Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)If you have never experienced puppy-parenting before, this useful resource gives you all the basics. Nicely written and full of tips, from puppy selection to dogs' sensory capabilities, with nice emphasis on critical/sensitive periods and on ensuring positive experiences during these times - the key to a well-mannered, well-adjusted dog.
I gave the book 4 stars rather than 5, however, because it didn't meet my expectations. I hoped for many "insider" tips that surely veterinarians have at their disposal for things like clipping black toenails, what those dog food labels *really* mean (I was VERY disappointed in this chapter - all ingredients are NOT created equal; they didn't even mention which ingredients are the top allergens), and balancing health precautions with socialization (they promote the largely-impractical "puppy party" method, with no alternatives).
If you are well-read, this book won't offer a single new insight. But if you are starting out with your very first puppy, or if your last puppy was long ago (back when you didn't train puppies until they were 6 months old so that they could handle heavy-handed punished-focused "training" methods), you will get everything you need here. If you know the basics of vaccinations schedules, grooming needs, etc. and want a book focused more on manners, etc., I highly recommend Trish King's Parenting Your Dog.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Puppy's First Steps: The Whole-Dog Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Puppy
The new gold standard in raising puppies for the enlightened dog owner: a unique whole-dog approach combining health, training, and behaviorIf you feel bombarded with conflicting advice about what to feed your new puppy or uncomfortable rapping her under the chin, if the idea of a choke collar makes you wince even though you've heard it's the right way to go, here at last is advice you can trust -- and embrace. The faculty of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, one of the most prestigious and pioneering veterinary schools in the world, now shares its accumulated knowledge and experience in this groundbreaking whole-dog approach to raising the healthiest, happiest, most well-behaved puppy possible. The authors of Puppy's First Steps are singularly qualified to look at a puppy from all angles, physical, emotional, and behavioral. In contrast to a single breeder's or trainer's theory about what is effective most of the time, the recommendations in this book are scientifically proven to work. This integrative body-and-mind approach stands out from the one-size-fits-all mentality that pervades the dog-training world. And the advice here delivers not just during the puppy's first year -- the most essential twelve months of a dog's development -- but throughout the dog's life, ensuring a strong, happy bond between you and your new best friend for years and years to come. Puppy's First Steps features:* How to test a puppy's temperament before you decide which one to take home* The most nutritious, safest food for your puppy* To crate or not to crate?* Socializing your puppy with other people and dogs* Easy-to-implement training methods based on reward, not punishment* Housetraining in less than a week* Overcoming puppy's fears and phobias* Keeping your puppy happy while you're at work* What to do in a medical emergency You'll want to get your puppy off on the right foot, and now the best advice is in your hands. Comprehensive yet accessible, sensitive, and, above all, practical, Puppy's First Steps is the only book a puppy owner will need.
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