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2nd out of 30 books
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Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog
by
Ian Dunbar
Combining two popular titles in one value-priced edition, Before and After Getting Your Puppy is a simple, practical guide for anyone bringing a new puppy into the home. In clear steps, with helpful photos and easy-to-follow training deadlines, Dr. Ian Dunbar, who pioneered puppy classes and a loving style of dog training in the 1970s, presents a structured yet playful and...more
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
April 29th 2004
by New World Library
(first published August 20th 2001)
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This was a good primer for raising a puppy, with good positive reinforcement training techniques. Dunbar is a well-respected trainer and seems to really understand dogs and how they think. However, I was irritated that Dunbar really never offerred any advice for what you should do if your dog does't respond the way his theoretical dog did. For example, he would say "hold the treat above his head and say 'Puppy, sit'. Your puppy will sit his butt down on the floor to get a better look at the...more
Excellent ideas, especially the encouragement to strongly integrate all kinds of puppy-training into every day life. However, I do think Ian Dunbar is rather unrealistic and terribly discouraging. As I began reading this book, I thought this was IT, the Holy Grail of dog/puppy training. But I quickly realized that with my 9 week old puppy, according to Dunbar, I was already a total failure. Dunbar emphasis error-free house-training (and what new puppy owner wouldn't be excited about THAT concept...more
I love that Ian Dunbar made this book available for free on his website Dogstar Daily . The book is filled with practical solutions to problems new dog owners are likely to face such as house training, bite inhibition, chewing, separation anxiety and barking. He has some great idea to help your new pup quickly learn the house rules like keeping them confined to a small area, like a kid's playpen, when you can’t pay 100% of your attention to them and making sure they go out to the bathroom every ...more
I have good and bad news about this book.
The good is that this is my favorite puppy book I’ve read so far. The author advocates gentle and intelligent ways of handling Puppy’s misbehavior, rather than the painful or frightening correction methods advocated by other authors. He explains exactly why you should use certain training methods rather than simply taking a “because-I’m-the-expert” stance. The result should be a happy, well-behaved, confident dog companion. I was especially th...more
The good is that this is my favorite puppy book I’ve read so far. The author advocates gentle and intelligent ways of handling Puppy’s misbehavior, rather than the painful or frightening correction methods advocated by other authors. He explains exactly why you should use certain training methods rather than simply taking a “because-I’m-the-expert” stance. The result should be a happy, well-behaved, confident dog companion. I was especially th...more
Very glad I read this before getting a puppy. With a few months left before we get our puppy, this is a well-written and very informative book about how to create a life with your dog. I wouldn't even say that it's about training a dog. It's more about how to create error-proof habits in your puppy so that you have a wonderfully well-adjusted and well-behaved dog. The book is broken into digestible sections and offers not only big picture advice, but directions for implementing the technique...more
This book/author was recommended by our trainer, and so far, it's been very helpful. Simple suggestions like making sure I have treats in my pocket so I can INSTANTLY reward outdoor elimination have really sped up the potty training for our two puppies, and I like Dunbar's idea of starting the puppies out in one room of the home, and then waiting until they have gone an entire month without any bathroom or chewing mistakes in that room before adding a second room, then waiting another month wit...more
This book is a comprehensive guide to selecting, preparing and caring for a puppy and a must read for anyone considering adding a canine baby to their lives or for anyone who needs to housebreak and train an older pup from scratch.
The author tackles everything in a way that is understandable for even the newest puppy owner and he doesn’t talk down to you and has a great sense of humor about things instead. As an example he says if your puppy dog makes a potty error inside the house, ...more
The author tackles everything in a way that is understandable for even the newest puppy owner and he doesn’t talk down to you and has a great sense of humor about things instead. As an example he says if your puppy dog makes a potty error inside the house, ...more
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Alika Yarnell
rated it
Recommends it for:
Anyone with or about to get a puppy!
Recommended to Alika by:
A random lady in a bookstore--thanks!
Shelves:
non-fiction
This book helped my husband and me tremendously when preparing for our first puppy, an excitable Boston Terrier. Dunbar breaks down the training process for you and makes it less overwhelming and more logical. He definitely seems to understand the canine mind and what ways work best to communicate with our favorite furry friends.
Some highlights that helped us:
* Crate training within a larger confined area
* The joys of kibble- & treat-filled Kongs and other chewtoys ...more
Some highlights that helped us:
* Crate training within a larger confined area
* The joys of kibble- & treat-filled Kongs and other chewtoys ...more
I don't have a dog, nor is one in the immediate future. But I will refer to this book should think about getting a dog.
I heard Mr. Dunbar's TED talk in which he said that you can train people like you train dogs, which made me curious. Here's what I've gleaned:
• Consistency is key
• Set up the situation for success instead of failure
• Positive reinforcement is a far better tool than anger or shame
Worth reading and interesting.
I heard Mr. Dunbar's TED talk in which he said that you can train people like you train dogs, which made me curious. Here's what I've gleaned:
• Consistency is key
• Set up the situation for success instead of failure
• Positive reinforcement is a far better tool than anger or shame
Worth reading and interesting.
Dr. Ian Dunbar has the best, humane, insightful method of dog training that works, bar none. PLEASE read this book before you get a dog! It will change the life of the dog by teaching him what it means to be part of a human family. It will (hopefully) prevent you from creating yet another shelter dog as well. If you already have a dog? Read it anyway. It can only improve your relationship.
Great book for training! All of his methods just seem like they make sense. My husband and I are about to get our puppy and we will be using the methods in his book. ...we'll see how it works out. :)
I just got a puppy for Christmas and this book is the automatic go-to when any problems arise with Chloe. I highly recommend this book for any new puppy owners because the advice is great!
This guy seems really influential in the dog world. But his writing was pretty mediocre, so I didn't finish this book. But I'm going to read it again before getting my next dog.
Monique
is currently reading it
This looks like the "what to expect when you're expecting" for future puppy-parents. will let you know what I think when I'm done...and when I see the results!
All things Ian Dunbar right now since a new puppy is arriving on the scene shortly. He's been a terrific source of information. Highly recommend!
8weeksgals
is currently reading it
We're getting a puppy! This may be the "What to expect when you're expecting" book for puppy-owners...will let you know!MC
Wonderful book but a little too fierce in some ways - I don't agree with the insistence on "errorless" housetraining (so if the baby is on the changing table and you suddenly see the puppy circling by you, is all lost?). I also have trouble with the idea that you must invite 100 people to your house to meet the puppy by the time it is 18 weeks old - the rather cavalier insistence that everyone can find 100 people to invite over sounds like the words of a gregarious man - what about a ...more
Great book--will be buying a copy to refer to when the pup arrives. Lots of good common-sense training tips.
A good book for people who want to have a fun happy dog that listens. All based on positively reinforcing your dog's behavior without resorting to hitting or other cruel punishment. Love your dog!!!
Linda
rated it
Recommends it for:
yes
Recommended to Linda by:
Boxer World website
Shelves:
puppy-training
Really great and positive, humane ways to raise and train your puppy. Dunbar is an animal behaviorist and he is well known and this book has helped me to know what to expect from my puppy and also what our household needed to provide for her.
Ian Dunbar was unknown to me before I found this book at Chapters, but through this book he has been an invaluable aide in getting to know my puppy. The book helped me work WITH her to clearly define appropriate behaviour and house rules, and now she is a happy, healthy, house trained and well socialized pup! I am sure I will be coming back to this book in the future, whether to reference handling as my puppy matures, or to re-read the entire book the next time I adopt.
This is an awesome book for puppy training and a must read before you bring your pup home. The book teaches a method of positive dog training. Dunbar does a great job teaching you how to effectively communicate with your puppy so that you can be a successful trainer. Chapters on house training and bite inhibition have been especially useful for me. I am continually going back to the book as a reference whenever behavior modification is necessary.
This book is an unforgiving guide to living with and training puppies. So far it has some good advice. Other advice is decidedly not working for our puppy, but that may be our puppy's baggage and nothing to do with the value of the book. For instance, no matter how hard I try to encourage it, Patrick just doesn't seem susceptible to chew toy-aholism. Perhaps he doesn't have an addictive personality. Probably too early to tell.
This book was recommended to me by the Border Terrier people we visited. It's been interesting and kind of scary to read. Dogs need a lot of of training for a long time. Hopefully we'll be able to put most of the ideas in the book into practice(when our puppy comes on the 10th!). But if not, the book keeps defaulting to calling in a professional dog-trainer to correct any mistakes. Fingers crossed.
Good ideas, but man is this guy repetitive! The book is so small and I feel like he kept saying the same thing over and over. Maybe preparing for a dog really is simpler than we think? I also don't like that he split up the books into two -- obviously he wants to milk it and make more $$ because you HAVE to buy "After You get Your Puppy!"
Great book full of helpful hints and tips! I feel a little overloaded but it does tell you to go back and re-read. This book even recommends other books, videos and trainers to look at for your new puppy. This is great book to read before you get the puppy...after you have the puppy it is almost too late!
I read the first part of this book while we had a puppy and found it extremely helpful. When the puppy found a new home, so did the book, as we're fairly certain we won't be adopting another puppy.
I loved how this book focused entirely on the reward based training model and completely frowns on leash corrections. I have found so many books where the authors want to have it both ways.
This book is VERY helpful. I have a 5 mo old Golden Retriever puppy. The advice he gives is so valuable. No wonder he is the world's leading authority on puppy training.
My dearly departed bff is in this book, so I love it for that.
A more simplistic version of Ian's other training books. Good for beginers.
A more simplistic version of Ian's other training books. Good for beginers.
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