First-time owners: best starter book/site?

[FourPaws]

Hi everyone: we are hoping, hoping, hoping to become a Hav family in early January (puppies born, we're second on the wait list). Though my husband raised dogs years ago, he was a big hound kinda guy. I want my kids and us on the same page. In reading through this incredibly useful forum, however, I am feeling overwhelmed, even as I understand that there are many ways to train puppies.

Can folks recommend a few simple Websites and maybe one or two Must Have books, so we can start preparing now?

thanks so much!

[marlowe'sgirl]

http://www.dogstardaily.com/

In general, you want to go as a family to a positive reinforcement-based puppy training class. There's a lot of subtle things that smart observant sensitive pups like Havs pick up on that could accidentily be sending a contradictory message when you're training a puppy. It was useful for me to have a professional around to point these things out. As a totally novice when I got my Hav, having a trainer was really really helpful. I read ALL sorts of books prior but nothing was a great as a trainer was.

Oh and to add - the most important thing I learned was to set-up my pup for success so he didn't have the opportunity to make 'mistakes'. Less 'mistakes' means less reinforcement of unwanted behavior. I always tried to remember it's not my puppy's mistake or screwing up or being naughty, but me failing to communicate so it's my mistake. For example, if you carefully supervise your pup and he NEVER gets the chance to pee on the rug, he will not see that as an option. Never is ideal, but you'll likely make mistakes - as I definitely did, but if you reinforce the preferred behavior, you'll get a well trained dog in the end.

[misstray]

http://nosetotailbook.havanesefanciers.com/?q=thebook

[krandall]

I think THE BEST book I've ever read on raising puppies is "The Focused Puppy"

http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DEG966

[davetgabby]

Originally Posted by marlowe'sgirl

http://www.dogstardaily.com/

In general, you want to go as a family to a positive reinforcement-based puppy training class. There's a lot of subtle things that smart observant sensitive pups like Havs pick up on that could accidentily be sending a contradictory message when you're training a puppy. It was useful for me to have a professional around to point these things out. As a totally novice when I got my Hav, having a trainer was really really helpful. I read ALL sorts of books prior but nothing was a great as a trainer was.

Oh and to add - the most important thing I learned was to set-up my pup for success so he didn't have the opportunity to make 'mistakes'. Less 'mistakes' means less reinforcement of unwanted behavior. I always tried to remember it's not my puppy's mistake or screwing up or being naughty, but me failing to communicate so it's my mistake. For example, if you carefully supervise your pup and he NEVER gets the chance to pee on the rug, he will not see that as an option. Never is ideal, but you'll likely make mistakes - as I definitely did, but if you reinforce the preferred behavior, you'll get a well trained dog in the end.

great advice. Yep , you can learn anything at Dog Star Daily. By far the best site on the web. 47 of the best dog trainers around. Here's a couple of reads that I recommend. Before You Get Your Puppy by Ian Dunbar http://www.siriuspup.com/pdfs/before_puppy_sirius.pdf

After You Get Your Puppy by Ian Dunbar http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/do...Your_Puppy.pdf