This handy manual is a comprehensive guide to what’s arguably the most widespread, challenging and frustrating issue faced by any and all dog-owners: house training. Has any aspect of dog ownership ever been so widely misunderstood and unanimously dreaded?
Theories both unhelpful and just plain wrong positively abound on the topic. You can find a veritable vortex of conflicting arguments almost anywhere you choose to seek information on the subject, whether it’s online (o, the staggering variation on the “The Only Way To House train Your Dog!” theme to be found here!), at your local library, through contact with dog trainers, or through the (less reputable but nevertheless prolific) ranks of “quack” dog trainers : aka, those frustrating people sans qualifications, but with enough smugness and pseudo-savoir faire to fool the less suspicious of us into handing over our hard-earned dosh.
What Sets This Book Apart?
After several confounding and increasingly-frustrated hours spent trawling through the virtual minefield of conflicting information on this subject, it was with a heady mixture of joy and near-tearful relief that I stumbled across an online book entitled “The Ultimate House Training Guide”, by Martin Olliver. As the title suggests, literally all aspects of the subject are covered, and in a manner both chatty and educational – it’s kind of like having a friendly conversation with a knowledgeable canine behaviorist (with the added benefit of being able to refresh your understanding of the matter at any given time, simply by scrolling back to the relevant section!)
The tone of the book presents a welcome contrast to the illogicalities so freely available elsewhere on the Net (and, indeed, in most repositories of canine “expertise”): it’s friendly, informative, and above all, commonsensical. No gimmicky recommendations, poorly-disguised marketing ploys, or too-brief Q&A sessions here: you don’t have to be experienced in canine behavior and training to see that this guy knows what he’s talking about (and did I mention he’s a vet?)
What’s Actually Included?
There’s a quick section on the tools of the trade (“patience, persistence, consistence, and common sense”) along with some morale-boosting advice on how to keep your cool through the training process, and then it’s straight into the meat of the matter: the nitty-gritty on how to house train, with a detailed section (one for pups, one for older dogs) on each of the three methods recommended (paper-training, crate-training, and the direct method.)
Common house training problems are dealt with next – this is particularly handy! A huge variety of issues are covered, from territorial marking to poop-eating; and on top of that, each problem comes with a case study, which helps you to put the information into context.
Next, health-related problems are covered in some depth. There’s a section on congenital problems (problems your dog was born with); a section on the disease-related problems that develop later in life; and a section on other problems related to house training, like inappropriate outdoor elimination, or lawn-burn from urination.
Highly Recommend Ultimate House Training
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