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| Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog | 
 enlarge | Author: Dr. Ian Dunbar
Publisher: New World Library
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy Used: $1.67
You Save: $18.28 (92%)
New (39) Used (29) from $1.67
Avg. Customer Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 13281
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 1577314557
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.70887
EAN: 9781577314554
ASIN: 1577314557
Publication Date: April 29, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: G-2/ May have normal shelfware. May not include dust jacket.
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| Customer Reviews:
An Empowering Read for Novice Dog Owners November 15, 2006
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
Despite some of the negative reviews, I'm throwing my hat in as a postive review for this book. Early on in the book, Dr. Dunbar stated that the reason he gave such exact specifications was because he found that if he didn't, pet owners would then not follow his instructions at all. I think what he says are meant to be guidelines, but obviously each dog is different, as is each owner.
Having just finished this book, I now feel equipped with the tools I need to help get my puppy off on the right start. I would give 5 stars, except I agree with some of the other reviews that Dr. Dunbar neglected to include alternatives in the event that some of his techniques don't work. (Like what to do if the puppy eliminates in his crate, etc.). But this book DOES provide a solid foundation of the basics. I'll just look elsewhere for some of the details.
Great book. Now let's see how it all turns out with our puppy!
 A must for folks looking for a puppy November 1, 2006
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
The best is to get this before you get a puppy it will help you to find the very best breed and breeder for you. Being prepared for all the fun and pitfalls of a new puppy in the house will make you a happier and better owner. I reccomend it to anyone inquiring about a new puppy from us. But sad to say we do not have them obedience trained before they go home. Fun and new experiences are a higher priority for us.We do litter box train and that will be a huge asset as you will see from Ians Book.
As in any book read it, learn from it and follow what you believe will work for you.
Don't get bogged down in the unimportant details. September 14, 2006
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
I tried reading this book a few months ago, but couldn't get past the author's warnings about the perils of not having puppy parties and meeting a specific number of new people per day. I did just finish reading it, for real, and can say the author knows what he is talking about. My puppy went to a puppy class where Dr. Dunbar's methods were recommended, especially meeting new people and teaching bite inhibition. My 5-month-old puppy now has a soft mouth and meets a lot of new people happily. I do treat him whenever he does, and introduce him to new things all the time. If you plan on having a real canine pal for the next decade or so, read this book and pay attention to the appendix where Dr. Dunbar rates the most urgent things to teach your dog. I have had other dogs before, but not trained ones. There is such a big difference, and it's easy. If everyone would read Dr. Dunbar's book before getting a puppy, no one would need to read Cesar Millan's.
 Can I unread this book? August 30, 2006
22 out of 34 found this review helpful
Unless you can spend every waking moment training your dog please do not read this book. (And by training I mean following this book to the letter, there is no room for mistakes says Mr. Dunbar! Allowing even one will make your dog untrainable and horrendous!)
Consider this review a warning. I read this book and after six days with my 12 week old pup I felt like an utter failure. Mr. Dunbar's book is completely unrealistic and rather extreme. (What if I cannot make my dog meet 100 people in my home in the first three months of his life at multiple 'meet-the-puppy parties'?! Then, says Mr. Dunbar, your dog will be unsocialised and you will eventually abandon him and he will die.) Unless you can devote every moment of your time to the Dunbar method of training your puppy you will be unable to follow any of his methods. (Don't let him *ever* doo in the house. If he doos in the house ONCE then he'll FOREVER doo in the house!! And be sure that you have at least fifty Kong toys. Kong. It's very important that they are Kong. Say it with me. *Kong*)
My main concern is that this book forces concrete deadlines and his make-believe concept of 'errorless house-training' down your throat. Honestly, I felt that every little normal natural puppy behavior (chewing, having accidents on the carpet, barking - things puppies are famous for doing!) was due to the fact that I was an unfit puppy mother. The book leads you to believe that all of these things are bad bad bad and the dog only does so because you have not trained him properly. That it's your *fault*, when in truth he's behaving like a normal puppy! And once he has gotten a taste of such odious misbehavior you'll never be able to make him be good again. This book is all meticulous, unrealistic prevention. Not ways to curb unwanted behaviors, which would be much more beneficial.
Bottom line, if you have a job or another being in your life besides your new puppy (and your puppy wasn't already partially trained by its breeder before you got him - yeah right. What if your puppy isn't a high dollar pure-bred pre-trained dog? Is he then hopeless?) you will be unable to train your dog according to this book. So please, don't read it. You'll only make yourself feel terrible and inept. Your very young animal will make natural, normal mistakes. It's ok.
Well worth the effort to Read August 6, 2006
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
One of the better books I've read on training. Most of the ideas presented are very good, although the average person will have a difficult time fully adhering to some of his suggestions. There's a little too much "My approach will work every time." My experience is that dogs are a little like people in that they have their own personality, and what works with one will not necessarily work with another. These are really small "complaints" and most of the book provides very practical and good approaches to training your dog.
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