The Art of Raising a Puppy (Revised Edition)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316083275 ISBN 13: 9780316083270

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2011

The classic bestseller that established the Monks of New Skete as America's most trusted authorities on dog training, canine behavior, and the animal/human bond, updated to include the latest developments in canine health.
In their two now-classic bestsellers, How to be Your Dog's Best Friend and The Art of Raising a Puppy, the Monks draw on their experience as long-time breeders of German shepherds and as trainers of dogs of all breeds to provide--brilliantly distilled--the indispensable information and advice that every dog owner needs.

This new edition of The Art of Raising a Puppy features new photographs throughout, along with updated chapters on play, crating, adopting dogs from shelters and rescue organizations, raising dogs in an urban environment, and the latest developments in canine health and canine behavioral theory.

Review:

The monks of New Skete have been breeding and training dogs at their New York monastery for more than 20 years. Their philosophy of raising dogs accentuates the essential human-canine bond, whereby owners must learn to understand a dog's instincts, needs, and behavior. Understanding a dog, the monks say, is the key to successfully training him. They first published this philosophy in their 1978 classic guide How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend. Now the monks concentrate on the first three months of a puppy's life in The Art of Raising a Puppy.

The book observes a litter of monastery puppies from birth to 12 weeks. Tender photographs and dialogue reflect these precious first few weeks of life. Even at this time, the human-canine link is vital; the monks stress the importance of gentle touch to help forge this connection. Basic puppy training techniques are explored and executed, all of which puppy owners should find easy to implement. Virtually all types of dog problems and dog training are examined in the book, always in compassionate and easily comprehensible language. The monks also look well beyond surface training techniques to analyze the roots of dogs' problems and explain how training can help. Owners are taught how to gently assert dominance over their dog, which will make for a long-lasting and fulfilling relationship. Beautiful black-and-white photographs of monastery puppies will pull at every heartstring.

About the Author:

As a community, the Monks of New Skete have been breeding, raising, and training dogs for more than 30 years. New Skete Monastery is located in Cambridge, New York.