Family Dog: A Simple and Time-Proven Method

The bestselling dog training book that will give you the perfect family pet—from the author of Water Dog.

This time-proven guide by legendary trainer Richard A. Wolters offers a step-by-step method for completely training your dog, regardless of breed or age—in just sixteen weeks. Whether you’re six or sixty, you can learn to train your dog quickly and effectively—taking only minutes a day. 

In Family Dog, you’ll discover:

• How to choose the right dog for your family and lifestyle
• The fundamentals of training—from housebreaking to basic commands to teaching tricks
• The key to your dog's healthy mental development
• The benefits of play and relaxation
• How to guide your dog through his first critical growth periods
• Talking with your dog—it's not what you say but how you say it
• Children and dogs—learning to take responsibility
• Tips on grooming
• The best dog diet in the world
• First-aid and medical advice
• And much more...

Fully illustrated with more than 200 photographs that take you systematically through every phase of training, Family Dog will take the frustration out of dog training to give you the pet you’ve always wanted.

RICHARD A. WOLTERS was a leader in applying the scientific discoveries of animal behaviorists to dog training. His books on training—Game Dog, Water Dog, Gun Dog, Family Dog, and Home Dog—are recognized as classics in their fields. His historical book, The Labrador Retriever: The History...The People, was chosen as Best Dog Book of the Year by the Dog Writers Association of America. In 1984 the DWAA honored Mr. Wolters as both Writer of the Year for Game Dog and Columnist of the Year for his popular column “Gun Dog” in Gun Dog magazine. Well-known for his lectures and seminars on retriever training, Mr. Wolters also was a president of the Westchester, New York, Retriever Club, as well as a vice president and director of the North American Hunting Retriever Association, which he was influential in founding.

A veritable Renaissance man, Mr. Wolters worked as an atomic scientist, fine-arts teacher, photographer, and as picture editor at Sports Illustrated. His sporting interests included hunting, angling, bobsledding, ballooning, and soaring in sailplanes, in which he held the highest rating.