How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond

Product Information

I found some of the general advice in this book helpful. However, it wasn't quite what I expected. The idea of following actual dogs through their puppyhood is a great idea and seems promising--until you find out that all the puppies are from top-notch breeders and perfectly fit Millan's "calm-submissive" ideal. I know MY puppy certainly does not meet that ideal, nor is she from any sort of top-notch breeder, so it made a lot of the puppy-specific stories kind of useless. This book would be more helpful to read if you're in the process of getting a puppy and want to know what you should take into consideration. Cesar Millan is a best-selling author, public speaker, and the internationally acclaimed star of “Cesar 911,” as well as the original, Emmy-nominated host of the “Dog Whisperer” program. With “Cesar 911,” he brings more than 25 years of dog experience and his status as the most recognized and sought-after authority in the field of dog care and rehabilitation directly to communities terrorized by unruly hounds. So after putting my baby to sleep who was part of my family for thirteen years, we decided to adopt a new puppy. She's a rescue and I wanted help getting to establish good behavior and socialization early on. Since I love reading, I went and bought a bunch of books including this one. The book contains everything you need to know from how to select a puppy that would suit you and your lifestyle, to what to expect at each stage of your puppy’s life, importance of nutrition & vaccination, the common mistakes of dog training, how to correct problems, to how to bring out the best in your dog.

I'm a big fan of Cesar Milan. I like his story of coming to America to follow his dream in his last book. I did find a couple of things off putting in this book, almost boujie in its delivery, like, potty/house training in which Cesar and a breeder just doesn't understand how hard it is to housetrain and "my puppies are house and crate trained by 10 weeks." Truthfully, I found by 10 weeks my puppy was also crate and house trained but that was HARD WORK and would've appreciated a better how-to rather than how-come. The author and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects that may result from the use or application of the information contained in this book."

Customer reviews

The biggest criticism I found was that the book is more of an emotionally laced contribution than a logical step-by-step manual. The method and manner in which the author talks about a dog is as if everyone should have their entire life revolving around the animal – which may be possible for him but not everyone else. Yes, I agree that there are a few many human beings whose entire life revolves around their pet but please not me. The author of this book is a self-taught dog behaviorist, trainer, and television personality. He founded the Dog Psychology Center in California and the Millan Foundation to aid in the rescue and rehabilitation of dogs. He has published 5 books for dog owners on behavior and training. One of his basic beliefs is that people must respect dogs as animals and not “co-opt [them] into being our friend, soul mate, or child” (p. 3), as this leads to unstable dogs with behavioral issues.

Having 2 cute dogs at home, along with a sweet-loving-wife who watches ‘The Dog Whisperer’ almost everyday with total excitement and yes, a full-blast volume (with me covering my ears thanks to my over-priced ear-phones while on my PC), I just had to read a few instructions from the world’s best and most famous Dog Trainer – Cesar Millan. Proper motivation is imperative for the successful training of your canine. Your little puppy will respond better to your commands if they are rewarded for their good behavior. Always reward good behavior with food treats, toys, cuddles and words of appreciation. Puppies remember the rewards that it received and will likely increase the frequency of its good behavior. Positive reinforcement works much better than punishing dogs. Do not hit or spank your dog as it may cause fear or inculcate aggressive behavior. 6. Obedience Tutoring:There are several obedience tutoring classes or puppy manners classes for you to choose from that primarily help dog owners in training their pet. Such classes are very beneficial as dog owners get professional help in disciplining their dog. They are good places for the little pup to socialize with other pups and for you to meet other dog lovers. Puppy training classes teach your little pups on how to behave in different situations. Such classes help build onto the puppy’s confidence and reduce its fear and anxiety. Puppy manners classes are an easy way to train a dog to be perfect. 7. Quality Time Together: