The Happy Puppy Handbook: Your Definitive Guide to Puppy Care and Early Training

Being a first time dog owner I wanted to be informed and prepared. This book fulfilled those goals and more. Using modern methods and behavioral science this book gave us the practical advice we needed to prepare for our puppy's arrival. It also helped us understand her development and use her natural behaviors to our advantage. I really liked the section about choosing what was important to you to help prioritize and focus on tangible goals. Mine was to have a well behaved dog I could take anywhere, that pretty much sums it up! We also wanted to give her what she needs for a happy, healthy life. The training advice has been great, we started right in and it has paid off. Overall this was the best of several books we purchased. It's well written, easy to understand and immediately made good sense to us. I highly recommend it.

I always check the negative reviews on a guidebook like this before I buy, and I was hesitant when I read that this book "needed an editor" because of grammatical errors...I'm so glad I bought anyway! I have a feeling the reviewer just didn't understand that the Happy Puppy Handbook was written by a British author and therefore has British colloquialisms and spellings.I'm not bringing home a Labrador puppy, but when I read the line "For weeks or months you have thought about and prepared for this wonderful occasion" I thought "YES! This book is for me." This is a great read for the planner-type who makes lists, plans ahead, bought their dog's crate and collar months before they were born (yes, I'm guilty) and wants to do the best possible job for their puppy. I'm eight weeks out from being able to bring home my puppy, and it was the perfect timing to read this book.I had dogs growing up, but always rescue pups and have never brought home an 8 week old puppy. This resource has been wonderful and my confidence is growing with every chapter. There is a little additional information/caution that I think is breed specific, regarding stairs and hip dysplasia, but even though this isn't a primary concern for my chosen breed (Dalmatian) I appreciated the advice, because better safe than sorry.I hope my Dal is as happy and well-adjusted as Pippa's Labradors must be, and with the advice in this book I feel like we're already halfway there.

It was a quick easy read. I've never owned a dog from puppy to adult so it was great to have the simple information. I think that it seems like very obvious stuff. I've done almost everything here to a T and we have had the best little puppy. The only time we have issues is when I'm not home and my husband has him and the kids. He did not read the book (and has had 3 puppies in his lifetime) and I have to explain to him what he did wrong once I come home. I'd recommend this book to anyone who has never had a puppy and would recommend people to review it that have had puppies and think they know best.

We just got a new puppy in June and this book has everything you need for your new puppy! It will get you ready to bring puppy home, and also help you along the way with all the questions you might have. I have this book handy all the time so I can use it as needed. It has helped us with crate training, potty training, introducing her to the older dog at home, and so much more! Even after your pup has grown up, it has a great section on training older dogs. The author is wonderful and write the book for us average folks bringing home a puppy. Easy to understand and gets right to the point! I highly recommend this book if your bringing home a new friend!

This is a great book that explains so much of the psychology of puppies and excellent advice for how to raise your puppy.

This is such a good book and I have recommended it to other people who are getting a puppy and want good advice. It is easy to read and has excellent advice from an experienced dog trainer. I highly recommend for anyone getting a new puppy, whether it is a first puppy owner or someone who has had puppies before. It is a good review for anyone.

This is a good read, but so many grammatical errors! Did no one proof read this?!

If you plan to buy just one dog book--make it this one! I have yet to find a book as comprehensive as this. Pippa Mattinson touches on many topics from normal dog behavior and elimination to crate, clicker, and recall training. It was a quick read but full of helpful information. I felt completely comfortable bringing home our new puppy because of everything I learned in this book. I've even used some of the techniques from the book to train my 7-year-old ill-mannered Yorkie!I purchased the Kindle version because it was cheaper, but I'm thinking of adding the paperback as well because I prefer to have reference books in print. When I purchased the Kindle version I didn't realize how often I'd be returning to the book.If you want a well-rounded approach to caring for your dog or puppy, you need this book!

This book gave me a good overall idea about a puppy’s life stages and needs. Not very detailed though about different commands or tricks. It’s good to read it BEFORE you get a puppy.

This is a great reference and very logical information. Thank you

The book has excellent tips and instructions, and debunks many obsolete theories. We found it very useful.

Se lo recomiendo a todos aquellos que quieran estar bien informados y preparados antes de la llegada a casa de su cachorro. Un libro muy completo y que explica con mucho detalle cada paso de la educación del cachorro.

This book is a great source of information for new puppy owners. I have had dogs before so it did cover a lot of info that I was aware of but it did provide a nice and quick refresher on what to expect. There is some stuff that was irrelevant as I live in Australia and it was written in the UK but it has still provided some great things to think about, you will just need to research what is applicable in Australia. It’s easy to read, with no technical jargon.