The Art of Raising a Puppy Book

This was my first reading of the updated version of this book.

I was first introduced to the Monks of New Skete 20 or so years ago. I had a dog at the time, but not a puppy, so I'm not sure why I read this book then (other than the fact I devoured any and all dog books as a child). And now I remember why they had such a profound impact on my relationships with dogs.

Unlike the conditioning training so popular today (positive methods rely on positive and negative conditioning) the Monks of New Skete emphasize the importance of a deeper relationship with your dog. We aren't training laboratory rats, they seem to say. Treat your dog as your friend: guide him to obedience and appreciate the wonderful individual he is. Practical understanding of dogs, but with an incredible amount of love, are on every single page. This book honors dogs as DOGS: intelligent, loving, loyal creatures who decidedly are not human.

The funny part about this is that I'm sure the Monks do not fit into the 'positive' camp. They will use scruffing techniques to correct misbehavior, do suggest a tug on the leash, and are starting to see (although I don't believe they use them) the value in e-collars. Yet the love they have for their dogs, and that they want us to feel for our own dogs, is incredibly deep. Far, far deeper than tricks-for-treats or redirection with treats methods that appeal to our sense of 'positive'.

This book is practical, easy to understand, and well written. It isn't a cold manual for bringing up puppy, yet it explains how to raise a solid companion. It explains the importance of choosing the correct puppy and tests to determine if a puppy you are considering will fit into your lifestyle. There are interesting observations about early puppy development, and correlations drawn between dog pack and wolf pack behaviors (with an understanding that dogs and wolves are not identical animals). Special emphasis is placed on socializing your puppy young and doing early (puppy based and light) obedience work to prepare your pup for more intense training later. I especially appreciated the explanation of why my pup constantly jumps to lick company- I frankly hadn't realized how important our faces are to our dogs.

This is, in my opinion, one of the best books on the market about puppies. I'm a bit sorry I waited until my own was 10mos old to read it (the sections on biting would have been valuable!), but well worth the read.