2/5 Fangs

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is probably 95% anecdotes and 5% how to actually train a dog. Granted, some knowledge can be gained from the anecdotes, but only very little. Knowing that the husband would hate this, I marked the pertinent parts of the book for him to read. I ended up just a few pages. There’s really little training in this book at all. For example, he states that you’re to make the dog sit after it jumps on you, but he never tells you how to make your dog sit.

At the end of the book, there’s a section that has the most common behavioral problems with dogs. This is nice since you can use the headings to skip the topics that aren’t pertinent to your dog. But, even these sections are extremely short and are missing the steps needed for training.

This book might be helpful for someone who has never had a dog and wants guidance on choosing a breed and deciding between rescuing a dog and getting one from a breeder. But, since I’ve had at least one dog since high school, this isn’t really what I needed. What I needed is help with training a puppy who, contrary to breed trait, has no desire to please.

[Tim Weakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm suffering a little of the zeal of the converted. With a new puppy in the house, and this book as a first treatise on proper dog rearing I believe Millan has saved me a lot of grief with his clear and concise explanations of what you should expect from a dog, and what they should expect from you. As I read along, and implemented his ideas I was able to watch how the new puppy reacted and behaved. In every case I was able to see the desired behaviour come through. It made for a very easy and relaxed transition for owner and dog.

[Absinthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book three days before our new puppy. I was able to read about 90% of it before she entered our new home. Because of this book, I was able to get both my excited little girls and my unsure husband on the same (calm, assertive) page. The techniques in this book are simple, humane, and common sense. Our little pup is doing wonderfully and I expect her to one day be the perfect dog!

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but I'm skeptical about Cesar Millan. He seems like a nice guy, great success being the Dog Whisperer on tv and all. But Cesar hasn't gone through any education or schooling on dogs or animals. It's all from first hand practical experience which you should take with a grain of salt.

The very beginning of the book prefaces by saying:
"The author and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects that may result from the use or application of the information contained in this book."
This statement basically covers them from all liability in taking their advice.

So think of this book as neighbourly advice but not educational, backed with studies and psychology and science.

Some goodm mentions with crate training, toys, how to play, how to train, go for walks, stop barking, socialize dog to humans and animals, etc.

I don't agree with a few things he talks about like dominance, alpha dog etc

I like how he explains how to listen to a dog and respect them and they will listen and respect you. You need to learn how to communicate with them and understand them to create a strong bond.

[Renee's little gr library · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a dog as a child made me supremely overconfident in buying a puppy as an adult. Our half-beagle/half mystery mut, Mr. Tumnus, was revealing new and deeper levels of rage in me when he would steal toys from my kids, tear into the trash can, and pee on every cushion in our house. I only watched a couple episodes of "the Dog Whisperer" before deciding this guy might have the right idea. I was right. Cesar doesn't preach that dogs are people too, he doesn't coddle or humanize pets. In fact, his whole philosophy of dog training is based around the fact that dogs aren't people, they're dogs. they need to be treated like dogs, like the lowest members of your "pack" in order for them to willingly submit to training. Mr. Tumnus is still a puppy but we're able to live with him now and withing a few weeks we've been able to crate-train him, house-train him, and even my kids (6 years old and 3 years old) are better able to understand how to set boundaries with him.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puppies are fun, loving, mischievous, wild, mouthy, and energetic and have bladders the size of thimbles. Put in the work and in a year or so you will have a great dog. Caesar’s methods have been ideal for my last two dogs, so I am brushing up on training tools so the new one is a well-balanced, well behaved dog.

[Literarischunterwegs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auch dieses Buch hat mich genau dort abgeholt, wo ich es wollte und hat mir die Informationen geboten, die ich brauchte. Sehr empfehlenswert.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is pretty good and helps you think of dog training in a way you may not have before. It really focuses on your energy and how your dog perceives you. It has some helpful tips on how to get your dogs attention, which is nice, but it doesn't tell you what to do once that stops working...! The book doesn't offer a lot of correction techniques. A lot of the solutions are "have a calm mature adult dog to help walk the puppy"- well, we don't have one of those! Or "don't use a leash to walk- just go in the backyard"- yep, don't have one of those either! Overall I agree with the philosophies of this book, but it's really hard to master the "calm assertive energy" he talks about and maintain patience- or at least it is for me! He talks about eye contact and body language, but my dog is largely ignoring the fact that I'm staring at her intently. Damn. I hate when that happens!

Definitely a good pre puppy book (would have given 3.5 stars), but I suspect you'll still need obedience classes- I know I do!

[Brenda Christiansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were lots of words in this book. Words that I didn't want to read. What I mean by that is I was hoping for some succinct step-by-step advice on training my puppy but instead I got a lot of talk about how puppies grow in their first few weeks of life and how to select a breed and breeder. I didn't need any of that since I've already brought my new puppy home. I skipped a lot of those pesky words...but the parts that I did read were helpful.

[Donna R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bang on info!

What a great resource! I wanted to understand more about what my puppy is reading from what I am trying to communicate. Training is one thing, but understanding how puppies tick is invaluable. Perfect book for someone who wants a deeper look into their pet.

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have been more useful before I became a puppy owner, not after. Some good tips in here, but I hoped for more; the concept of the book isn’t particularly effective and there’s a lot of filler I skimmed over. That said, I wasn’t expecting it to be brilliant, I just wanted some solid advice.

[Pickie Loo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book not knowing anything about the dog whisperer, but as we just bought the CUTEST yellow lab puppy, we knew we both needed a guide to raising the perfect puppy! This was, however, disappointing. To say you can touch a puppy on the neck and he will release whatever it is he is chewing is a ridiculous claim. Ours swallowed a dead bird whole the first day we had him. He wasn’t gonna release that thing to save his life. And the unreal sacrifices he says people need to make would mean 99% of dog owners would not have them. I know we will be doing things differently now, not having the freedom we’ve had, but we think we’ll do okay with puppy classes, love, attention, boundaries, and a hopeful view of the future having a well behaved adult lab in our lives!

[Loy Machedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loy Machedo’s Book Review - How to Raise The Perfect Dog by Cesar Millan & Melissa Jo Peltier


Having 2 cute dogs at home, along with a sweet-loving-wife who watches ‘The Dog Whisperer’ almost everyday with total excitement and yes, a full-blast volume (with me covering my ears thanks to my over-priced ear-phones while on my PC), I just had to read a few instructions from the world’s best and most famous Dog Trainer – Cesar Millan.

About Cesar Millan
For those of you who do not know, Cesar Millan – He is a Mexican born American Self Taught Dog Trainer who gained World-Wide Fame with the Television Series ‘The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan’ – which is currently in its 8th Season and being broadcast to over 80 countries worldwide. He has an unbelievable fan following along with books & DVD’s to his credit on Dog Training.

About the Book
I purchased the book with a sense of curiosity to know something more about Dog Training and yes, to immerse myself into how this guy does most of the surprising stuff that he does on the TV. To put it simply – Cesar Millan goes to houses where people have ‘dog-problems’ which can be anything from an aggressive dog to a dog barking incessantly to even a dog with hyper-energy and who does not listen and in less than 10 to 15 minutes, the dog that gave his owners years and years of problems is cured by Ceaser simply whispering to the animal. You must see it to believe it and yes, it is very impressive indeed – So impressive that I am currently reading ‘What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell’ who dissects how Cesar Millan achieves this amazing feat.

Contents of the Book
The book contains everything you need to know from how to select a puppy that would suit you and your lifestyle, to what to expect at each stage of your puppy’s life, importance of nutrition & vaccination, the common mistakes of dog training, how to correct problems, to how to bring out the best in your dog.

Woof Aspects of the Book
- The author does share a few tips, tricks and guidelines that help you understand that having a dog is more like having a child and how you can go about looking after the animal.
- What I found impressive was the logic behind every action that he suggested. He has this crazy yet amazing logic to make you realize dogs can be controlled without force but by understanding them
- Quite a number of examples and stories to illustrate his point.

Growl Aspects of the Book
- The biggest criticism I found was that the book is more of an emotionally laced contribution than a logical step-by-step manual. The method and manner in which the author talks about a dog is as if everyone should have their entire life revolving around the animal – which may be possible for him but not everyone else. Yes, I agree that there are a few many human beings whose entire life revolves around their pet but please not me.
- More than instructions, there are long drawn stories of Cesar Millan and his dogs. At times I felt I was reading a Novel – which kind of beats the purpose of having purchased the book the first place.
- If all the step-by-step process were separated from the stories, I think you would end up with a book around 20 pages. So yeah, there was too much of fluff & romanticism.

Overall Verdict
A great book for hardcore dog lovers and people who feel their entire life’s purpose and calling is a dog. A good book for those who feel they need to know how to look after a dog and whom consider that their dog is a part of their family. And an average book for those who feel a dog is a part of the family but in the end is a pet.

Overall Rating
6 out of 10.

Loy Machedo
loymachedo.com

[Yoli · Rating 2 out of 5]

If half star ratings were allowed, I’d probably give this book 2.5 stars, because for me it fell somewhere between “it was ok” and “I kinda liked it”. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a horrible book or anything, but personally I don’t feel that I gleaned all that much helpful information on rearing the “perfect pup.” In this book, Cesar chronicles his experiences raising a few select pups, and sharing his experiences while interjecting his insights and tips. As a result, much of this book is essentially anecdotal, which makes for somewhat interesting read, but isn’t the reason I chose to read this book. I was hoping for more straightforward tips and suggestions on how to raise a puppy, rather than just hearing about Cesar’s experience with his puppies. Additionally, the first portion of the book (approx. the first 90 pages) addresses subject matter prior to even bringing a puppy into your home. So the first 1/3 or so of the book is all about choosing what breed you’d like to have, choosing where to acquire the puppy (breeder, adoption, etc.), how to transition the pup away from its mother and litter, and preparing one’s home for the puppy’s arrival. For me personally, this wasn’t really information I was interested in, as I already had a 16 week old puppy home with me (we adopted her and brought her home at 8 weeks.) This info may be useful for some, but perhaps a separate book could have been written called “Choosing your perfect puppy” or “Preparing to bring home a puppy”? However, once I reached the portion of the book that dealt with having the puppy home, the book still didn’t quite deliver what I had expected. I suppose I was hoping for more straightforward suggestions, techniques, etc. versus Cesar’s anecdotes about his specific puppies’ experiences. This doesn’t mean there wasn’t anything useful to take away, but it was somewhat sporadic amidst the various “puppy stories.” What I did find most useful was Cesar’s advice to maintain an assertive energy around the dog, and become its “pack leader.” I liked that he reminds us to nurture not only the dogs physical needs but psychological as well, for example, stimulating their brains appropriately so they don’t become bored and destructive. I also liked that Cesar explained the types of corrections a mother dog may do (like a small growl to express disapproval or a gentle tug at the neck scruff as a correction) and suggests that we mimic these as a means of correcting a puppy the way his mother or an older member of his pack may do. So, although this book wasn’t exactly what I had expected or needed, it did have some insights to provide if your willing to read through and find them amidst Cesar’s personal puppy-rearing experiences. I also have a copy of “Cesar’s Way” in queue, so I am hoping that maybe that book will deliver more useful information to me as I continue care for my now 8 month old pup. :)

[Kirstie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recipe for calm, assertive energy = imagining myself as Arwen commanding water horses. Will hopefully translate to canines.

[Roz · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no way for me to fairly rate this as far as accuracy goes, so this rating is based on readability and interest created and sustained.

While parts of this book did sound like one massive advert for specific puppy breeders, as a whole I found it interesting. Don't get me wrong. I love my four-legged kids, but when next time happens and I go and get myself another pup, I will do things differently. Cesar does have a few really good points about what to look for etc. (Although I will still get a rescue dog. I will not be supporting breeders while there are dogs who need homes.)

I can't really test his theories on my pack, so there is no way I can fairly judge the information given here. And that test is really what will determine if a book like this is good or not. (In case you were wondering, my dogs were found in a landfill, in a small box, at 12 hours old. They have never known their mother, never learnt the rules their mom would have taught them as pups, and are also seriously anxious and high strung.)

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a perfectly mediocre puppy reference book. If any prospective puppy owner read it cover to cover, they'd run for the hills and never get a dog. I've raised a number of fine puppies in my years, and I think this book does contain good advice and insight. That being said, however, many times throughout the book I thought the recommendations (especially surrounding adopting through a reputable breeder) were over the top and inauthentic. I've adopted four *human* children and each adoption process wasn't as complicated as Cesar explains (repeatedly, I might add!) the requirements on adopting a puppy from a high quality, elite breeder. I'd recommend checking this book out at the library instead of purchasing it. Skim it for some nuggets of info, and roll your eyes at anything that starts to make your heart palpitate. Then go find your new furry BFF.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too wordy by far. Wanted some practical, solid advice. Instead got a story about how Mr Milan raised some dogs, along with a lot of other meandering self-congratulatory odds and ends.

Read Good Owners Great Dogs instead. Same approach, much more practical and without Mr Milan's gigantic ego.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a manner of 2 days I went from no puppy to being a proud puppy owner.  My sister had talked about Cesar Millan and his structured way of training a dog.  Since I love structure I figured this is the best way for me.

I finished the book in less than a day since I was short in time for learning about puppies.  I found it interesting for most of the book and it had a lot of helpful information for first time puppy owners.  I listened to some chapters again on the way to pick up the puppy to keep it fresh in my head.

I would say if you already have dog experience or prefer a more laid back approach to puppy training then this book may not be for you.  I personally enjoyed it and we are using all the tools from the book so we hopefully have a well trained, happy puppy.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic info to finding your puppy, tips, and anecdotes. I found it was helpful in some respects but every dog and every human is different. I think the part that must be stressed here and also is touched upon in the book is to seek professional trainers.

I'm a big fan of Cesar Milan. I like his story of coming to America to follow his dream in his last book. I did find a couple of things off putting in this book, almost boujie in its delivery, like, potty/house training in which Cesar and a breeder just doesn't understand how hard it is to housetrain and "my puppies are house and crate trained by 10 weeks." Truthfully, I found by 10 weeks my puppy was also crate and house trained but that was HARD WORK and would've appreciated a better how-to rather than how-come.

I've learned the benefits of spaying and neutering and will still diligent about offering Exercise, Discipline, then affection because the first week my puppy came home I gave all the affection first because puppies are magical. I definitely paid dearly for that and corrected the second week.

[Jeanne Leaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interestingly, over the course of writing this book, the Dog Whisperer follows several pups from puppyhood to adolescence -- one of which is same breed as mine -- a Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier, named Eliza. The epilogue says that Eliza grew up to be the perfect dog 80% of the time. Haha:) I found this book very helpful and enjoyed reading it. It is not meant to be a step-by-step training book but rather a guide to help me understand and communicate with my new pup and teach me ways to correct an issue before it becomes a problem.