Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Optional Reading 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book is Organized 3
Part 1: Choosing a Dog to Love for a Lifetime 3
Part 2: Living and Loving Your Puppy: The Early Days 4
Part 3: Training with a Positive Spin 4
Part 4: Conditioning Good Manners in Your Puppy 5
Part 5: Creating a Wellness Plan 5
Part 6: The Part of Tens 5
Icons Used in This Book 5
Beyond the Book 6
Where to Go from Here 6
Part 1: Choosing a Dog to Love for a Lifetime 7
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Puppy Love Club: Here’s All You Need to Know! 9
Looking at All Your Options 10
Helping Your Puppy Jump into the Family Groove 12
Understanding your puppy’s point of view 12
Raising a puppy in the modern world 13
Positively overdoing bonding and socialization 13
Tackling Training Throughout Your Puppy’s Growth Phases 14
Teaching words your puppy should learn and love 15
Picking a consistent approach 15
Handling Day-to-Day Frustrations — and More Serious Problems 16
Ensuring a Clean Bill of Health 17
Chapter 2: Finding the Puppy That’s Right for You 19
Living Your Dream: Pinpointing What You Really Want 20
Getting in the right mindset 20
Considering yourself before you choose your puppy 21
Interpreting your answers 24
Deciding on the age to bring your puppy home 27
Considering Your Household 28
Me and my shadow 28
Just the two of us — plus pup 29
A family with young kids 30
A family with older children 31
A whole menagerie (other pets) 31
Other dogs 32
Chapter 3: Browsing Breeds and Rescues: Choosing One That’s Right for You 35
Figuring Out Whether You Want a Purebred, Mixed-Breed, or Designer Dog 36
Choosing the breeder route versus the rescue route 37
Deciding on a purebred dog 38
Opting for a random-mix puppy 39
Designing fancy (and expensive) mixed breeds 39
Choosing the Type of Dog That’s Right for You 41
Different Breeds for Different Folks 42
The Sporting group 43
The Hound group 43
The Working group 44
The Herding group 44
The Terrier group 45
The Toy group 45
The Non-Sporting group 46
Chapter 4: Deciding Where to Go to Get Your Puppy 47
Searching High and Low for Your Puppy 48
Finding puppy love on the Internet 49
Adopting a pup from a shelter or a rescue organization 51
Buying a puppy from a professional breeder 54
Checking out a home breeder 56
Avoiding puppy brokers, puppy mills, and pet stores 57
Meeting and Assessing Puppies 59
Finding out what to expect when visiting puppies 59
Profiling puppy personalities 60
Testing a puppy’s temperament 62
Going for an Older Puppy 67
Considering the source 68
Testing older pups 70
Chapter 5: Shopping for Your New Baby and Looking to the Months Ahead 73
Shopping for the Early Days with Your Puppy 74
Your puppy’s safe place 74
Rewards, toys, and self-soothing activities 79
Freedom lines (indoor and out), collars, and early leash skills 82
Exploring Future Needs, Modern Gadgets, and Training Tools 86
Compassion wear (also known as walking restraint) 86
Leash training 89
Clicking and targeting tools to simplify learning 91
Bringing Puppy into the Digital Age 92
Two-way camera 92
Automatic feeder and water fountain 93
Treat dispenser 93
Tracking collar 93
Automatic poop-picker-upper 93
Treadmill and hamster wheel 93
Mechanized brush, hair remover, and bathing apparatus 93
Bluetooth music cube 94
Light-up leash and collar 94
Activity monitor 94
Part 2: Living and Loving Your Puppy: The Early Days 95
Chapter 6: Bonding with Your Puppy Using the Science of Modern Dog Parenting 97
Domesticated Wolves or Little Children? 98
Brain science 99
What the nose knows 100
Master emotions 101
Your Puppy is Talking — Are You “Listening?” 103
Posture 103
Eyes: blinking, social gazing 105
Tail talk 106
Ears 107
Mouth: Grin or grumble, stress panting, play panting, yawning 108
Vocalizing 108
Fur 110
Understanding Your Puppy’s Basic Needs 110
Sleeping 111
Eating 112
Drinking 112
Going to the bathroom 113
Playing 113
Chapter 7: Establishing Good Habits from the Start 115
Preparing for Your Puppy’s Arrival 116
Puppy-proofing a free-play zone 116
Setting up a food and water station 117
Establishing your puppy’s sleeping area 118
Sleep training 118
Crate training 119
Establishing a route to the bathroom area 121
Bringing Puppy Home 122
Introducing Puppy to Your Household 123
Forming a welcome circle 123
Calming the kids 123
Saving your friends for another day 124
Managing resident dogs, cats, and other animals 125
Planning Out the First Days and Weeks 130
Surviving the first 24 hours 130
Time for bed 131
Adjusting, week one 131
Bonding with Your Puppy: The First Month 132
Handling fears 133
Knowing when to pick them up — and when not to 134
Handling the heart hold 134
Chapter 8: Including Everyone in Team Puppy 135
Welcoming the Help of Family and Friends 136
Encouraging Positive Interactions between Kids and Pups 136
Short, fun lessons and groovy games 137
When rowdy play ends the fun 138
Getting Help with Shaping Good Manners from Day One 139
Following early steps for house-training 139
Redirecting jumping 140
Instilling good chewing habits 140
Displaying mealtime manners 141
Discouraging nipping 141
Enlisting Outside Help 142
Your veterinarian 142
Dog walker 143
Puppy trainer 143
Ways to Get Help 144
Group Training 144
Private trainer 145
Digital puppy trainer 146
Groomer 146
Doggie daycare 147
Dog park 147
Living in a Neighborhood 148
Chapter 9: Socializing Puppy 151
Recognizing the Critical Stages of Your Puppy’s Social Calendar 152
Birth to seven weeks 153
Seven weeks to 16 weeks 153
Sixteen weeks to six months 154
Six months to one year 154
Maturity 154
Focusing on Your Puppy 154
Your puppy’s personality 155
Setting your socialization goals 156
Choosing your words wisely 157
Remembering the three T’s: Tips, tools, and techniques 159
Socializing Your Puppy, No Matter Their Age or Experiences 160
Settling your excitable puppy 160
Coping with a fearful reaction 161
Chilling out a defensive reaction 163
Adapting to Life Changes 163
Moving to a new home 163
And baby makes three: Expanding your family 165
Traveling with Your Puppy 168
Taking your puppy on a plane 169
Road trip! Traveling by car 170
Part 3: Training with a Positive Spin 173
Chapter 10: Taking Baby Steps: 8 Weeks to 14 Weeks 175
Understanding Your Puppy’s Mindset 176
Taking Care of Your Puppy’s Basic Needs 176
Making Learning Fun 178
Teaching the Find It game 178
Saying your puppy’s name 178
Learning Sit 179
Learning Come 179
Give 180
Associating words to everyday routines 181
Helping your puppy learn the 4-paw rule 182
Walking the stairs 182
Helping your puppy identify their place 182
Teaching your puppy to ring a bell 182
Leash and collar associations 183
Conditioning Your Puppy to Be Handled 184
Playing doggie-doctor 184
Touching paws 184
Remembering the Importance of Early Socialization 184
When You’re Feeling Frustrated 185
Chapter 11: Teaching Your Preadolescent Puppy: 14 Weeks to 6 Months 187
Understanding Your Puppy’s Mindset 187
Conditioning good habits 188
Practicing your lessons 188
Taking Care of Your Puppy’s Basic Needs 189
Making Learning Fun 189
Play training 190
Helping your puppy slow down 190
Teaching your puppy Stop, Look, and Listen (also known as Wait) 195
The Sequencing Method 196
Sit-Down-Stand 197
Follow-Wait-Find-It 198
Come-Sit-Lean-In or Belly Up 199
Over-Under-Through 200
Instilling Household Manners 200
Leading daily walkabouts 201
Establishing a special place in the rooms you share 201
Mealtime manners 203
Handling Run-Throughs 204
Chapter 12: Surviving Puberty: 6 to 9 Months 207
Understanding Your Puppy’s Mindset at This Age 208
Conditioning Good Habits 208
Dealing with canine backtalk 209
Teaching your puppy the concept of No 210
Taking Care of Your Puppy’s Basic Needs 211
Sleeping out of the crate 211
Phasing out the midday meal 211
Learning to hold it 211
Making Learning Fun 212
Stay, continued 212
Cooperative leash skills 215
Distance control 218
Socializing in the World Beyond 223
Off-leash dog play 223
Interactive words 224
Chapter 13: Striving for Off-Lead Control: 9 Months to 1 Year 225
Understanding Your Puppy’s Mindset at This Age 226
Training the Off-Lead Dog 226
Getting mentally prepared for off-lead control 226
Buying the Right Equipment — and Using It Correctly 228
A retractable leash 230
An indoor freedom line 231
A short lead 231
The Tether-n-Train 231
A freedom line 232
Gauging Your Pup’s Reactions 233
Training an excitable explorer 234
Guiding a more timid pup 234
Getting the Emergency “Down” Down Pat 235
Knowing When to Trust Your Pup and Other FAQs about Off-Lead Training 236
Out and About 238
Following five key rules 239
Under and back: Helpful commands when you’re out and about 239
Introducing Your Pup to People 240
Introducing the wild one 241
Introducing the scaredy-cat 241
Entering Buildings Peacefully 241
Making Friends: Introducing Your Pup to Other Dogs 242
Gaining control when encountering other dogs 242
Enjoying puppy play dates 243
Part 4: Conditioning Good Manners in Your Puppy 245
Chapter 14: House-Training for Success 247
Picking Your Puppy’s Potty Place 248
Establishing a Routine 249
Following general guidelines 250
Getting on a potty-time schedule 251
Being consistent 253
Helping Your Pup Communicate Their Need to Go 254
Quick Tips for Handling and Avoiding Accidents 256
Chapter 15: Conquering Common Frustrations 259
Understanding What Shapes Your Puppy’s Routines 259
Shaping and Redirecting Behavior 260
Talking the talk 260
Stopping the chewing frenzy 262
Grabbing, tugging and chasing, oh my! 268
Grounding the joyous jumper 269
I want to see what’s on the counter, too! 272
That couch sure looks comfy 273
Controlling Mouthing and Nipping 275
Mouthing 275
Nipping 276
Chapter 16: Addressing Extreme Reactions — On and Off the Leash 279
Recognizing What Aggression is and What It Isn’t 280
Dominant aggression 280
Resource guarding aggression (object guarding) 281
Territorial aggression 282
Protective aggression 284
Predatory aggression 284
Fear-induced aggression 285
Dog-to-dog aggression 286
Idiopathic aggression 287
Silencing Your Barking (or Whining) Puppy 289
Conditioning your puppy to everyday sounds 290
Socializing your puppy early on 291
Busy puppy, quiet puppy 291
Developing your puppy’s Off switch 292
Barking at e-v-e-r-y-thing 292
Barking for attention or protest 293
Discouraging Mounting 294
Getting Control of the Digging 295
Remedying Leash Resistance 296
The lunge-and-drag 296
Mule wannabes 298
Redirecting Your Little Grazer 298
Surviving Isolation Stress and Separation Anxiety 299
Isolation anxiety 299
Isolation distress 300
Separation anxiety 300
Helping a puppy with isolation issues 301
Knowing how long is too long 303
Dealing with a Stimulated Tinkler 303
Part 5: Creating a Wellness Plan 305
Chapter 17: Maintaining Healthy Habits 307
Puppy Nutrition 101: Your Puppy’s Changing Dietary Needs 308
Comparing different types of food 308
Looking at your puppy’s food options 309
Evaluating essential ingredients 310
Interpreting food labels to get more bang for your buck 315
Understanding Food Allergies and Special Needs 316
Pinpointing allergies to your food and theirs 316
Accommodating special nutritional situations 317
Keeping Your Puppy Looking and Feeling Tip-Top 317
DIY: Making bath time lots of fun 318
Brushing made easy 319
Performing daily care and spot-checks 320
Taking Your Pup for Regular Checkups 326
Identifying and Remedying Allergies 327
Spaying or Neutering Your Puppy 329
Playing for Fun and Fitness 331
Chapter 18: Identifying and Preventing Common Ailments 333
Controlling Diseases with Vaccines 334
Core vaccines 334
Noncore vaccines 335
Day-to-Day Health Concerns 337
Teething 338
Coughing 338
Lethargy 338
Diarrhea 339
Dry skin 339
Constipation 339
Vomiting 339
Gas 340
Bloat 341
Compacted anal glands 341
Limping 342
Bugging Out: External Parasites 342
Fleas 342
Ticks 343
Ringworm 346
Mites and mange 346
Getting Below the Surface: Internal Parasites 347
Heartworms 347
Other internal critters 348
Chapter 19: Preventing Accidents and Knowing What to Do in an Emergency 351
Accidents Happen: Preventing and Preparing Before They Do 352
Puppy first aid kit 352
Playing puppy doctor 353
Fences Help 354
Evaluating fence types 354
Training your puppy to concentrate their attention 355
When Accidents Happen 355
Restraining a hurt pup 355
Transporting a hurt pup 356
Helping a choking pup 356
Performing artificial respiration (mouth-to-nose resuscitation) and CPR 357
Stopping your pup’s bleeding 358
Treating bug bites and stings 359
Treating snakebites 359
Treating burns 360
Treating and preventing heatstroke 360
Hunting for household dangers 360
Taking care of small indigestibles 361
Part 6: The Part of Tens 363
Chapter 20: Ten (Or So) Fun Games 365
Find It 366
Tug 366
Give (Or Drop) 367
Tug Tug Give 368
Wiggle Giggle Freeze 368
Two-Toy Toss 369
Fishing for Fido 370
Swing Toss — Can’t Catch Me 370
Toy Along, Tag Along (also known as The Squeak-Toy Shuffle) 371
Hide-and-Seek 371
Superball Soccer 373
Chapter 21: Ten (or So) Crowd-Pleasing Tricks 375
If You’re Happy and You Know It, Wag Your Tail 376
Give a Kiss 376
Stylish Greeting Tricks 377
Go Get Your Toy 377
Belly Up 377
Spin 378
Paw 378
High-Five 379
Bump It 379
Take a Bow 380
Go to Sleep, or Time for Bed 381
Roll Over 381
Ask Nicely 382
Over 383
Through the Hoop 384
Index 387
