Choosing the Best Dog Training Books

Your dog can read! Well, not really, but it is still worth your time.

Choosing the dog training book is not easy but possible

Choosing dog training books is sort of like the old saying, “There are as many opinions as there are experts.” Wow, Franklin D. Roosevelt really knew his stuff. It seems anyone who has owned a dog for more than five minutes has written a book.

Okay, so maybe that is an exaggeration, but there is no doubt that there is a huge amount of misinformation out there. However, for all of the bad advice, there are also a few gems. These legitimate dog trainers are passionate about educating dogs and people. How do you sort out what is opinion and what is the truth?

Here a few helpful tips to keep in mind when browsing dog training books:

• Don’t expect it to be free. A real expert makes their living off dog training. If they have something valuable to teach you, plan to pay for it. Besides, the cost of a good dog training book isn’t likely to break the bank.
• Know what you want to accomplish. Of course, you should know beforehand whether you want to house break your puppy or obedience train your dog. However, you should also have a clear idea of what your goals are. For example, do you want to teach your dog to come when called, or do you eventually want to compete?
• Out of all dog training books no one has to be breed specific. Temperament can vary depending on the breed of dog, but don’t let that fool you. Training methods use a lot of dog phycology, which is the same for all dogs. If a specific method is a good one, it will work on any dog on the planet. Admittedly, some dogs are easier to train than others are, but despite what you may have heard a book does not have to be breed specific.
• Check the publication date. Although the techniques published in dog training books that worked fifty years ago may still be in practice today, some of the information may be outdated. Just like everything else, dog training changes as newer and better methods are discovered. By purchasing the most recent publications, you are more likely to get accurate and current information.
• Look for credentials. Legitimate dog trainers have credentials that will be clearly stated and displayed in all dog training books.  Certifications are usually knowledge – assessed, meaning that the trainers are tested on their book knowledge. This is certainly no guarantee that you will like the book, but it goes a long way towards establishing credibility.

There is no control or licensing requirements in the United States when dog training books published. This means that you must be cautious in selecting expert authors. Anyone with an interest can set himself or herself up as a dog trainer and write a book. It does not always mean that the information that they give you is helpful.

Depending on what your goals are, step-by-step manuals can be very easy to understand and follow. They take you through each phase of the training using both descriptions and pictures. If you are the type of person who can read something, and then go out and apply it to real life, then dog training books may work well for you.

Regardless of what type of book you choose, reading about something is an invaluable means of expanding our knowledge. There is no harm in learning as much as you can about your dog. The process will only serve to make you smarter, which in turn will help you make good decisions.

Your dog is sure to reap the benefits of the effort that you put into finding, and reading, good dog training books.