From the bestselling author and star of National Geographic Channel's "Dog Whisperer," the only resource you'll need for raising a happy, healthy d...
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Jul 07, 2011
Brenna
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After I got a puppy in May, and started training her, all I could think about is "how can I raise the perfect dog?" That's when I started reading lots of books about dogs and watching the Dog Whisperer. I love Cesar's show. I found his work on the show to be so inspiring that I was compelled to get his book. Cesar believes in communicating with your dog on their level; to respect the fact that they are a pack animal and that they are first animal, then dog, then breed. He has a meditat
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Aug 23, 2011
Jdaniels
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When my mother-in-law got her first Bassett Hound puppy, she decided she needed all the help she could get, and purchased this book. (Unfortunately, she only got half-way through it before the puppy ate it - True story) She then recommended the book to me.
Let me start by saying that I grew up in a house full of dogs (when I graduated college, my parents had 4 indoor Shelties), and am currently a dog owner. As such, I can thoroughly appreciate Milan's television show, and have applie More...
Let me start by saying that I grew up in a house full of dogs (when I graduated college, my parents had 4 indoor Shelties), and am currently a dog owner. As such, I can thoroughly appreciate Milan's television show, and have applie More...
May 30, 2011
Sarah
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I love Cesar Milan - and I love his show. This book didn't seem to be as in depth as I would like regarding actually raising and training your dog. It seemed to be more of an overview, and it certainly didn't tackle some of the more common behaviors as I would have expected. This also would be a good book to read before you actually add a dog to your family as Cesar spends a good deal of time talking about how to pick out a dog that would be appropriate for your family's energy level. I was
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Dec 13, 2010
Penelope
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I found some of the general advice in this book helpful. However, it wasn't quite what I expected. The idea of following actual dogs through their puppyhood is a great idea and seems promising--until you find out that all the puppies are from top-notch breeders and perfectly fit Millan's "calm-submissive" ideal. I know MY puppy certainly does not meet that ideal, nor is she from any sort of top-notch breeder, so it made a lot of the puppy-specific stories kind of useless. This book
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Oct 28, 2010
Pete
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Yeah, another dog book finally finished. This one was a bit more hands-on than the other Milan book I read, and at the same time felt like it had more "Dog Whisperer" personality to it.
But *still* it didn't really cut it for the truly clueless dog owner (ie me). There're just far too many times when the way to correct a dog boils down to "use your calm assertive energy to convey your disapproval." What the hell does that even mean when a dog is chewing the carpet o More...
But *still* it didn't really cut it for the truly clueless dog owner (ie me). There're just far too many times when the way to correct a dog boils down to "use your calm assertive energy to convey your disapproval." What the hell does that even mean when a dog is chewing the carpet o More...
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May 26, 2011
Meghan
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I love Cesar because I admire him for what I cannot do; which is, as we all know, being a dog whisperer.
This book was an easy, enjoyable read, but his answers to typical questions such as sit, no barking, drop it, etc., were not quite specific for me. I think he forgets that he alone is the dog whisperer, and not the rest of us! He focuses on "your puppy's overall psychological balance" rather than "her ability to answer the words come, heel, sit, or stay." While I do r More...
This book was an easy, enjoyable read, but his answers to typical questions such as sit, no barking, drop it, etc., were not quite specific for me. I think he forgets that he alone is the dog whisperer, and not the rest of us! He focuses on "your puppy's overall psychological balance" rather than "her ability to answer the words come, heel, sit, or stay." While I do r More...
Jan 24, 2012
Heather
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The title of this book would lead one to believe that it's a how-to book, but in reality, it's the memoir of a man who undoubtedly has a gift for dog training with a few generic tips thrown in every so often. His anecdotes are amusing, but that's not why I picked up this book. Throughout the first chapters, I was intrigued by his experience and felt bad for not taking him seriously in the media, but as I read on, I become frustrated and couldn't wait for the book to be over. What I found most ir
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Sep 06, 2011
Emmy
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I almos gave it five stars then was like, wait wait it wasn't That Good. It was fine and fun though. Granted I read it with the motivation of learning how to raise a perfect child, and in that sense it was more interesting to consider the similarities. I don't have a dog or a puppy and I'm not considering getting one but do psychology has always been interesting to me... Aanyway... I didn't finish reading it because it is pretty slow and not dense enough. Sorof repetitive because the way he stru
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May 16, 2011
Susan
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Our sweet and smart Miniature Australian Shepherd, Tillie, would be ruling the roost if I hadn't learned a thing or too from Cesar, the Dog Whisperer. The best thing I learned is that I'm the pack leader, our house and all it's contents are mine and I decide when we walk, eat and play. She is becoming happy and secure in that knowledge, though I must share the leadership with my husband, I guess. The only thing about this I found at all difficult was understanding a few of Cesar's commands an
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Jan 22, 2012
Maryl
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I read this one when we got a lab puppy a year ago and I loved it. It has been so helpful and I think it has really made a difference in our dog. I am a big fan of Cesar Milan anyway, and his voice really comes through in the book. I did notice that it doesn't have a lot of step-by-step advice, which might be a problem for a beginning dog owner. Someone who hasn't had a dog before might want a book with more basic instruction, although I'd definitely still recommend this one for background r
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Oct 30, 2011
Mike
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There was a lot of interesting and useful information in here. I'm definitely glad I read it. I love the idea that he took very different breeds to follow. This book was much more interesting than instructional though, and I find myself less than less motivated by the Cesar style of raising dogs. If you have a new puppy, I can't tell you how valuable it has been to take puppy obedience classes. Spend the money. It's an investment that pays off many times more than the initial cost.
Jan 26, 2010
Alicia
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I've always been a big fan of Cesar so I was excited to read this book. It didn't dissappoint. I loved it! It's simple and straight forward and I learned so much about dogs -- especially puppies and how to achieve the best out of your dog by properly acclimating them to your home. In addition, Cesar provides great information about the different phases of a dog's life and what to expect from each one. There's also a great section at the back of common problems and how to correct them. A gr
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May 05, 2010
Brenda
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There were lots of words in this book. Words that I didn't want to read. What I mean by that is I was hoping for some succinct step-by-step advice on training my puppy but instead I got a lot of talk about how puppies grow in their first few weeks of life and how to select a breed and breeder. I didn't need any of that since I've already brought my new puppy home. I skipped a lot of those pesky words...but the parts that I did read were helpful.
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May 27, 2011
Monica
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We're getting a dog at the end of June, and this book was recommended to me by the breeder. It was well-written and engaging, but didn't have any clear guidelines for training. It gave me a good background on how to select a puppy (which we had already done), and described how dogs socialize with one another and humans. I'm glad I read it, but will definitely need to read some other books about training to feel prepared.
Nov 25, 2009
Nikki
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I LOVE Cesar Millan. He is such a great humanitarian and helps dogs and humans alike. I love that he doesn't hold the welfare of dogs (or any animal) above any human being, but teaches that pets are in our care and we are responsible to help them be fulfilled as the creatures they are. He has a kind heart and is able to help many people heal through their dogs. I believe this is why having pets whenever possible can be such a strong and positive reinforcement in the development of children.
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Nov 20, 2011
Hillary
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This book is a GREAT puppy book! I bought it hoping it would spend more time talking about the adolescent years, as that's where our puppy is. It did spend some time, but not much. This is the only reason I didn't give it a 5 star. The good thing is that it just says that in adolescent hood you keep doing what you did in their younger years…consistency, follow through, persistence, and patience! :)
Jul 28, 2010
Daniel
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Too wordy by far. Wanted some practical, solid advice. Instead got a story about how Mr Milan raised some dogs, along with a lot of other meandering self-congratulatory odds and ends.
Read Good Owners Great Dogs instead. Same approach, much more practical and without Mr Milan's gigantic ego.
Read Good Owners Great Dogs instead. Same approach, much more practical and without Mr Milan's gigantic ego.
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Jan 20, 2010
Susan
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Another excellent book by Cesar; too bad he didn't read this one on the audio book; this is how I "read" the book. A lot of good information is how to raise a balanced dog and "member of the family". It made me want to get this book for a friend who is considering getting a puppy. It talks about many things to consider when picking out; and to know before you even buy/get your newest family member.
Oct 18, 2011
Jennifer
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I picked up this book three days before our new puppy. I was able to read about 90% of it before she entered our new home. Because of this book, I was able to get both my excited little girls and my unsure husband on the same (calm, assertive) page. The techniques in this book are simple, humane, and common sense. Our little pup is doing wonderfully and I expect her to one day be the perfect dog!
Jul 13, 2010
Chelsea
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I really enjoyed this book and feel much more confident about bringing our new puppy home in a couple weeks. I was really happy that Cesar talked about back yard breeders vs. responsible breeders, puppy mills, pet stores, and rescuing. I found it very informative and a great way to choose a breeder to get your puppy from.
The one thing I didn't like, was that he never really explained how to get a puppy to sleep through the night. He basically just said he never had a problem because t More...
The one thing I didn't like, was that he never really explained how to get a puppy to sleep through the night. He basically just said he never had a problem because t More...
Jul 09, 2010
Kerry
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I try to maintain calm-assertive energy at all times after reading this book.
No but seriously, Cesar is awesome. I haven't watched more than an episode of Dog Whisperer, but his reputation precedes him. The things he talks about in this books aren't necessarily things I've seen before (not that I've sought out different techniques on dog training before now) but once he says to do something, and why it should be done, it seems so obvious and so common sensical.
Though I More...
No but seriously, Cesar is awesome. I haven't watched more than an episode of Dog Whisperer, but his reputation precedes him. The things he talks about in this books aren't necessarily things I've seen before (not that I've sought out different techniques on dog training before now) but once he says to do something, and why it should be done, it seems so obvious and so common sensical.
Though I More...
Jan 10, 2011
Melanie
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I think this is a good book for people like myself who haven't gotten a dog yet. Cesar spends most of book talking about picking out a good puppy and what you should do when you first bring it home. He takes 4 purebred dogs and talks about different training issues that cropped up with the different breeds. I kind of wish he talked more about technique, but mostly he quotes breeders and other friends about their philosophy and dogmas when it comes to raising puppies. The advice often comes acros
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Feb 19, 2010
Shalyce
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I really just wanted some good brief advice on how to train a puppy. I might have liked this more if I really just wanted to read about the journey in having and training the perfect dog, and was really into dogs, but mostly I just want a dog my girls can play with that won't pee on my carpet. I thought there was too much fluff and most of it I probably won't use.
Dec 28, 2010
AJD
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The only thing I disagreed with Cesar about was the amount of structure dogs need on a day to day basis. My dog is so laid-back that structure seems to be an unnecessary time suck. Everything else in this book was extremely helpful. The application of his tips and tricks for the perfect obedient, friendly dog helped immensely.
Dec 21, 2010
Alisa
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If you are getting a new puppy and espouse Cesar's methods, this is the book for you. It covers topics all the way from picking a breeder, to selecting the puppy, to introducing the puppy to the leash and going for walk and house-training. It also covers common trouble areas like jumping up, barking, etc. I highly recommend.
Oct 30, 2011
Diana
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There's definitely some good advice in this book, but I did feel as if it could have been condensed considerably. At times I was a little put off by an almost self-congratulatory tone, though I don't believe it was at all intentional, and I think I would have appreciated a more contiguous timeline and description of training the "case study" dogs than the scattered anecdotal organization the book featured.
Jul 06, 2011
Bought it immediately after I finished "Cesar's Way." Huge fan. My family knows that as far as authorities go, for me it's God, with a close second being Cesar Millan. Only criticism of the book so far is that the focus is way off balance regarding dogs from breeders vs. dogs from shelters/rescues.
Jun 25, 2010
Miriam
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We got a puppy yesterday, so I'm seeing if Cesar has any extra wisdom. So far, its more about his breeder friends than anything else. He sure likes his purebreds. But I'm just about to read the socialization chapter and I'm expecting it to get better.
on edit: Not bad, but not great. If you've read Ceaser, than this book is nothing knew. Lots of re-hash.
on edit: Not bad, but not great. If you've read Ceaser, than this book is nothing knew. Lots of re-hash.
Aug 03, 2011
Eric
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Very helpful, step-by-step book to prepare for and helpfully engage our new puppy, Pippin. There were a few weaknesses though- not enough specifics on one of his central principles ("calm, assertive energy"). Plus, some of his other suggestions my vet I trust significantly disagreed with. Still, a very useful book and has helped us start Pippin off right in his new "pack."
Aug 05, 2010
Domenique
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The only reason i had to read this book is because i have a new puppy and i really didnt know much about her so reading up was the best thing i could do. I learned so much from reading the whole thing and some more. It is a good book for people who have a dog and want to learn more about them.
