Puppy Preschool, Revised Edition: Raising Your Puppy Right---Right from the Start!

by John Ross, Barbara McKinney

John Ross and Barbara McKinney, the country’s foremost dog-training experts, reveal the lifelong benefits of early training in this definitive guide devoted exclusively to the trials and triumphs of puppy rearing. Puppy Preschool rewrites the rules on raising a great dog. Whereas other training books begin their programs when the puppy has already reached four months of age or more, Puppy Preschool begins educating and shaping behavior right from the time the puppy is brought into your home. Using revolutionary but positive and loving techniques that may surprise you, Ross and McKinney provide a much-needed head start on good behavior. They offer essential training rules that will be useful throughout your puppy’s formative education, including information

* Early leash and collar procedures
* Housebreaking
* Preventing unwanted chewing, barking, and biting
* Health and grooming tips
* Essential puppy-training equipment and safe, fun toys
* The best ways for small children to interact with puppies Puppy Preschool is the only book you will need to get you and your new puppy started on a great life together.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This one is John^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Ross, i.e. with 16 spaces

Reviews

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

We got a puppy! I have been making my way through this book for a while now. I will circle back in a few months and report on whether it was effective but I will say that Cody has learned commands very quickly. In just two weeks he knows come, sit, stay, and down. I'm most interested in having a well-mannered dog who doesn't jump (or nibble) on people and can walk on a leash.

I like this book despite the fact that owners are encouraged to growl and bite back. I respect the philosophy involved but I'm just not doing that. We shall see how I do!

[Kimberlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical advice, from an author that seems
to feel the same way I do about dogs! I’ve put many of these tips into practice with my now almost 12 week old Dalmatian, and am absolutely amazed with the results. I can’t wait to read his next book about older puppy training. My sweet Hygge is working her way thru Puppy Preschool and passing with flying colors!!!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went through this book pretty quickly to compare different methods/ideologies with the other puppy books I've read. Mostly the same, although a notable difference in this book was biting your pups muzzle as a discipline technique. With illustrative pictures and everything! Heh. The sections I found particularly helpful were the training sections of "Greeting people without jumping" and "Quiet on command."

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for first time puppy owners or those considering getting a puppy. This book is a little on the outdated side in terms of its list of resources. However, that doesn’t matter at all when reading the chapters of advice about bringing a puppy home and helping him learn to be a happy member of your family.
One of the things I really like about this book is that the authors share their love of dogs in little ways throughout the book. Their humorous stories about various dogs they have known make it feel as if I’m sitting down at the kitchen table with a friend who knows more about working with puppies then I do. It is obvious they care about dogs and want to treat them well. Topics included in this book are gathering the supplies you will need for a new puppy, bringing a puppy home, choosing a puppy if you don’t have one yet, establishing leadership in your home, and so much more. There are chapters about choosing save toys, handling unwanted behavior such as biting, and chewing. there is an excellent chapter on using your voice to express what you want or don’t want to your dog. Puppy preschool isn’t obedience training. Obedience training doesn’t really work well until A dog reaches at least four months of age. However, most people bring a puppy home when it is around seven or eight weeks old. Puppy preschool helps your dog learned what you want from him and begin learning some very basic commands. There is no harsh punishment involved, and there is plenty of time for play and affection.
Puppy preschool is sort of like having a one-year-old baby who is learning to eat, play at dressing himself, and exploring the world around him. Puppies due very similar things in some ways. One thing puppies and babies have in common is that almost everything they discovered goes in there mouths. During puppy preschool, your puppy will learn which things are OK to chew on and which things they should leave alone. The time you take to gently and consistently teach your puppy how to do things like sit, lie down, stay, and fetch will give him a wonderful foundation for when he starts actually doing obedience training.

[April]

I bought this book because I'm planning on getting a German Shepherd puppy but was highly disappointed when I read how much he and his wife look down on them. It doesn't matter how many years experience you have with dogs, I don't think it's right to look down on specific breeds of dogs when you're writing a book about puppies. I have known and seen many German Shepherds make great family pets. Police k-9s go home with their handlers into normal family life and are amazing! And they don't go looking for trouble as described in the book. They either aren't trained, disciplined or exercised enough.

[Renee Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just got a puppy and this book was a recommendation by a friend. On the whole this book has good, practical information. I have used several suggestions from this book. However, growling at the pup is just not for me....

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, well-written, all-inclusive guide to the first 4 months of a puppy's life. I'm glad I bought this one rather than just getting it from the library. The method isn't very different from what I read in The Puppy Primer, except that Ross' approach includes correcting unwanted behaviors by growling. This makes more sense to me than the positive reinforcement only philosophy. If my children are doing something destructive or dangerous, I'm going to correct them in a gentle but firm way that I know they'll understand. Why wouldn't I treat my puppy similarly?
We don't have the dog yet, but if I do end up using this method and it works, I may bump this up to a five-star review. I learned SO much from this book and after reading it I feel much more prepared to bring a puppy home.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm re-reading this since we bring the puppy home next week! this book is going to be so helpful...i can't imagine trying to raise a puppy without research! the only thing i can't completely get on board with in this book is growling, like a mama dog, at the puppy when you want him to stop doing something. the author describes it as "Nhaa" which i can't really firgure out. i think i will use the dog whisperer's "shhht" instead of a growl. but you never know!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe a puppy instead of a full grown dog...we'll see!!

Great book, the information was logical and well organized. Did get it from the library first to check it out but if we get a puppy I will be getting a copy.

[Cecelia Beyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read, but a good start for puppy training basics. A good, positive approach to training without the excess harshness of some other books I picked up for our new puppy. There are so many out there, and this one was helpful!

[Lindsey Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned some new things but a lot of it was still common since.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking for all the advice I can get - everything is helpful.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The advice in this book really works! Must have for the new puppy owner.

[Amy Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super good book. I should have bought it. I made pages of notes and have already starting using the tips. It talks a lot about what puppies are really thinking and how to make them understand.

[Dave Intlekofer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful book to read before getting a puppy.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like a realistic, thorough, and effective way to train puppies, with plenty of trouble-shooting advice for when something's not working.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful and not boring! Mildly old school, but the "retro" photos made it even more entertaining.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful, especially if you know nothing about training dogs.