Harry Winston is a nine month old English bulldog. He came home with my partner, Danny and I on December 10, 2011 at approximately 10 weeks old.  From the moment we first met him, Harry had a big personality for being such a little fellow.  He’s quirky, playful, very friendly, loving and extremely stubborn.  Being stubborn is actually a characteristic of the breed which makes training him interesting at times to say the least. We have been training Harry at home using materials available at the Library. With the warm weather upon us, it’s a great time for owners and their dogs to get outside, exercise and train with their dog.  I’ll talk about materials below that I’ve used and that we offer here at the Library that may aide you in training your puppy.

Brad Pattison's Puppy Book: A Step-By-Step Guide to the First Year of Training

From choosing the right breeder to your puppy’s first days with your family to street safety, chew training, grooming and bathing. This book covers many things that a new dog owner would need to know. I’m familiar with Brad Pattison from his show “At the end of my leash” on the Slice network. I like his training methods and have found his tips in the book as well as on the show to be helpful. He teaches you how to recognize and work with your puppy's needs, so that you can effectively communicate and bond with them.

Cesar Millan’s How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond

I really enjoy Cesar’s show “Dog Whisperer”. It’s inspiring to see him help owners with dogs of all ages and breeds. In particular, this book focuses on the needs of puppies and adolescents; where Harry is nine months old he has just become an adolescent. Cesar describes how to start with a proper foundation in the early years and what you need to know to create the best environment for a well-balanced dog in order to prevent behaviour issues in the future. He also takes it a step further by describing how to correct the most common behaviour issues in young dogs. It’s comforting to know that no matter what age your dog is, there is potential to correct bad behaviour.

Dog training for dummies by Joachim Volhard  (2010)      

Harry has been crate trained since before we brought him home, so he doesn’t know any different, which made his transition to a new home much easier. If you are considering crate training, this book gives helpful advice on the topic. We have also recently moved across the country, so the home that he knew for so long is now very different. Considering it was a huge move for all of us, Harry has adapted very well to his new surroundings. I had also been home with him every day before we moved, but now I am working away from home so the information on how to address aggression and separation anxiety was helpful to us specifically.

Each dog has different training needs and each owner has different areas that they would like to focus on with their dog. These resources are certainly a starting point, however there are many more to choose from here at the Library. 

Posted by kdickinson on July 6, 2012