Puppy Zen

Book excerpt: A comprehensive guide to puppy training by Mark Vette, of Pound Pups to Dog Stars fame. Following a quick look at the role of pups within the wolf pack, and how dogs evolved from wolves, this book gives a day-by-day, week-by-week guide to the fundamentals of training your puppy and building a happy lifelong bond between the two of you. Mark stresses the importance of the formative period (1-4 months) to instill good habits in your puppy, then shows you exactly how to do so and when to teach each skill. Includes chapters on choosing a puppy, forming a bond with your pup, training foundations (equipment and techniques), basic commands (like sit, heel and stay), what to train in which weeks of age, house training, socialisation, teaching them not to bite or indulge in continual barking, jumping up or other anti-social behaviours, plus a section on trouble-shooting if annoying behaviours start to creep in. It is a detailed and practical guide combining the latest cognitive science with modern, loving, training techniques. Illustrated with irresistible puppy photos, plus down-to-earth how-to shots of the training methods.