The Art of Raising a Puppy (Revised Edition) Hardcover – Single Issue Magazine, June 29, 2011

It is clear the Monks of New Skete sincerely mean well, however their lack of knowledge and training skills is evident in their books. The Monks of New Skete share the same goal as other trainers, in that they want to see dogs that are well-behaved and included into their family’s lives.

Many years ago I read the 1991 book “The Art Of Raising A Puppy” from the Monks of New Skete and at that time thought it was a great book. I recently purchased the “Completely Revised And Updated” version of “The Art Of Raising A Puppy” in hopes that I would find a new and improved version of the 1991 book. Sadly that is not the case. Since reading the first book I have become a professional trainer and I continued to learn from exceptional individuals and now I could never recommend their books or their training.

A few of the glaring problems with the books are:
They state rightly that it is normal and “to expect some whining this first night” from your new puppy when you go to bed. They recommend you “reach down and quiet him without a fuss….Do this calmly, soothing him at first. If the whining persists, a gentle scruff shake along with a low 'No, go to sleep' may be necessary.” What! A scruff shake and a verbal correction for a puppy spending the first night away from his mother and littermates? And this is supposed to be coming from their new best friend?

For housetraining the procedure in the book regarding covering the whole floor in newspaper will create more challenges then necessary in housetraining your puppy.

The 2011 “Completely Revised And Updated” edition on page 64 is another example of what you want to avoid when feeding puppies and the way not to handle these situations. A better course of action would be for the Monks to structure things so as to prevent unnecessary possessiveness and aggression in the puppies during this extremely sensitive time, when the effects of these experiences are permanent. The concern with The Monks of New Skete book continues in the chapter “Discipline and Common Puppy Problems”. The advice on forcefully dealing with the five-month-old male German shepherd that growls at guests is another huge issue. Sadly, following their guidance can actually make the problem much worst.

The book goes on to recommend training collars “Once your puppy has been on a flat-buckle collar or a martingale collar for one to two months”. There is no reason for this. “Training collars” are completely unnecessary for a puppy or an adult dog. They recommend a “snap-around nylon training collar” (basically a nylon choke collar) and a modified prong collar. (plastic prong collar). On page 250 (2011 edition) they state they have begun introducing remote collars (shock collars) in their adult training program. Unfortunately due to a lack of knowledge and training skills the Monks have resorted to “training tools”. In reality none of these “tools” are needed to train a dog, even a challenging dog to an advanced level.

The other glaring issue in the book is the over emphasis on dominance and alpha. The Monks approach is to show the dog who is boss and act harshly “when necessary”. Dogs, like humans, would much rather follow a leader than a boss. The Monks could learn “How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend” from knowledgeable trainers like Suzanne Clothier and John Rogerson, to name just two. Dominance is exercising the most influence or control in the context of a relationship between individuals. You don’t need to establish an authoritarian relationship to be considered the dominant one in the relationship; you need to be a leader. Styles of leadership are not limited to just two choices; permissive or harsh. Leadership doesn't require you to turn into a food container and act like a PEZ dispenser, nor do you need a “behavior science” degree. What is required is that you understand dogs and the art of dog training. Then simply act like a leader not an adversary and the dogs will look like partners not prisoners. If you get your part right the dogs will be well-behaved, under control and more often cooperating rather than submitting.

Many dogs with training or behavior problems that are mistaken for “dominant” are just lacking self-control and discipline, and were never taught manners nor properly trained. What many people have mistaken for “dominance” was an independent, confident, assertive dog that would not be referred to as biddable. There are dogs with strong personalities that require a committed leader to maintain control, but the Monks training tools and harsh methods are unnecessary. Even the more challenging dogs can be trained without the harsh treatment and all the “training collar” tools.

A far superior book on every level is “The Dog Vinci Code” by John Rogerson. John Rogerson is a world renowned dog trainer and behaviorist who has been training dogs for over 40-years. For a better approach to the housetraining and feeding issues noted above read “The Dog Vinci Code - Chapter 4 “Early Behavioural Development”. With regards to the advice in the “Discipline and Common Puppy Problems” on forcefully dealing with the five-month-old male German shepherd that growls at guests, start with chapter 42, page 247 “Understanding Aggression” and then move to chapter 44, page 260 “Fear and Aggression” for a better approach to dealing with such behavior. For more insight on dealing with a dog that growls, read page 215 in “Bones Would Rain From The Sky” by Suzanne Clothier.

If you are still curious and are open to increasing your knowledge about living with and training dogs, get anything written by Suzanne Clothier. Read her book “Bones Would Rain From The Sky” chapter 17 if you want to understand how and when to apply compulsion or coercion if/when persuasion has reached its limits. Suzanne Clothier has been working with animals professionally since 1977, with a deep background of experience that includes obedience, agility, puppy testing, breeding, Search and Rescue, conformation, instructing, kennel management and canine midwifery. Suzanne is also a German Shepherd breeder and her 8 generations of Shepherds have been successful in obedience, agility, SAR, tracking, herding and therapy work.

It’s my sincere hope that the Monks of New Skete will come to a new way of seeing and seek out some of the exceptional trainers whose methods result in well-trained dogs, and whose approach is based on building a strong relationship and being your dog’s best friend. I’m certain the dogs would appreciate it.

I really appreciated this book for the information they had on early puppy development and things to consider prior to taking a puppy. However, the training portion of this book really discouraged me. I support, and plan to use with my new puppy, positive enforcement training that will NOT include any form of training collar. Above all I want my dog to see me as a friend and if they don't walk perfectly on a leash or have more behavior mistakes than your average well trained dog then that's fine because it's my dog and I trust myself to be responsible enough to keep my dog, and others, safe by making smarter choices than training collars. Even if it takes more work. Just something you got to do. I did like that they talked about incorporating the dog into every aspect of your life though. Honestly, I was really surprised that they recommended training collars. The rest of their writing and practices seemed to be supportive of creating a good, mutually positive relationship with your dog.

The absolute best, most comprehensive and practical book on puppies and puppy raising. I have had many dogs, but learned many new things from this publication. In my opinion the Monks of New Skeet should be required reading for all dog owners, new and old.

A must for any new dog owner or anyone planning ahead. Perfect for the GSD owner. Beautifully describes every stage and what to anticipate. Especially helpful in teaching leadership as a "pack leader" vs your dogs best buddy sort of books.

I have raised and trained several dogs in my life, with varying degrees of success. This book fills in what has been missing in those relationships and calls me to up my game with my next puppy. I would recommend this book to anyone who has or will be getting a puppy with which they desire companionship and not just ownership.

This is a great, informative book for a person who is new to raising a puppy and wants to end up with an obedient dog. It is full of information about every phase of a puppies life. We bought this book just prior to getting our first dog. We read and re-read the book gleaning as much information as we could, and then returned to various sections as we encountered problems with our puppy. This book, along with Don Sullivan's Perfect Dog videos are a must have for the potential dog owner. Rather than trying to figure it out yourself, learn from those who have mastered the raising of dogs.

This is a terrific book for anyone who has a puppy or plans to get one, though it works best in tandem with the monks' earlier work, "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend". That's because "The Art" really is more about the art of puppy raising than about specific techniques, while "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" is particularly strong on training specific commands. I find it very helpful to use the books together.
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This book begins with a section on the development of the puppy - physically, emotionally, and socially. This is based on behavioral and genetic research over the past twenty years, and helped me understand what my puppy needed at various points in his (still brief) career. Then, the monks proceed to a thoroughgoing discussion of choosing to adopt a dog (first question: should you?) and how to go about doing so. The next section covers the earliest period of puppy training, which is essentially settling your puppy into the routines of your home, and developing an approach to training. The monks then discuss basic puppy training, playing with your puppy, puppy problems, and caring for the pup.

The book focuses most on general principals of training - establish leadership, respecting your dog, building your relationship - but also has some very useful specifics. .One is the restraint hold -- works like a charm when my puppy gets nutsy, leading to rapid relaxation. Overall, however, look to "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" for training specifics, and to this book for the Zen of Puppy Raising.

Very helpful with the training of our new puppy!