Customer Reviews

PuppyPerfect: The user-friendly guide to puppy parenting (Howell Dog Book of Distinction)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a total novice in the dog owning/training department I read every dog book I could get my hands on before our puppy came home. A lot of those books were good, but focused on house/obedience training an older puppy (4+ months). We were getting our puppy at 7 weeks and I just wasn't sure what I should be doing at this early stage. This book walks you through all of your puppy's ages starting at 8 weeks and gives you weekly projects to start working on, which I found most helpful. I now know what I can reasonably expect of such a young pup and feel that while my puppy won't learn it all right away at least I'm not sending us down the wrong path from the very beginning. I felt comfortable with the author's teaching style (calm, fun, easy-going, but authoritive) and relieved to know that it's ok to get down on the floor and roll around with your new puppy without losing your puppy's respect as her leader (as some books implied would happen). I would definitely recommend this book to anyone getting a new puppy.

I got my first dog 4 weeks ago and wanted to learn everything there is about raising a healthy, friendly, and fun dog. The book gives you critical information about what to buy for your dog (food, chews, toys, crates), games to play with your dog to strengthen the bond, behavior expectations, suggestions to resolve common puppy issues, and what to expect the 1st year. I am unable to take my dog on walks yet because he's not fully vaccinated, thus, the games are great. I was lost as to what to do w/my dog at home after the first 2 wks because he was obviously becoming bored with his toys. The book also helped me manage my expectations for I realized that I had many unreasonable expectations of my now 11 wk old puppy in terms of obedience and housetraining. After reading this book, I took a deep breath, relaxed, and just started having fun with my puppy. I highly recommend it to anyone who's never had a dog before.

I am not a professional dog trainer but found this book this book to be extremely helpful in dealing with specific behavioral issues I was having with my 15 week golden-doodle. The book as a whole is very good and the index leading to specific problems (such as "mounting") were invaluable. There are alot of books out there, but this one is head and shoulders above the rest.

I thought I had it all in "The Dog Bible" but this is now THE PUPPY BOOK I am going to be recommending. There are methods and ideas here that are uniquely Sarah Hodgson's and she has such a logical, kind and fun way of helping you to train your pup that you will look forward to having an active part in raising a civilized dog! This is a great gift for those friends who are first time puppy owners...you'll be doing them AND yourself a favor (their puppies won't make your life miserable!)

We were planning to and have since gotten our first puppy and being new to dog ownership I was hunting down books with good reviews to purchase to read up on training basics and just information in general. I really enjoy how this book is easy to read and gives very specific examples of games to play with your new pup and what types of concepts these games can teach your dog. She also goes over the basics of what you will need, types of collars, how to manage issues like house training, jumping, etc. GREAT book for puppy owners!

This book does have some decent advice, but I really feel that it's overshadowed by some really bizarre stuff.

The author recommends using a sound for those "no-no" moments (much like Cesar Millan's "tssst") which is good advice...but she also recommends changing that sound several times throughout the the pup's development into adulthood. Why confuse the dog? Just pick a noise and stick with it, consistency being something that puppies and dogs thrive on.

I also thought that the advice to insert a paper matchstick halfway into your puppy's rectum to encourage them to eliminate quickly was just plain weird.

In one section she expressly says (when using a water squirter or bitter apple spray) that you should NEVER spray your dog directly in the face. In a later chapter she recommends it in difficult circumstances.

We all know that sometimes puppies seem to be attracted to eating feces. As a last ditch effort, she recommends going outside and piling up all the poop you can find, and letting your puppy have a feast, hoping that they get their fill and find themselves repulsed with the idea after the fact. This particular "gem" goes beyond strange into dangerous, in my opinion. I'm not expert, but I believe that eating feces should NEVER be encouraged.

To top it all off, she recommends using phrases as if your pup understands english. In my experience, short commands work best. Start using full sentences with your puppy and see how confused she gets.

Incredibly useful. I feel much more confident in training my puppy. Sarah Hodgson explains how the world appears to the puppy, and gives you new approaches to training. She is a dog training guru.

About two months ago, I got two 8-week-old Shih-poo puppies from a reputable breeder. I'd raised two puppies before, about 20 years ago, and remembered it being a piece of cake. Well, this time around, it wasn't going so smoothly. The puppies had developed some very bad habits (tearing up their pee pee pads, eating their stools, chasing my three cats, barking), and I was at my wits end. It got so bad that they'd tear up a pee pee pad within two minutes of my laying it down (yes, I was using a holder, that didn't help). The more frustrated and resentful I got, the worse they acted. We were on a downward spiral, and I was beginning to regret even getting them (despite how wonderfully adorable they both were). I figured I had to be doing something wrong. So I read this book, and (I swear to you) within 24 hours, everything had completely changed. I followed the author's advice, as strange as some of it is, and immediately my puppies responded positively. They started doing what I wanted them to do, eagerly, and we all became happy little campers. I am so relieved now, and so relaxed as I train my little pups to be good doggies. I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it works! This author is a puppy genius! Now that I understand how puppies think and how they view the world, I'm not surprised that humans can have a really difficult time training them. Puppies just don't think the way we think they should. But once you understand how they think, and more importantly how they interpret YOUR behavior, then training becomes so much easier and so much more enjoyable. I recommend this book for anyone with a puppy. You will be so glad you have this information. It will make all the difference in the world.

This is the best of all the puppy raising books - I know because I bought them all! What makes this book great is the truly user-friendly style, organization of topics and most especially, the chapters about what to teach at what age. I easily can find any information I need. There are pages of simple and fun training games and what to expect and do at each week of the puppy's life. There is also a wonderful chapter about the 'not-so-perfect' puppy, with advice and suggestions about behavior interventions. I recommend this book 100%.

What a great book. Loads of information on choosing a puppy and what to do with it after. Loads of good training information. I recommend this book for anyone who is considering a puppy or have a new puppy in the home