Maybe you’ve seen this ditty passed around in an email:
Ten Rules for Being Human
1. You will receive a body.
2. You will be presented with lessons.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons.
4. Lessons are repeated until learned.
5. Learning does not end.
6. There is no better than Here.
7. Others are only mirrors of you.
8.What you make of your life is up to you.
9. All the answers lie inside of you.
10. You will forget all of this at birth.
It’s equally applicable for bringing home a new dog that will need lots of love, training, and patience.
Ten Rules for Raising a Wonderful Canine Companion
1. You will receive a puppy/dog.
2. This puppy/dog needs you to present it with lessons so it can learn what you expect.
3. Your puppy’s attempts at learning are not mistakes, only lessons.
4. You need to provide enough Lessons which are repeated until learned.
5. Learning does not end. Remember, every encounter you have with your dog is training — intended or not.
6. “There” is no better than “Here.” Training takes time. Don’t rush it or wish it away.
7. Your dogs are only mirrors of you. If you are scattered and inconsistent, those are the results you’ll get with your dog.
8. What you make of your dog is up to you.
9. All the answers lie inside of you. The “Experts” can only take you so far and then you have to trust that you know your dog best.
10. You will forget all of this each time you go back to the well to find another puppy/dog to bring home.
To help you remember when you do go back to the well, here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order.
Because so many people don’t fully understand a dog’s body language, this book shows how to correctly read your dog’s signals.
My all-time favorite read on building a better relationship with our dogs. This was the book that really turned me around and opened my eyes back in the early days with Kiera and Magic.
Great all-round training book.
If you’re living with a “difficult” dog, this book will help you turn all that around.
Different way of looking at how to raise your puppy.
Some good ideas and tips for keeping your dog busy and learning.
Helps you know how to take good care of your beloved companion from birth to death.
Dogwise is the place to go to find all the latest and greatest dog books. Also, please check out the many terrific free articles on Suzanne Clothier’s site.
If you have a favorite book or two, please share.
Great ressources…I might get one or two books for my wife
Love your Blog! Will pass on to my friends.Lots of info on dog training.
I used to post to your blog regularly . . . but over the last year I’ve moved from TX to your neck of the woods (near Albany).
Anyway, a book I think is simply brilliant — on order of “Don’t Shoot the Dogs” or “Culture Clash” (which is oddly missing from your list!) — is “Control Unleashed”.
It really helped me understand my reactive dog, and to make progress with her.
I would add one more.. Turid Rugass: On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals.
Great list..!
I am THRILLED to have this list! Thank you! The reading will give us something to do with the waiting energy ’til we get Riley’s service dog in October.
Thank you Karen….thank you Puppynerd!! Gotta love that name! I see a couple to add to my summer reading list, now to find the time to kick back and do some reading!! Wish me luck……
I wanted to save a copy of this list, but the pictures were a bit awkward, so I wrote out the titles. I thought other people might benefit from the alternate form as well:
Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff
Because so many people don’t fully understand a dog’s body language, this book shows how to correctly read your dog’s signals.
Bones Would Rain from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier
My all-time favorite read on building a better relationship with our dogs. This was the book that really turned me around and opened my eyes back in the early days with Kiera and Magic.
The complete Idiots guide to Positive Dog Training (second edition) by Pamela Dennison
Great all-round training book.
When pigs Fly by Jane Killion
If you’re living with a “difficult†dog, this book will help you turn all that around.
The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell
Another wonderful training book with heart.
The Seven Ages of Man’s Best Fiend by Jan Fennell
Helps you know how to take good care of your beloved companion from birth to death.
The Tao of puppies by Krista Cantrell
Some good ideas and tips you won’t find in other traditional training books.
Wow, Puppynerd, what a nice thing to do! Thank you.
I’d add two of Patricia McConnell’s books to that last: The Other End of the Leash and For the Love of a Dog. They’re fantastic books on understanding dogs (emotions, body language, etc.) and how we relate to them. Those two, along with Bones Would Rain from the Sky are some of my favourite books!
For training I’d add Pat Miller’s The Power of Positive Dog Training.
Yes, I like McConnell’s books too. The Other End of the Leash is great.
I have Bones, would like to read Pigs (but have abstained from acutally purchasing more books as I tend to read them only once) and love most of the authors of the books listed.