Tao of Puppies: How to Raise a Good Dog Without Really Trying

This book helps the new puppy owner create a firm foundation of trust and "communication" with their new friend. Gives a new dog handler a good perspective in terms of how to best relate to their dog, gets positive results easily, with a very small amount of effort...finesse moves, is how I'd describe it. I give a copy of this book to my first-time puppy homes. The book shows you to identify your puppy's learning strengths, and gives you an idea as to which are the best, most effective teaching tools to use with your particular pup. Also helpful in terms of managing expectations, and understanding that raising a puppy into adulthood is a on-going process, that things take time as you are dealing with a growing, learning, living creature. Makes good sense. Talks about puppy development, and particular phases of puppyhood. You don't have to believe in Taoism in order for this book to be useful. I have read many books in this genre, and this one is my favorite so far. Many folks are naturally and instinctively good with dogs...and for those of us who could use a little help, this book puts that instinct into words and actions that we can use, both the handler and the dog.

I was a first time dog-owner, so this book was very good for me and easy to understand. Unfortunately, I work days so I didn't get to implement a lot of the suggestions.

Since becoming a dog owner for the first time this year, I have read and purchased many puppy books. This by far has been one of my favorites and the one that I refer to the most. I love Krista's positive approach and peaceful ideas for living with your canine friend even through the rough and sometimes exasperating puppy mos. She gives many suggestions as well as understanding as to why a puppy sometimes acts the way it does and how to use your best skills to provide a positive environment for your dog. I would highly recommend this to any new dog owner.

Cantrell covers all the basics of training your puppy, but so do several hundred other dog training books. So what's different about this book? What I liked about her approach, specifically, was how she gets the reader to look more deeply at the dog he or she has with the intent to understand who that dog is first. With that understanding, Cantrell leads the reader to learn how to make better connections with the puppy in a way that makes sense to the puppy. Hence, no force is required in this training method because you are not inadvertently pitting yourself against your dog--but rather working with your dog's natural energy and inclination. Love the silent training section. That alone is worth the price of the book. If your puppy is driving you nuts (and hopefully before your puppy is driving you nuts) read this book.

Krista's latest book shows you how to choose and integrate a puppy into your and your family's lives using the wisdom of tao. Not only does she explain why your intuition is important but how to tune into it. She shows you step-by-step how to work with your puppy's internal nature - not against it - without any force, pressure or stress. Some of the training techniques include silent training and games using a puppy's innate nature of exploration. This results in training with "effortless effort." This book contains a wealth of information about puppy wellness such as safety, immunization schedules, diet and even how to teach children to interact with a puppy. "Understand a puppy's needs, adopt them as your own, lead with loving kindness" explains simply how adopting lessons taught through tao brings peace and joy during what can be a hectic, trying time of puppyhood. This book is great for those who have raised several puppies to those who are just thinking about bringing a puppy into their lives.