RECOMMENDATIONS

I am writing to let you know of a couple of products that we have used, and highly recommend. I have also added them to the column on the right side of this page. We have read and recommended the book 'The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete for years (available at Amazon.com). It is THE BOOK that we recommend to our clients for guidance in raising a puppy.

"The monks of New Skete in Cambridge, New York, dog trainers and breeders of German shepherds, here expand on their classic How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend . The excellent instruction begins with an in-depth examination of the puppies of one litter from birth through their eventual placements with new owners-- following their social and physical development, their needs, and clues to their emerging personalities. Proposing that the best way to forge a healthy dog-to-owner bond is to prevent problems before they occur, the authors soundly emphasize that a puppy begins its training "the day it arrives home." They teach readers how to choose an appropriate breed and a promising puppy, and how to assume the position of "pack" leader from the start. Sensitive and unimpeachably humane, this handbook places equal stress on the time-consuming responsibilities of dog ownership and on its ultimate rewards."
- Publishers Weekly

The other product I wanted to tell you about is the Sprenger Training Collar (I'll post a link here later). I recommend the nap prong, size 2.55 mm. You also need to purchase the extra links. We have found this to be most efficient and safest collar to use while training your dog. The small prongs will pinch the skin, rather than severely choke a dog as a "choker collar" does, which may cause damage to a dogs throat.