Many dog parents turn to the best dog training books for help with their dog’s behavior. After all, training a new dog, whether they’re a puppy or an adult dog can be tricky. Some dogs are quick to obey you while others might like to cause trouble. So, if you’ve struggled to complete dog training on your own, you might be desperate to find as many resources as possible. Luckily, training books can help you get your dog to behave.
Are Dog Training Books Beneficial?
If you’re struggling with your own dog training schedule, then it’s okay to look for help. Dog training books are an easy and affordable way to train your dog better without having to hire a trainer or attend classes. So, many dog parents choose a book before turning to a more extreme option.
The best dog training books are especially beneficial for those who love reading. If you enjoy curling up with a good book, then a dog training book could be helpful. However, if you’re more of a hands-on learner, then it might not work for you. Either way, it can be worth a try.
Training books work well for many people because they offer a step-by-step learning process. This can help you work on one area of training at a time and work your way up from there. It gives you a structure to start with so you aren’t left completely in the dark when it comes to dog training. So, if you’re struggling to get your dog to obey you, it might be time to open a good book.
Best Dog Training Books
When it comes to the best dog training books, it can be difficult to tell which ones are actually beneficial. So, we’ve helped narrow down your search by analyzing five of the best options.
#1 – Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love
This dog training book is by YouTuber and Animal Planet personality Zak George. He often posts videos about tips on how to train your dog, so now, he has taken his advice and put it into a book. This book not only covers topics related to training your new dog, but also the process of choosing the perfect pup for you.
Here are some areas that this book covers:
- Choosing the right dog for you.
- How to start potty training and other basic training.
- How to deal with bad habits like biting, barking, jumping up, leash pulling, chewing, and aggression.
- Important health aspects like choosing the right food and finding a vet.
- Tips for traveling with your dog.
- How to teach your dog cool tricks and fun games.
Many of the information in this book closely corresponds with the information on George’s YouTube videos. It covers all the steps you need to know when bringing a new dog home. If you need a more visual explanation along the way, you can always check out his YouTube videos online too. This book comes in audiobook, kindle, paperback, or spiral-bound.
#2 – The Art of Raising a Puppy
The Art of Raising a Puppy is written by the Monks of New Skete, who are a group of monks and nuns who also happen to specialize in dog training and care. This book covers dog training, behavior, and the bond between dogs and their humans. This version of the book has also been updated to include information about dog health.
The authors have also had plenty of experience as dog trainers and German Shepherd breeders. Thus, they use their personal experience to help teach others on how to train dogs. They also have another book titled How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend.
In this book, there are chapters for each subject and beautiful photographs throughout. Despite being dog breeders, they also cover a wide variety of topics that all dog parents can relate to. This book comes in kindle, audiobook, hardcover, or paperback.
Here are some topics that the book covers:
- Playing with your dog.
- Crate training your dog.
- Adopting dogs from shelters and rescues.
- Raising a dog in an urban environment.
- How to handle canine health and behavior.
#3 – Puppy Training for Kids: Teaching Children the Responsibilities and Joys of Puppy Care, Training, and Companionship
This dog training book by Colleen Pelar focuses specifically on dog training for kids. Kids are often the ones who beg their parents to get a dog, so it’s important that they know how to behave around dogs. Having kids work on training with their furry friends is a great way to help them form a closer bond. So, this book is written in a way that’s easy for everyone to understand, especially children.
Here are some topics that the book covers:
- Buying the right pet supplies.
- Potty training your dog.
- Socializing your dog.
- Understanding dog behaviors and body language.
- How to keep your dog out of trouble.
- Fun games you can play with your dog.
This book is a great way to teach young readers how to properly exercise with their dog, choose toys for them, and how to respect a dog’s space. It’s important for all family members to be involved with a dog’s training, so if you have kids in the house, this book is a good tool for them to use. It comes in either kindle or paperback.
#4 – 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog
As the name implies, this book by Kyra Sundance includes 101 dog tips for training your new dog. Training your dog is all about bonding with them, so it’s important for you to engage in new activities and challenge your dog along the way. The book includes full color photos throughout and step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow.
This book covers basic commands, but it also goes on to help you teach your dog more complicated lessons. The more complex tricks are broken down with a troubleshooting guide to help you overcome potential problems. Each trick also has a difficulty level so you can decide what to teach your dog based on where their skill level is at.
Here are some areas that the book discusses:
- Basic training like sit, stay, and roll over.
- Complex tricks, such as pick up toys, fetch the paper, and even answer the phone!
Since this book includes so many complicated lessons, it’s best for dogs that are already doing well with training. Some dogs need more challenges than others, so this is a great way to further improve your dog’s mental stimulation. However, it might not be the best choice for beginners. Also, it only comes in paperback.
#5 – Training Your Own Full Potential Service Dog: Step by Step Instructions with 30 Day Intensive Training Program to Get You Started
This training book by Lelah Sullivan is ideal for training a service dog. Sullivan grew up training dogs with her family, so she used her family’s dedication to go and work on dog training as an adult too. Her uncle trained a guide dog when she was young, but as an adult, she also developed a disability. She quickly learned that having a service dog helped her do basic tasks much more easily and efficiently.
So, she wrote this book to help others learn how to train a service dog. Fully trained service dogs can be expensive, but Sullivan strongly believes that anyone who needs a service dog should get one. Therefore, this step-by-step training book is the perfect way to help your dog be trained as a service dog if needed.
Here are some topics that the book covers:
- Encouraging good manners for dogs in public.
- Holding your dog’s attention.
- Teaching them specific tasks.
While this book is made specifically with service dogs in mind, it can still benefit all dogs. All dogs can benefit from training to do tricky tasks and behave properly in public. Therefore, even if you don’t have a disability, you dog’s behaviors could improve by using service dog training to teach them. This book only comes in a kindle version.
What if Dog Training Books Don’t Help Your Dog?
Unfortunately, even the best dog training books won’t work for every human or for every dog. Some humans might need a more hands-on type of training while some dogs might just be extra difficult. Therefore, if you’ve tried a dog training book without success, it might be time to try a different method.
Some other popular options are hiring a dog trainer, taking your dog to a training camp, or attending training classes. All of these options will be much more expensive, but you and your dog will get the opportunity to work with a professional dog trainer. They can help you get to the bottom of your dog’s behavioral issues to make training them much easier to handle. If you want to make sure you still get to spend plenty of time with your puppy, training classes are usually the best because then you will get to attend for sure.
However, if you still want to try to train your dog on your own first, you can try watching videos online. This is often the better option for visual learners instead of books, and it’s free. So, it’s worth a shot if you’re short on money but running out of options. As long as you continue working on training with your dog as much as possible, you should be able to get them to listen to you better in no time.
