Before & After Getting Your Puppy

May 1, 2004
The star of the British television show Dogs with Dunbar has been teaching pet owners to train their dogs humanely and thoroughly for over 30 years. In this compassionate and honest volume, the veterinarian shares his definitive opinions about the way dogs should be trained. This is a great tool that anyone who wants to get a dog should peruse before they bring their pup home because, as the author points out, owning a dog is a big responsibility, and"millions of dogs are euthanized each year simply because their owners did not know how to housetrain or chewtoy-train them." Dunbar includes information that prospective dog owners should know before they select a puppy, and he also explains how to meet his proscribed series of important Developmental Deadlines (two of which come up even before the dog reaches its new home!). In addition to a step-by-step guide to every stage of puppyhood, the book includes practical services, such as a pre-puppy shopping list and lists of the best dog training books and videos.

May 15, 2004
In the 1970s, veterinarian and animal behaviorist Dunbar revolutionized the world of dog training with an approach that eschewed punishment for fun, reward, and motivation. In this summary of his system for novice owners, he explains that turning a puppy into a pleasant companion actually begins before it is brought home; he describes how to evaluate and select a puppy and then discusses the crucial aspects of a puppy's education, including house training and chew-toy training, socialization, bite inhibition, and maintenance of socialization through adolescence and adulthood. Consistency, confinement, short training periods integrated into daily routines, and the use of a stuffed Kong (a hard, rubber chew toy) are other hallmarks of his system. Although this was previously published as two separate volumes by a small press, James and Kenneth Publishers (2001), the books were not widely distributed. Free of jargon, sprinkled with humor, and copiously illustrated, this one-volume edition belongs on public library shelves alongside such classics as Carol Lea Benjamin's Dog Training in 10 Minutes and Pat Miller's The Power of Positive Dog Training.-Florence Scarinci, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY

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