As dog owners, we’re always looking for ways to maximize our training time and get the best behavior we can out of our dogs. I’ve seen many pet owners actually cry because they’re so concerned about their beloved pup.
That’s why I decided to put together this guide of resources I think can help you get your dog to behave like you want so you can take your life back.
Product
Details
Best Overall
Inside of a Dog
- Format: 353 pages, Hardcover
- Author: Alexandra Horowitz
Focus on Humans
The Other End of the Leash
- Format:272 pages, Paperback
- Author: Patricia B. McConnell
Simple & Straightforward
Don’t Shoot the Dog!
- Format:202 pages, Paperback
- Author: karen-pryor
Gentle Methods
The Power of Positive Dog Training
- Format: 230 pages, Paperback
- Author:
Pat Miller
Generic Approach
How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves
- Format: 272 pages, Paperback
- Author: Sophia Yin
Visual Learning
Perfect Puppy in 7 Days
- Format:268 pages, Kindle Edition
- Author:
Sophia Yin
For First Timers
Before and After Getting Your Puppy
- Format:224 pages, Hardcover
- Author:
Ian Dunbar
Holistic Outlook
It’s Me or the Dog
- Format: 224 pages, Paperback
- Author: Victoria Stilwell
For Behavior Issues
Help for Your Fearful Dog
- Format:
Paperback - Author: Nicole Wilde
For Fun Tricks
The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever
- Format: 621 pages, Kindle Edition
- Author: Larry Kay and Chris Perondi
Real-life Examples
Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution
- Format: 240 pages, ebook
- Author: Zak George
For Clicker Training
Total Recall: Perfect Response Training
- Format:248 pages, Paperback
- Author: Pippa Mattinson
For Aggressive Dogs
The Midnight Dog Walkers
- Format:224 pages, Paperback
- Author: Annie Phenix
Best Dog Training Books
When it comes to training your pup, it takes a little bit of education and a lot of patience. If you’re looking for resources to help you with dog behavior, these books are sure to provide the practical advice you need to make an impact in your dog’s life.
1. Inside of a Dog
This dog training book by Alexandra Horowitz dives into the world of dogs from a scientific perspective. The book offers an explanation of the sensory development of dogs and how they see, smell, and perceive the world.
What We Like
By understanding how dogs actually think, we can better train them based on their cognitive abilities. Much of the time, we lack understanding of a dog’s emotions and simply expect them to behave a certain way. As a dog trainer, I understand that positive reinforcement training for dog owners is one of the most important things you can do.
What We Don’t Like
While this book will help you better understand dog body language, readers of the book complain that it’s dry and even pretentious at points. I suppose it’s important to realize that it was written from a scientific perspective so it’s not always about offering practical advice as much as it’s about educating you about your dog’s cognitive behaviors.
Inside of a Dog
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2. The Other End of the Leash
This gem by Patricia B. McConnell not only focuses on dog training methods but on pet parents as well. Right off the bat, the title intrigued me because I’ve always said that a lot of our dogs’ behavior comes from our own behavior challenges.
What We Like
This book focuses heavily on dog owners and how our communication and behavior with our dogs can impact our dynamic. By understanding how to properly react, talk to, and train your dog, you’ll develop a better relationship, and they’ll feed off your energy.
It emphasizes the importance of non-verbal communication as well, which is such important and practical advice. Dogs cannot communicate, but we all know that dog body language can tell you a lot about what they’re thinking and feeling.
What We Don’t Like
While the book offers valuable insights into human-dog communication, some readers might find that the lessons are more generalized and may not directly address specific behavioral challenges they are facing with their own dogs.
Like many of the training books you’ll read about in this guide, they cover scientific concepts that are different from simple basic commands, and many pet parents might find these tips to be too complex and unnecessary for what they’re trying to accomplish.
The Other End of the Leash
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3. Don’t Shoot the Dog!
My dog training experience has always taught me that keeping things simple and straightforward is always the right way to go. That’s what I love so much about this positive dog training book by Karen Pryor.
What We Like
The book acts as more of a step-by-step guide explaining how to improve your relationship with your dog, your family, and yourself. It talks about behavioral psychology and how dogs can have both a positive and negative impact on our mood.
With that comes a systematic approach to some of the best dog training methods, like positive reinforcement training and reward-based training.
What We Don’t Like
This one does talk a lot about common dog behaviors and how to address them, but you will likely find a lot of information in here that doesn’t apply to you. You’ll learn how to overcome behavior challenges in all aspects of life, so it sometimes reads more like a general self-help book, and I can understand why many pet parents won’t like that.
Don’t Shoot the Dog!
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4. The Power of Positive Dog Training
Focusing on all positive methods, The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller is an excellent book that provides fun trucks, success stories, and more ways for you to offer emotional support to your furry friend.
What We Like
This is one of the best dog training books for pet parents who prefer a gentle and happy approach to their dog training with low costs. The full emphasis is on positive reinforcement training, and I find that to be incredibly refreshing.
Another thing I enjoy about this book is how comprehensive it is with its training. It’s a step-by-step guide that walks you through all common dog behaviors and continually expands to provide more information about complex behaviors as well.
What We Don’t Like
While I prefer the simplistic approach, many people may long for a more scientific method of explaining common dog behaviors. This book does not dive very deep into that.
Another aspect that many readers may find issues with is the direct focus on positive reinforcement only. While this works for many, it doesn’t work for everyone, and more aversive training methods are sometimes necessary to teach dogs hard lessons.
The Power of Positive Dog Training
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5. How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves
One of the keys to success with puppy training is breaking things down so they’re simple for you and your pup. This book focuses on positive reinforcement training and offers small exercises that you can do to modify your dog’s behavior.
What We Like
Clear, cut, and simple, that’s what I like most and why I chose it as one of the best dog training books. You do not need to be a certified professional dog trainer to understand how to properly train your dog.
The book focuses on essential principles such as commanding your dog, demanding respect, and showing your dog that you are the leader, so they must listen to you. By addressing our own behavior, we can then focus on our dog’s behavior with a reward-first focus.
What We Don’t Like
I was hoping there would be more breed-specific information in this book, but it’s rather general at times. While it is a step-by-step guide that should apply to most adult dogs and puppies, certain breeds do have different characteristics that contribute to separation anxiety or aggression.
How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves
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6. Perfect Puppy in 7 Days
I absolutely love dog training books that implement images and data to explain how to do certain things. If you’re more of a visual learner, you will appreciate this dog training book by Dr. Sophia Yin.
What We Like
This one is designed to do one thing: help you with your dog’s behavior in seven days; it’s that simple. Does it always work that way? Of course not, but it puts you on the fast track to getting your dog trained by introducing you to various training concepts and behavioral psychology.
Another thing I like about this one is that it focuses on positive training and socialization so you can have a well-behaved dog in public and around strangers.
What We Don’t Like
Seven days is completely unrealistic and designed as a marketing tactic to get you to buy the book. This step-by-step guide will help prepare you in seven days, but don’t expect your pup to catch onto everything you’re teaching them in that amount of time.
The issue with this short-term training can become a long-term problem if you’re not getting the perfect puppy you expect after those seven days.
Perfect Puppy in 7 Days
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7. Before and After Getting Your Puppy
Veterinarian and certified professional dog trainer Dr. Ian Dunbar set out in the 1970s to revolutionize the way we look at house training, dog training, and dog behavior. This book focuses on the positive side of positive reinforcement training using treats, toys, and games.
What We Like
I love the fact that the book starts off from day one. It talks about what you need to do to prepare to train the perfect pet. This gentle and slow approach is great for first-time dog owners.
What We Don’t Like
While the book provides an excellent foundation for raising, training, and walking a puppy, readers seeking in-depth training techniques for specific behaviors might need to supplement their knowledge with more specialized resources.
Before and After Getting Your Puppy
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8. It’s Me or the Dog
Victoria Stilwell is one of the country’s most popular professional dog trainers, and in this book, she talks about a holistic approach to dog ownership using real-life examples of positive reinforcement methods in action.
What We Like
I love all the case studies and practical examples from experienced trainers who have been doing this for years. What better way to learn than from the experts who do this every day? The book focuses on refreshing perfect response training while throwing in unique insights from applicable examples with real dogs.
What We Don’t Like
Like many of the dog training books that try to be a gentle and easily absorbed wealth of information, they lack depth. This book is no different. You may prefer something more scientific if you’re the type of person who likes to understand the reasons for behaviors rather than what to do to manage them.
It’s Me or the Dog
The price of “It’s Me or the Dog” varies, so check the latest price at
9. Help for Your Fearful Dog
As soon as I looked at this book, I knew I had to have it. This one by Nicole Wilde covers the unique behavioral challenges of dog owners who struggle with scared pups. If your dog doesn’t like loud noises or strangers, or has severe anxiety, this is the book for you.
What We Like
I love the dedicated and empathetic focus on your dog’s separation anxiety and fear. These are two serious issues that a lot struggle with, and your dog behaves a certain way because they’re afraid of something.
The book takes a super empathetic approach and is not condescending, which I love. It also shares success stories and fun tricks that you can use to help your pup.
What We Don’t Like
The niche focus is what might turn you away from this book. While I believe these are behavior problems that a lot of dog owners struggle with, they won’t apply to everyone.
Help for Your Fearful Dog
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10 . The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever
Here, we have a little different book that doesn’t focus as much on house training, crate training, or anything like that. Instead, the book aims to help you teach your dog as many tricks and stunts as you’d like.
What We Like
The book is truly comprehensive and offers 118 different tricks that you can teach your dog to do. Training is important for bonding, but it doesn’t always have to focus on obedience and behavior. Sometimes, it can be fun too!
What We Don’t Like
If you came for a book on behavior modification, you won’t find that here. The book provides extensive guidance on tricks, but that doesn’t matter if you can’t get your dog to behave long enough to teach them something.
The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever
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11. Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution
It’s nice to see different training methods from time to time, and that’s what this book deploys. Zak George is an Animal Planet personality and YouTube star, and this book combines his knowledge and that of professional dog trainers to help you address canine behavior.
What We Like
As usual, positive reinforcement methods are used whenever possible. Zak believes you shouldn’t punish your dog because you want training and obedience to be associated with good things and rewards.
The book provides a lot of real-life examples, including case studies and pet showcases based on dogs and pet owners he’s worked with in the past.
What We Don’t Like
There is a lot of self-promotion in this book, which can turn some people away. It can sometimes feel like the book is more of a marketing gimmick than an educational resource for pet owners.
Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution
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12. Total Recall: Perfect Response Training
Here, we have another specific focus book designed to teach you how to recall your dog and prevent them from wandering too far. If you’ve ever heard of clicker training, this is simply another positive reinforcement method of dog training.
What We Like
I love the dedicated focus on recall because it’s important to learn and essential that your dog understands their boundaries. You can add clicker training to the mix to create that positive experience and association with rewards each time they come back.
The book provides real-life scenarios, such as different animals or things that may draw your dog away from you and how you can handle it.
What We Don’t Like
While the book provides detailed recall training guidance, it might not extensively cover other behaviors or general obedience training.
Total Recall: Perfect Response Training
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13. The Midnight Dog Walkers
Are you a part of the “Midnight Dog Walkers Club”? This exclusive club is reserved for aggressive dog owners who can’t walk when there are other people or animals around.
What We Like
Annie Phenix addresses a serious but niche issue that even the most experienced trainers struggle with; aggression. If your dog is reactive and constantly barking, you need to do something about it before they injure someone.
The book provides real-life scenarios and different modification techniques to help address this issue.
What We Don’t Like
While the book can help with these behavior challenges, sometimes issues of aggression come from a deeper place where simple tips and tricks will not work. There’s also a lot of testing involved, which can lead to someone getting hurt if you’re not careful.
The Midnight Dog Walkers
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Choosing Dog Training Books
When it comes to choosing the best dog training book, there are a few things you’ll want to understand.
Training Types – There are many types of training, with positive reinforcement being the focus for most. You want to avoid negative punishment with shock collars or poke collars but still command control of the situation if you have a dog with behavior problems.
Training Focus – As you see above, many of the books provide in-depth information regarding specific issues such as separation anxiety, clicker training, bite inhibition, and more. If you struggle with specific behavioral issues, you’ll want a book that addresses that.
Training Aids – Do the books provide any sort of aids for your training? Clickers, resources, collars, etc? Training aids will help you in your quest to have the perfect puppy.
FAQs
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about dog training books.
When Should I Consider Hiring a Dog Trainer?
If your dog is aggressive or a danger to you or anyone else, this is when you absolutely need to hire a dog trainer.
Is it Possible to Acquire Dog Training Skills Through Books?
Absolutely, because all of the methods taught in these books are from dog trainers, veterinary behaviorists, and authors with years of real-life experience.
Can I Train My Newborn Puppy With These Books?
It’s not likely that your puppy is exhibiting bad behaviors, and most of the training methods are reserved for older dogs who are at least 4-6 weeks old.
Final Thought
Whether you’re training your dog to go outside, walk properly on the leash, or to quit jumping on people in the house, you’re sure to find some of what you need in these dog training books. Good luck!
