Essential Features Of A Good Dog Training Book

Training your dog is a time-intensive project that requires patience and solid strategy. Most inexperienced dog owners ultimately fail at training their pet because they either lack the knowledge of what to, or they become frustrated when their dog does not respond. This failure leads many to turn to the plethora of dog training books available on the internet. There are a number of excellent resources available, but what exactly makes up a good dog training book? Here are some important things to research before buying any training product.

Navigation
In order to successfully implement a training program with your dog, you need to understand the concepts behind it. A well-written dog training book starts with the basics and slowly guides you through the more advanced techniques. There should be clear step-by-step instructions for each task, and the chapters should be organized by skill level. Too many inferior books lump broad categories together, which can confuse amateurs on where to begin. Ideally, it should be easy to continually reference topics in the book since it is unlikely you will memorize everything after one read.

Beyond Puppies
Some books can lose their value after the first year of a dog's life. They guide you through potty training and other behavior issues prevalent in puppies, but they don't offer enough information on dealing with older dogs. This can be a big void, especially since it is much harder to break the habits of an older dog. Thus, it is important to choose a book that spans the life of your pet. A well-trained dog may never demonstrate obedience issues, but there are other bad habits such as aggression that may need to be dealt with later in life.

Illustration
As humans, we learn more efficiently through reinforcement, and this is why the best dog training books feature a number of pictures and illustrations. Training your dog is a rather precise science, and there is simply too much room for misinterpretation without giving a visual reference. Some of the more premier dog training guides offer video instruction in addition to their books. This can be useful bonus that provides another way to learn the material.

Support
No matter how confident you are in your abilities, you will probably reach a point where you have a question. Finding a training resource that offers email support or a learning forum is a great way to ensure you can find an answer. This is one of the benefits with the dog training ebooks available online, as a handful of them provide email support with the cost of their product. Having access to a support network makes it less likely that you will give up when you reach a difficult point during the training process.

Training your dog can be a fun experience that builds a strong bond between you and your pet, but it can also become a nightmare if things aren't going well. A good dog training book will teach you what methods to use and how to implement them over the course of your dog's development. But for every good book available, there are a hundred others have limited value. The best way to protect yourself against the inferior products is to do your research and look for product reviews. Choosing the right book from the start will ensure success with your training regimen.