If you'd love to have a dog, but are afraid of making a mistake in purchase, housebreaking methods, or everyday canine care, here's the book for you. In short, here's the perfect book for beginners! The author starts with advice on finding a good breeder or reputable pet store--avoiding unscrupulous puppy farms and disreputable dealers. Readers also learn how to cope with their puppy's important and sometimes difficult first night at home, a time when most little dogs cry for their mothers and littermates. Instruction that follows deals with house-breaking, coping with chewing, assimilating puppies and children in the same household, controlling barking, living with energetic dogs, and much more. A special chapter gives advice to experienced owners who choose "difficult" breeds, or find themselves having to deal with special behavior problems. The book has attractive color photos on most pages, plus a wealth of quick-reference tips in eye-catching sidebars.
Friends often ask how I can be writing 'another' book about dogs, but there is so much to say. You never stop learning about dogs, which is why they are so fascinating and why I am so lucky to have had a career that has invovled them for so long.
I try to make sure that everything I write helps to enhance the life of dogs in some way. They are vulnerable, emotional creatures in a cruel world and need our love and protection. Aggressive owners produce aggressive dogs so all techniques are gentle and friendly, espeically for puppies. You don't need to be domineering with dogs to be successful.
I have been lucky enough to spend all of my adult life, and a lot of my childhood, learning from some of the great trainers and behaviourists. My books pass on as much of that knowledge as I am able to give, put together with all the things I have learnt over the years from the dogs themselves.
I hope they help you with your dog, to solve problems, train him or her to have good manners, and to give both of you a better life than before.
For those of you who have cats, there is just one of my books for you too.
Gwen
