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Top 10 Books For New Puppy Owners

Rachel Leavy
by Rachel Leavy
Published:  April 27th, 2020

Have you ever wished that puppies came with how-to manuals? We’ve got the next best thing – our top book picks that are perfect for new puppy owners!

You just got a new puppy – congratulations! Welcome to the world of puppy breath, adorable antics and 3 A.M. pee walks. The first weeks of parenthood are critical to raising a well-balanced dog for life.

There are a crop of concerns you’re probably stressing over. To crate or not to crate – that is often the question. Over the years, methods for training a dog have evolved drastically. Positive reinforcement is used much more now than it used to be.


Training techniques that were once viewed as the ultimate solution have since been debunked as we better understand our dogs, the way their minds work, and how to best work with them. There is no ‘rubbing their nose in it’ or yelling anymore. New techniques and approaches can be confusing to new owners. Not to worry – these questions and many more are covered in our top ten books for new puppy owners. They’ll offer great insight into raising your new best friend to be a happy creature… instead of a furry monster.

1. Editor’s Choice – The Art of Raising a Puppy (Revised Edition)

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By The Monks of New Skete

In this book, the Monks of New Skete will hold your hand throughout the entire process of rearing a puppy. They’ll help you decide what type of puppy to get, whether to adopt or get from a breeder and will stay with you throughout the training process. I highly suggest that pet parents give this a read before adding a new fur family member, as it’s been a go-to for many puppy owners over the years.


While this highly respected book has been available to dog owners since 2011, the information in the new edition is updated and relevant to today’s best practices. It includes information about crating your puppy, the importance of play and how it can be used to raise a well-behaved dog, and unique considerations when raising a dog in an urban environment.

2. Runner Up – My Smart Puppy: Fun, Effective, and Easy Puppy Training

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By Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson

This is one of my favorite puppy-rearing books because of how well it’s broken down. Before even getting into training, this book profiles different puppy personality types and what to expect as they age. My Smart Puppy also explains in depth how to fix common puppy problems and holds the human accountable for their actions.


Rather than approaching the puppy raising and training process from a serious point of view, the authors choose to frame everything in a lighthearted, humor-filled, and fun way. After all, shouldn’t adding a puppy to your family be a fun experience? The training is reward based and easy to understand regardless of how new you are to training a puppy.

3. Best Scholarly Read – Puppy’s First Steps: Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Dog

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By the faculty of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University

This puppy book is an all-inclusive guide to raising a new family member. Because it’s more science-based than some of the others, it answers questions about what to feed your dog and what first aid techniques you should learn when in a medical emergency. Training and picking the proper puppy for your household are also evidence-based in this manual. If you have a more analytical mind and prefer to approach situations in life with decisions based on facts and knowledge, this is a great resource.

4. Best Humor-Based Pick – The Puppy Primer

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By Patricia McConnell, Ph. D., and Brenda Scidmore

The Puppy Primer uses humor to help new dog owners understand how to relate to their puppies. This is one of the books I still find myself picking up after training dogs for eight years. No matter how experienced you are, McConnell’s insight is a great help. It can be common to have unrealistic expectations for a new puppy, and this book prevents this from happening. It explains how external distractions in our environment can interact or interfere with a puppy’s learning development.

5. Best Movie-Based Pick – Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog

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By John Grogan

This is the book the blockbuster movie is based on! Introducing a new family member is never easy. Puppies can be little destruction machines, chewing and peeing on everything in their wake. People have this ideal of the cute puppy wearing a bow in a cardboard box, not always realizing that without proper training they can be tough little mutts. This book is not informational, but it serves to remind us that we are human, and they are dogs. No matter how frustrating it can be to find your favorite heels chewed up, we need to remember to be patient with our new pets. This book is a tear-jerking look into the love we have for our pets and how they are a part of our family and our life’s journey.

6. The Puppy Bible: The ultimate week-by-week guide to raising your puppy

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By Alison Smith and Claire Arrowsmith

There’s no room for insecurities or mistakes when you know exactly what you need to do – week by week, step by step! Instead of giving you general outlines, this comprehensive guide is structured as a week-by-week planner that covers the first six months of your puppy’s life and beyond. I often give this one to complete newbies to the dog parent life, as it really offers insight into all the important details. Clearly illustrated and full of useful advice from experts, this handy book will help you with everything from socialization and training to choosing the right type of diet and providing first aid to your new pet.

7. Puppies For Dummies

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By Sarah Hodgson

You might not be a dummy, but if you’re not new to puppy-owning adventures, you’ll want this one in your personal library. I love this one because it’s very detailed and largely relies on the latest studies about canines and their cognition and behavior. This book doesn’t just tell you what to do, but it also explains why you should do it, how to do it, and when to do it. One great perk that this book offers is a focus also on the puppy training gadgets that are on the market today and how to use them to improve your experience. The tools are available, so why not take advantage of the benefits that they offer? It focuses on positive reinforcement and raising a loving, happy dog, which is something any new pet parent should strive for!

8. How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond

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By Cesar Milan

With the right foundation, you can build anything. Cesar Milan is a well-known dog behavior expert and trainer with an alpha dog philosophy behind his methods. If you’re a fan of the techniques and the results you might have seen in his TV show, then I’d recommend this book. It’s the same principle as the show, only the book is tailored to the needs of puppies and young dogs.

9. The Dog Owner’s Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenance

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By David Brunner

This funny, informative read can be of help even way before you have a puppy in your life. It’s amazing that it covers all the factors that could help you choose the puppy’s breed, as well as prepare you for all the ups and downs of being a dog pawrent. Honestly, this is one of my favorites because of the humorous, relatable writing style. It’s so hilarious yet still offers solid advice and useful information so you’ll feel more confident in your new pawrent role – as soon as you get your hands on this book!

10. Perfect Puppy in 7 Days: How to Start Your Puppy Off Right

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By Sophia A. Yin

If you’re a visual learner, this one’s for you. With over 400 photos on 286 pages, this book will literally show you what you need to do to make sure your puppy is growing up to be a well-behaved pooch. In my opinion, this illustrated guide is a perfect match for novice dog owners that are completely new to training and canine behavior. It’s a great starter book, but if you already have some knowledge about puppy upbringing, it might not be detailed enough for you.


Not only was this book written by a dedicated veterinarian and dog expert, but it has been praised by many well-known dog trainers and professionals for the information that it provides. This includes rave reviews from Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian” from Good Morning America, Victoria Stillwell from Animal Plant’s “It’s Me or the Dog”, veterinary behaviorist Dr. Ellen Lindell, and Dr. Johan Bradshaw, author of “Dog Sense”. It’s the perfect example of the fact that visual teaching can also be highly valuable.

Whatever book you choose, know that you are making a great choice when it comes to your dog’s future. He may be a cute, adorable little ball of fur now, but he is going to grow up! All the bad habits that are easily shrugged off when staring into those cute puppy eyes only grow and multiply as your dog ages. Before long, you can find yourself feeling overwhelmed with a dog that has no idea how to behave in the home, on walks, or with any company you may have. While you CAN retrain a dog and address these issues, the easiest solution is to prevent them from developing, to begin with.


Be prepared to dedicate time, effort, and most of all patience into your puppy’s training process. As these books will inform you, the process of training a puppy isn’t easy. There are going to be some commands that he picks up quickly, while others are going to take much more time to teach and address, and that’s okay.


Do your best to enjoy the puppy training process and make important memories along the way. As any dog owner can tell you, they don’t stay that small for long and before you know it, you’ll be looking back wondering where the time has gone.

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Rachel Leavy
Rachel Leavy

Rachel Leavy lives in Rochester, New York with her dog, Maria, and her gecko, Nigel. She has loved animals all her life, and has owned her own dog training and walking company for five years. When she's not playing with puppies, she can usually be found writing short stories, riding horses or out at a play.

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A story about a lost tortoise in Florida proves that reunions can happen even years after losing a pet, and that social media can play a huge role in reconnecting people with their lost pets.

Study Reveals Older Dogs Who Sleep Badly May Have Dementia

It’s hard to watch a beloved dog get old, as it seems like only yesterday your senior pooch was a teething puppy with a penchant for chewing your slippers. The American Kennel Club, the expert on all doggy things, says that most small breeds become seniors between the ages of seven and 10. Larger breeds age faster than their small counterparts and are considered old when they are six years old. Like old people, senior dogs can get dementia.As they age, dogs can develop canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CCDS), a condition that is very similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Scientists have long known that people with dementia can find it harder to get to sleep. Now, researchers from North Carolina State University have discovered that senior dogs with dementia experience the same sleep problems as people with dementia. “Just like humans with Alzheimer's disease, dogs with CCDS, experience sleep disruptions, such as insomnia, and sleep fragmentation,” said senior study author Dr. Natasha Olby, a professor of veterinary neurology, neurosurgery, and gerontology at North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine. To discover whether sleep problems are a sign of early dementia in dogs, as they are in people, Dr. Olby and her team used a group of senior dogs who were part of an ongoing trial testing antiaging supplements. Scientists selected 28 dogs between the ages of 10 and 16 to participate in the new sleep study. To be included in the antiaging study, the dog must have lived more than 75% of the expected lifespan for their breed. The dogs also couldn’t suffer from arthritis or be blind, as they needed to complete tasks designed to test their cognitive abilities. Scientists evaluated each dog’s cognitive abilities by having them perform a series of tests and asking their owners to fill out a list of questions, known as the Canine Dementia Scale Questionnaire.In the new study, researchers used polysomnography, a form of electroencephalogram (EEG) used to diagnose sleep problems in people. The researchers affixed electrodes on the dogs’ skulls using a water-soluble gel and recorded brain activity during a two-hour nap. “Past sleep studies in dogs often involved surgically implanted electrodes,” said Alejandra Mondino, a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University. “Non-invasive studies are relatively new. We are one of a handful of groups doing this work.”When results from cognitive testing were compared to sleeping brain waves, researchers discovered that dogs with more advanced dementia took longer to fall asleep and spent less time sleeping. “These dogs have dementia and sleep disruption is a part of that,” said Mondino. “In addition to the shorter time spent sleeping, when we look at the EEG, we saw their brain activity during sleep was more akin to wakefulness. In other words, when they do manage to sleep, their brains aren’t really sleeping.”These results don’t explain the link between sleep and dementia, but studies like this one may help scientists to better understand the process and find ways to treat it. “There’s a possibility we might be able to identify an early signature of change on the EEG that can tell us ‘Hey, things are starting to slide’. Because with a chronic neurodegenerative process, of course, we’d love to be able to intervene sooner rather than later,” said Olby according to CNN Health.Until that happens, veterinarians can prescribe medications for anxiety and melatonin for sleep to senior dogs with cognitive decline. Diet and exercise also appear to be a factor. Studies have shown that diets rich in flavonoids, antioxidants, and medium-chain fatty acids could potentially slow the development of dementia in dogs. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

Dave Bautista Teams Up With the ASPCA for Giving Tuesday

With an estimated 3.1 million dogs entering U.S. animal shelters every year, the need for funding and support is evident. For many, this is a call to action to find ways to make a difference – including for Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista. Starting today, November 28th, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is launching a new fundraising and awareness campaign with 54 Bautista and his four rescue pit bulls in the spotlight. The campaign was created as part of Giving Tuesday, a global response to the corporate focus of Black Friday (as well as Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday). Rather than highlighting sales and taking advantage of deals through your favorite stores and brands, Giving Tuesday encourages Americans to take a moment and consider how they can make a difference in the lives of others – including, of course, animals in shelters and rescue organizations. Bautista’s involvement in the campaign is motivated by his experiences with animal rescue and its impact on his life. “My home is where my dogs are because there is just such a sense of love,” Bautista stated. “I feel like wherever they are, there’s this sense of normalcy, which is hard for me to attain these days.” He went on to explain, “My first rescue dogs were Ollie and Maggie, and I’ve had them for about five years. I adopted them, and after becoming so connected with them, I started to be more aware of how many dogs are just waiting for someone to give them good, loving homes. You get so much in return when you adopt a pet, and I’m going to preach adoption for the rest of my life.”

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