How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond Paperback – January 1, 2009

I really enjoy watching the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan's show so I out of curiosity I bought 3 of his books. This one is very good. I found there were things that I could learn and put into practice, even after having dogs for almost 45 years. I do understand what the person who wrote the review about Cesar's "zen" thing and that it is frustrating when you don't have an older dog to help with the house training. Just let me say that I am an Australian Shepherd breeder and I still have to house break a puppy even though I have the parents. The whole example thing is frustrating to me too. I find it hard to believe that a breeder can have 8 week old puppies house broke and crate trained. Although she did say she often keeps her puppies until 10 weeks.I did find a lot of great information in the book and the above things mentioned didn't bother me much. In fact my puppies new families get a puppy package from me and I have now included this book in the puppy package. I think it will be very helpful to families who have never owned a dog or have not had a puppy in a long time. So far my puppies new families have been very happy to receive the book. So many times people ask me about vaccinations, crate training, what kind of food, where puppy should sleep, and on and on. I am happy to answer their questions but it is a lot of info to absorb. So the book comes in very handy for them.My one word of warning however is that often Cesar says to consult your vet. Where that is a very good idea and I recommend it I would also caution that it is not possible for your vet to know everything. A great example is nutrition. Most Vets are not schooled in nutrition. In fact one of the worst dog foods you can buy is often sold in vet offices. It has the word "science" in it's name. Great tactic. Sell it at a vets and use the word science in your name. Anyway just remember no one loves you dog as much as you do.Over all this book was a interesting read with very useable information.

I found this book to be very practical and helpful. I've seen some reviews that complained about the stories of the puppies Cesar raised while writing this book. However, I found them to be an insightful view into his approach. It's easy enough to jump to the hands-on part as needed when you want to see actual steps to train your puppy. I combined this book with some of Cesar's YouTube videos to start training our puppy. He is only 9 weeks old, but already responding well. I think Cesar's approach would help a lot of Americans with their dogs, as treating them like humans isn't always what is best for them. I'm going to continue following the approach outlined with the book. We have a very smart puppy who is already learning what to do and not do, and he's happy and healthy. Great book, and I think Cesar's approach is especially useful for working breeds like German Shepherds.

If you are looking for a step-by-step method of dog training, this book isn't it. Yes, there are some tips for how to crate train and improve results when training, but there is quite a lot of dog psychology involved in Cesar's approach. He is not training the dog as much as he is training 'us' to understand the dog, and approach training and communication in a way the dog will understand us and what we are asking the dog to do. It requires that we ourselves be stable humans, and that we communicate to the dog using our intent and energy in a positive way....and with unlimited amounts of patience and calm-assertiveness when communicating our desires to our pooches. Cesar gives many real-life examples to illustrate his methods, which support his training techniques. I found this book to be a good read, and I did a lot of highlighting of memorable sections, which I am now transcribing onto a sheet so my husband can read all my highlighted tips (he'll never read the book otherwise). And he has even listened to my advice on how to get some good results from our new adolescent rescue puppy based in part on some of what I read in this book.

This book is great--very informative, positive, and practical. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about getting a puppy. As an experienced animal handler, I feel that this book is a great guide for the beginner and experienced alike. Among the things that I find particularly useful are the careful, step-by-step instructions, specific examples from puppies that Millan raised while working on this book, discussions from experienced breeders and dog trainers, and an extensive appendix of suggestions for further reading. The only thing not in the book that I would have loved would be a more thorough discussion of integrating the new puppy into a home that has older dogs already. While there is some discussion of this, it is not enough to provide the guidance I really would like.While some dog trainers will denounce Millan's methods as archaic and harsh, I would encourage readers to keep an open mind. While Millan does not employ a positive-reinforcement-only approach--which is what many of his detractors prefer--his methods are gentle and concerned only with the well-being of the dog. His methods have made a huge difference in my life and in my dog's life. She is happier and more balanced when I follow Millan's formula. Everyone who meets her comments on how well-behaved she is and takes great pleasure in petting and playing with her--even people who are typically frightened of dogs or just uncomfortable around them. As a high-energy, alpha-type dog, I don't believe that would be the case if I had not followed Millan's methods; for my strong-willed dog, positive reinforcement is only sometimes a strong enough motivation to encourage the behaviors I want, but discipline coupled with positive reinforcement is exactly what she needs.