The Art of Raising a Puppy: The Monks of New Skete

Rating:
Summary: A Must Own: Clearly written and comprehensive
Review: The Monks compile a great deal of knowledge into one very informative, very well-written, hard-to-put-down book. This book focuses on the development, both physiological and psychological, of puppies: from the dams pregnancy and whelping on. They address what to do, what to avoid, nutrition, etc., for each phase. I strongly suggest that you also read "How to be Your Dog's Best Friend". In the latter book (their first) they make it very clear that you should read not only their book, but many others on the training and evolution of dogs and a variety of other related subjects and provide a recommended reading list. Having read both books (and many others), I felt that they had no pretensions (as some do) to be the utmost authority on the subject. Nonetheless, as for puppy books, this is my number one pick, my guidebook.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST have before you purchase your puppy
Review: We purchased this book when we got our German Shepherd puppy 9 years ago. I truly admire the Monks of New Skete and the techniques they have implemented in training puppies. I recommend this book to all of my friends when they are considering adding a "dog-friend" to their family. I wish everyone would read this book before they add a dog to their family.
The techniques the Monks advocate not only work but they assist in establishing a bond of love, trust, and respect with your dog that is remarkable. The training techniques are easy and humane. I found their recommendations, for the traits to look for in the type of dog you want, to be very useful. I also found the description of the different maturity stages that your puppy goes through to be very helpful in understanding our puppy as she grew into adulthood.
I can't express enough the fact that if you are getting a puppy and want to train it right you MUST purchase this book!