The Perfect Puppy (Revised Edition)
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This is a revised edition of Gwen Bailey's best-seller, which is deservedly popular because of its clarity. It is very easy to follow, which is important if you feel a little frazzled, with few functioning brain cells, on account of the exploits of your pup. If you have to choose just one pup book, this is probably the best of the bunch.
Sometimes, it's true, Gwen Bailey seems to forget that owners may have non-dog lives, and cannot devote 24 hours out of 24 to their pups, however much they adore them. She is perhaps a little over-optimistic on how often owners can reasonably be expected to take their pups out for a wee, for example. The general principles are important though, and in this case, obviously the more a pup goes outside when he is likely to need to perform, the quicker he will learn to perform outside. You can also pick out the tips, such as staying with your pup when you take him out to wee, and praising your pup when he has performed.
The most useful time to start using this book is, of course, when your dog is still a pup, but you can also use it as a source of ideas for remedial education, both for dogs you have had since puppyhood, and any dog you may take on as an adult. True,.sometimes the tone is a bit hectoring. You may feel that you are a complete failure because your dog is long past puppyhood and is still not perfectly obedient. Don't be put off, just persevere, keep a training diary, and look back on the progress you have made, rather than trying to measure yourself against perfection.
On balance, this book is highly recommended, both as a puppy book, and as a very useful book for anyone seeking to train a dog, with lots of good ideas.
