Best Books on Dog Training

What follows here are real reviews of dog training books that I actually own, the books that I read over again and refer to often. Most of these are the same books on dog training, dog behaviours, and - yes - even dog psychology that I often recommend to students at the dog obedience school where I teach part-time.

I do think it's important to try to highlight what I feel are the very best books, because there are a number of somewhat questionable dog training books on the market, these days! (And you don't want to get me started on some of the e-books for sale online!) As well, some older books available that, though once highly regarded, are now outdated and no longer recommended, in the light of on-going scientific research into dog psychology, the changing attitudes towards the relationship between dogs and their owners, and the evolving role of companion dogs in our busy family households.

For the new dog owner or student dog trainer, it can be hard to know where to start. Hopefully, this page will be a help!

Photo: Own collection;
Training a greyhound to back onto a platform.

Veterinarian Dr. Sophia Yin, the author of Perfect Puppy in 7 Days, is a respected animal behaviorist (Masters in Animal Science from UC Davis), an award-winning pet columnist, a popular workshop leader, and a behavior expert for television shows such as Animal Planet's Dogs 101. She is also on the executive board for the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) Handling Guidelines Committee, and the American Humane Association (AHA) Animal Behavior and Training Advisory Committee.

In short, Dr. Sophia Yin not only knows her stuff when it comes to starting a puppy off right. Equally importantly, when it comes to writing a dog training book, Dr. Yin also knows how to communicate her expertise to her readers.

Photo: Dr.Sophia Yin and dogs;
Courtesy of DrSophiaYin.com

Jack and Wendy Volhard - authors of Dog Training for Dummies are also the authors of The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be One.

Simply put, The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be One is an essential guide for any dog owner who'd like to prepare their pet to take the American Kennel Club's certification test for its Canine Good Citizen program.

For those who are interested in going on to pet therapy programs with their dogs, the CGC or CGN test is a recommended "next step" after your basic obedience course.

(Here in Canada, the CKC's Canine Good Neighbour program is comparable.)

Photo: Own collection.

I'm going to be updating this page from time to time, as needed, because new books on dog training come out just about every month - and not only that, our understanding of dog psychology is also changing as time goes on and more studies are done. Not to mention, I find that with every new obedience training class, there's one dog student or one training challenge that comes up that has a way of shaking up my opinions of the best way of going about things! It's one of the things I love best about dog training - we, the trainers, learn just as much as the dog!