Sadly, the majority of puppies fail to live long enough to enjoy their second birthday. They suffer from the terminal illness of being unwanted—failing to live up to the promise and expectation of the Lassie–Benji–Eddie dream. Instead they develop a number of utterly predictable behavior, training, and temperament problems and are surrendered to animal shelters to play lotto with their lives. Many people blame irresponsible ownership for this tragic situation. I would cite lack of know-how. Most prospective puppy owners are simply unaware of the problems that lie ahead and unfortunately, they have little idea how to prevent or resolve them. Ironically, the demise of many dogs stems from novice owners following misleading, erroneous, and in some cases downright bad advice from out-of-date training books. Dog owners' lack of know-how has to be the responsibility of all doggy professionals, including dog breeders, trainers, veterinarians, animal control officers, and shelter personnel. It is the fault of dog professionals like myself, who have failed to adequately advertise the much easier, quicker, gentler, and altogether more effective and efficient way of raising and training puppies. This booklet will outline common, predictable puppy problems, provide a timetable for their development, and suggest a variety of dog-friendly preventative measures and solutions, emphasizing the overwhelming importance of early socialization, confinement, prevention, and lure/reward training techniques. Feeling that education can range from boring to hilarious, I have always tried to make my writing enjoyable as well as informative. However, a delicate balance always exists between education and entertainment, so I have also tried to stress the urgency of many of these ideas and repeatedly drive home the facts that new puppy owners absolutely need to know. When choosing a puppy, you need to know how to determine whether his behavioral development and education are up to par. Assessing a pup's developmental and educational status depends on your education about puppy education. Your pup's first month in your home is the most crucial developmental period of his life. This short, make-or-break period pretty much determines whether your puppy will develop into a well-mannered and good-natured companion that will bring joy to your life for many years to come, or whether your puppy will develop numerous, predictable behavior problems and grow up to be fearful and unfriendly. You stand at the crossroads. The course of your prospective puppy's development is in your hands. To help you get a grasp on all the important information you need to learn, I have outlined six essential developmental deadlines, which form the backbone of this book. But before we explore these deadlines, let’s get an overview of what to consider before you get your puppy.

BEFORE You Get Your dog




Sadly, the majority of puppies fail to live long enough to enjoy their second birthday. They suffer from the terminal illness of being unwanted—failing to live up to the promise and expectation of the Lassie–Benji–Eddie dream. Instead they develop a number of utterly predictable behavior, training, and temperament problems and are surrendered to animal shelters to play lotto with their lives. Many people blame irresponsible ownership for this tragic situation. I would cite lack of know-how. Most prospective puppy owners are simply unaware of the problems that lie ahead and unfortunately, they have little idea how to prevent or resolve them. Ironically, the demise of many dogs stems from novice owners following misleading, erroneous, and in some cases downright bad advice from out-of-date training books. Dog owners' lack of know-how has to be the responsibility of all doggy professionals, including dog breeders, trainers, veterinarians, animal control officers, and shelter personnel. It is the fault of dog professionals like myself, who have failed to adequately advertise the much easier, quicker, gentler, and altogether more effective and efficient way of raising and training puppies. This booklet will outline common, predictable puppy problems, provide a timetable for their development, and suggest a variety of dog-friendly preventative measures and solutions, emphasizing the overwhelming importance of early socialization, confinement, prevention, and lure/reward training techniques. Feeling that education can range from boring to hilarious, I have always tried to make my writing enjoyable as well as informative. However, a delicate balance always exists between education and entertainment, so I have also tried to stress the urgency of many of these ideas and repeatedly drive home the facts that new puppy owners absolutely need to know. When choosing a puppy, you need to know how to determine whether his behavioral development and education are up to par. Assessing a pup's developmental and educational status depends on your education about puppy education. Your pup's first month in your home is the most crucial developmental period of his life. This short, make-or-break period pretty much determines whether your puppy will develop into a well-mannered and good-natured companion that will bring joy to your life for many years to come, or whether your puppy will develop numerous, predictable behavior problems and grow up to be fearful and unfriendly. You stand at the crossroads. The course of your prospective puppy's development is in your hands. To help you get a grasp on all the important information you need to learn, I have outlined six essential developmental deadlines, which form the backbone of this book. But before we explore these deadlines, let’s get an overview of what to consider before you get your puppy.