The following comes from Puppy Training Secrets blog... just a snippet from the informative posts within it [this one dated August 2007]. So many sad cases of Animals in need of rescue come to hand, and in some cases it is blamed on the dog/puppy not doing what is expected of it. I would say in at least 99 out of a 100 cases it is the owner who needs training and who is to blame for the "misdemeanours" of the dog or puppy.
Some people actually buy a puppy of 8 to 12 weeks of age and expect it to be fully trained! Both the seller - if he/she claims this is the case - and the buyer should be barred from owning a pet, as they will not treat them properly.
Do read up fully on a kind/reward method of training, there are many recommendations within the blog, before you get a dog - AND, if you are new to dogs, study which breed of dog you could give a good and kind home to. Don't get a working breed if you cannot give them all the stimulation and exercise they need.
Learn all you can about their requirements before you even contemplate ownership - they all deserve a truly loving home.
Below in quotes is a post from the blog...
"Puppy Training Secrets is just one of four 'doggy blogs' which I maintain.
Though you may be interested in just training your new puppy, or want to learn more about it, where to find help, or have arrived by mistake! ... all the blogs are, in reality, interrelated and can help you in your quest for knowledge.
All are about an interest you have in dogs, and are about the dogs themselves - and adding an extra interest for them in their lives.
First must come training at an early age - hence 'puppy training secrets'. Then remember, your pet must be well trained and obedient before taking on any other interests - hence 'secrets of dog training'.
After the initial training, which is best accomplished when your pet is interested, remember they have short interest spans when young... and tire easily... then you can go forward to other interests for both you and your pet... maybe agility or flyball, or you could take on obedience.
Both sports suit different dogs, see which your dog prefers... and remember if you go for agility... you will need to be quick too, and give good and consistent hand signals. Both you, and your pet, will make new friends here - and your pet will not suffer from boredom in the way many pets can, if not stimulated sufficiently.
Two vital things to remember with this blog... if you want to learn basics, plus what is the main focus of this blog... THE OLDEST, & OLDER ARCHIVES ARE THE BEST PLACE TO START READING... also, you will find lots of useful info in the left-hand margin, including a link to 'Doggy Blog Clips' - which is crammed full of interesting articles."
I have added links to the blog and some of the courses which are recommended - you can get a free trial lesson from the Dove Creswell course, and with SitStayFetch you can get some very helpful information, plus newsletters free - I've tried, and am impressed with, both.
Sorry I haven't tried the other course as haven't had need of it!
Other than that, books which I would recommend are by Victoria Stilwell, Jan Fennell, and the Dog Whisperer.
One more link ... if you don't already ... please click on the Animal Rescue site daily ... it's free, and provides 0.6 of a bowl of food per daily click at present.
