Many dog training books still start with the maxim that you as a owner should establish clear obedience rules, define boundaries and assert yourself as the leader of the pack.
A newer, more efficient and dog-friendly approach considers that perfect obedience is not possible without bonding with your puppy first.
Building a meaningful bond with your dog start with choosing a dog personality that fits with your own personality. Many dog-human relationships fail, not because of inadequate dog training, but simply because the dog breed or dog personality does not fit with the life style or temperament of the dog's owner. A low energy and passive person will clash with a dominant and demanding dog.
The author of the first book we have selected spends a good amount of time explaining how one's level of activity and lifestyle should match the dog's level of activity and temperament. Particularly if you are gone all day and don't have energy for an active dog, you'll be happier with an older dog. She makes a great case for adopting older dogs, which can perfectly adapt to a new home at any age.
Most of the books on this page are based on positive reinforcement methods of training and operant conditioning, i.e. setting up lots of situations where the dog can succeed, catching your dog doing things right and responding in a manner that reinforces that behavior.
The rewarding part of using positive reinforcement is that you, as an owner, are no longer looking for things that your dog is doing wrong, but instead, are actively looking for all the good things your dog does!
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