Customer Reviews

How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond

5 star:		(92)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This book is great--very informative, positive, and practical. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about getting a puppy. As an experienced animal handler, I feel that this book is a great guide for the beginner and experienced alike. Among the things that I find particularly useful are the careful, step-by-step instructions, specific examples from puppies that Millan raised while working on this book, discussions from experienced breeders and dog trainers, and an extensive appendix of suggestions for further reading. The only thing not in the book that I would have loved would be a more thorough discussion of integrating the new puppy into a home that has older dogs already. While there is some discussion of this, it is not enough to provide the guidance I really would like.

While some dog trainers will denounce Millan's methods as archaic and harsh, I would encourage readers to keep an open mind. While Millan does not employ a positive-reinforcement-only approach--which is what many of his detractors prefer--his methods are gentle and concerned only with the well-being of the dog. His methods have made a huge difference in my life and in my dog's life. She is happier and more balanced when I follow Millan's formula. Everyone who meets her comments on how well-behaved she is and takes great pleasure in petting and playing with her--even people who are typically frightened of dogs or just uncomfortable around them. As a high-energy, alpha-type dog, I don't believe that would be the case if I had not followed Millan's methods; for my strong-willed dog, positive reinforcement is only sometimes a strong enough motivation to encourage the behaviors I want, but discipline coupled with positive reinforcement is exactly what she needs.

Years ago I found the Monks of New Skete's books and videos. I also read as many dog training books as I could find. In every book, I learned something new and even moved on to teach dog obedience training. When I found Cesar for the first time, his concepts about energy, claiming, "nose-eyes-ears," and pack leadership filled in the gaps of my dog knowledge. I wish I'd know this in the past with my other dogs, but as Cesar says, "Live in the moment." Luckily I found about him when my Standard Schnauzer was abut eight moths old. Cesar has changed my life with my dogs.

This new book about puppies is not too late for me even though my Schnauzer is now four years. It gave me a nice reminiscence of my dog as a puppy and reminded me to rehabilitate him as a dog, but also to find things to do that he will enjoy because of his breed.

IMO, if owners use Cesar's new book along with the Monks of New Skete's "The Art of Raising a Puppy," there will be fewer surrenders to shelters during their dog's adolescent stage. They're a dynamic duo!
Peggy
Rochester, NY

I definitely recommend reading this book before bringing a new puppy into your life. There are so many puppies out there waiting for adoption. The problem is, they're so cute and hard to resist that when we bring them home we feel sorry for them, don't want to be "hard on them" so we let them get away with murder. Well....that cuteness doesn't last long when that puppy grows up and develops bad habits. That's right about the time people give up and many times wind up dropping their "new puppy" off at the shelter. This step can be prevented if we know how and this book gives us the knowledge.
How to Raise the Perfect Dog teaches us which puppy is best for our energy level and what to do from the minute we bring it home in order to become the proper leader. It teaches us how to breed respect within the family (pack) so that new puppy feels secure and confident. It is our responsibility to give our dog the best life from beginning to end. This is just one of several of Cesar's books that tells us how to do just that.
Cesar and Melissa Jo make a great team!

Her name is Piper ... she's a Miniature Pincer and she is the unparalleled love of my life. I bought her from my sister when she was 6 weeks old and even when I walked into the living room and found her tugging vigorously on the corner of the carpet which she'd pulled back all the way from the kitchen to the sofa ... I forced myself to remember the mantra "What would Cesar Do?"

Now she's a big girl (well, big for a mini pin) and everywhere I go I am complimented on what a truly great dog she is. Every home or apartment I've rented since I bought her has agreed to write a letter of recommendation about what a great and non-destructive dog she is. Every roomie I've had has fallen so madly in love with her that some of them have actually wanted to visit her after I've moved. My brother bought her brother and constantly insists that I must have gotten the best dog of the litter because she is so much more well behaved than his dog ... I haven't the heart to tell him it's because of how differently they were raised. I can tell her to stop begging for food and she walks away, I can point to a spot and she goes there and sits down, I can tell her to go to her room and she'll open her kennel door with her nose, go inside and lay down. But she's a happy, energetic, full of life, healthy dog! At the dog park people are constantly asking me how I get her to listen so well, how she can be the only dog walking around smelling the ground and minding her own business without bugging every other dog and owner in the park. She never gets in fights, her tail is always up, her body language is comfortable, she's friendly to everyone who approaches her and her breed standard she doesn't yap, in fact she hardly barks at all and when I say stop, she stops immediately.

I have the Perfect Dog thanks to Cesar.

This book is ony worthwhile if you are considering buying a puppy but not much help to those who may already have a dog. There is not much here for those who have a puppy and are looking for obedience training tips. The "Beyond" in the title is misleading.
A lot of Milan's approach, I believe will not translate well to the average person with little or no obedience training experience. Milan for instance writes about projecting a "blocking energy" to keep a dog behind a gate. Maybe this works for Milan, but I don't think it will work for most people.
There are some annoying things about this book. There is a blatant plug for Milan's own brand of dog treats. The phrase "calm assertive energy" appears on nearly every page and often several times on a single page.
There was a section on the ten most common obedience problems people have with their dogs. This was not useful at all. It merely summarized things that had already been previously stated in the book or just stated the obvious.
The photos in the book were completely useless and the black and white photos were poorly taken (they could have used more contrast). The color photos were a mystery. Why were they included? They showed absolutely nothing of interest. There were six color shots of the minature Schnauzer, Angel. One of the photos showed Angel "looking to Ceasar for direction" and another showed Angel yawning. Another showed Angel chasing after a toy. If color photos were going to be used, they should have at least shown something instructive or interesting.
There are plenty of better written and more useful books out there if you are looking for obedience training for a puppy.

I bought this book hoping it would be a good instruction / how-to guide. Unfortunately the book is not really laid out for this purpose. It's very heavy on personal reflection, anecdotes and story telling. This may be good for fans of the show or people that prefer learning through stories. It gets the book to 320 pages, but that's quite a bit to wade through. I am now looking for a more traditional how-to style book....

I really liked this book. I found it very informative. As a huge fan of rescuing and also as a knowledgable person when it comes to responsible breeding, I was so glad Cesar put a chapter in dedicated to rescue and finding a good, reputable breeder. There is so much information that 95% of all people have no clue about. The majority of all people don't know the difference between a responsible breeder and a back yard breeder. I am so glad Cesar is getting the word out so we can stop the overbreeding of dogs and stop the over crowding in shelters around the country. The one thing I didn't like, was how he raised the dogs with another pack of dogs. Most people aren't going to have a nice big garage dedicated to their dogs where they all sleep together cozy and warm. It would have been nice to see how to raise a puppy, as the only dog in the house. Other than that, great info, really recommend the book to anyone thinking about getting a puppy.

Cesar Millan's latest creation is the perfect "Hands on" & "How to" book. A MUST read for every dog owner. Excellent for anybody who is considering getting their first puppy, or adding on to their existing pack. He is clear and concise, with instructions regarding keeping the "energy" level balanced, while maintaining control. There is a list of the most common dog issues, such as: house breaking, barking, jumping, mouthing, separation anxiety, etc., along with preventative measures on how to deal with each situation. This may be Cesar's best book yet! I am grateful that he is so generous in sharing his professional knowledge with the rest of us.
Arlene Millman, author of:
"Boomerang -- A Miracle Trilogy (The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier)"
and "Forever Love and More, Encore"

This book is all about Cesar and his celeb clients. NO value AT ALL. I found another book at my Humane Society that is FANTASTIC....I just got a shelter pup...the book I recommend is "Congratulations, It's A Dog" Congrats it's a dog is FILLED w/ amazing tips....I could care less about where Cesar was raised and how he became famous...this book is ALL about him:(.

This book was a great read, I finished it in less than 5 days and started re-reading it already! Great practical advice on everything from how to pick out your dog (I certainly recommend adopting through a shelter or rescue!), bringing your pup home, setting up sleeping arrangements to minimize seperation anxiety, exercise, feeding, play time, training and everything in between! A gentle, natural approach to raising a dog so they know how to be relaxed, happy, and A DOG!!