HouseholdPets.co.uk is a reader-supported site, meaning if you click on any product links we recommend we may receive a small commission in return.
Training your dog is an ongoing venture; it doesn’t stop after puppyhood has ended. This is one reason why finding good advice on dog training is essential, but this can be a tough ask when there are so many people sharing online. Knowing if the advice is from a professional dog trainer or a keen owner can be difficult.
To ease your search for the best resources, the list below offers a collection of the most sought-after books on dog training aimed primarily at owners in the UK. Each has been written by or endorsed by professional dog trainers – or both – and is helpful regardless of the age of your pup, breed, or specific training needs.
Table of Contents
Household Pets’ Top Picks for Best Dog Training Books
Every dog owner wants the perfect dog, but this takes time, patience, and commitment. Of course, there are some dog breeds that can be easier to train, like the breeds listed here. However, trainability is individual to each dog.
These 20 books are the best primers in the UK for puppy parenting and developing an ideal relationship with your canine companion.
General Dog Training Books
Dog training books can be tailored toward specific issues, or they can cover all of the basics. General dog training books provide good advice on the different stages or issues a dog can experience during its life.
For the best all-around “how to train a dog” books, Household Pets has found five of the best options on the UK market right now.
Written by the founder of The Academy of Dog Trainers, Jean Donaldson, Culture Clash provides a unique perspective on dog training. It focuses on the natural behaviours of dogs and how dogs must be taught to adapt these normal instincts to human culture.
- Helps dog owners tap into dogs’ natural abilities
- Understand the science of animal learning, classic conditioning, and operant conditioning
- Author uses a lot of jargon throughout the book
The Power of Positive Dog Training features a six-week program created by dog trainer Pat Miller, who has over 35 years of experience, enabling dog owners and their pets to share a lifetime of companionship, respect, and positivity.
- Explains why positive training methods work
- Instructs how to train using positive methods and clicker training
- Aimed at adult dogs with established behaviours
Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz, who trained Barack Obama’s dog, has created a five-week positive reinforcement training program to help make dogs comfortable in real-life situations. The “Training the Best Dog Ever” book focuses on teaching puppies and dogs how to behave and break bad habits in 10 to 20 minutes of practice per day.
- Makes training dogs enjoyable
- Good for training dogs who have a job and must be well-behaved at all times
- Might not be useful for family dogs
Like all of the “For Dummies” books, this dog training book focuses on providing practical advice in a simple style. It allows dog owners to choose the best training method for their dogs, no matter what stage of life the dog is at, with step-by-step guidance on basic commands and canine behaviour issues. This training book contains techniques to create a true furry friend.
- Easy-to-read book
- Practical information provided
- Not entirely suitable for people with puppies
As an Animal Planet star and a popular dog trainer, Zak George paired up with Dina Roth Port to write up a guide about how to correct common dog behavioural problems, including dogs that have accidents in the house, bark at other dogs outside, pull on their leads during walks, and hate to be left alone. This book links to YouTube video examples of the techniques discussed to provide dog parents with clear how-tos.
- Full of useful tips
- Can be used alongside the author’s social media videos
- Some sections point the reader to online videos, instead of offering written advice
Best Dog Training Books for Puppies
Puppies can be stubborn, which makes training them all the more important. There are so many aspects to get right during their early lives, such as crate training, toilet training, and basic commands.
Three of the best puppy training books are listed below if you want to prepare for your new furry arrival:
Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy by canine behaviourist Steve Mann is a simple step-by-step guide to raising a well-behaved puppy or dog. This puppy training book breaks down scientifically proven and ethical methods to build a strong relationship between own and puppy to ensure reliable recall, loose lead walking, and good manners.
- The author uses simple terms to describe instructions and exercises
- Provides puppy owners with a confidence boost
- Overly optimistic about the success of dog training
- No instructions on what to do if exercises aren’t working
A new puppy can be a troublemaker at the beginning, so it is essential to create boundaries and good habits from the get-go; this is what Puppy Training in 7 Easy Steps sets out to do. It breaks the training into three main areas: complete dog training, preparation and puppy-proofing, as well as tips and troubleshooting.
- Well-written and structured with easy-to-follow guidance
- Step-by-step guide to achieve the best outcomes
- American-based book
House training can be one of the tougher aspects of owning a puppy; it can be messy as well as time-consuming. With over 30 years of experience, Ken Phillips has produced a toilet training guide that is simple to follow while avoiding the pitfalls that can cause a puppy to lose trust in its owner.
- A stress-free way to house-train a puppy
- Covers all of the basic training
- Some techniques might be considered old-school
Best Dog Training Books for Reactive Behaviour
It can be difficult to raise a problem-free dog, especially if that dog has had a tough start in life. Dogs can become reactive due to a particular incident or set of incidents in their lives; this can lead to them can lunging, barking, growling, running away, or just living in a permanent state of anxiety.
If your dog displays any of these behavioural problems, then one of the following books might prove to be helpful.
As Book 1 of the Essential Skills for Your Growly but Brilliant Family Dog series, Why is My Dog So Growly? is a force-free program for those who have dogs as labelled aggressive, anxious, fearful, or reactive. The author, Beverley Courtney, uses a no-force, no-blame, no-shame approach to helping owners and dogs form lasting relationships.
- Written for the reader’s understanding
- Simple and practical guidance
- Refers to websites throughout
Traditional dog walking is a human invention is the stance of the Stop Walking Your Dog book, and this training book focuses on informing owners how to make walking fun for everyone. This is useful for anyone who has a dog that struggles when walking in public, whether the dog is reactive, over-excited, or injured.
- Contains easy-to-follow information
- Provides lots of tips to help nervous dogs
The New Click to Calm is an updated version of Emma Parsons’ previous book, Click to Calm, Healing the Aggressive Dog. The latest version sees training methods adapted to enable quicker behaviour changes for all dogs, not just those with reactive tendencies. It includes practical solutions to the challenges dogs face in the modern world.
- Teaches dog owners to take control of the situation
- Guidance on clicker training for reactive dogs
- Begins with simple techniques before building in complexity
Best Dog Training Books for Fearful Behaviour
Although fearful behaviour can cause dogs to become reactive, it can also cause them to become overly cautious and timid toward the world around them. This can make the simplest tasks, such as hoovering the living room, going in the car, or meeting new people, stressful for both dogs and their owners.
To overcome your dog’s fears, it is important to give them time and be patient. There are several books that can help owners of fearful dogs, such as:
Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Patricia McConnell has used her experience and knowledge to create a step-by-step, practical guide to improve the lives of fearful dogs and their owners. It teaches pet parents to identify their dogs’ triggers and work on counter-conditioning to overcome the fear, although this will take time and commitment to find success.
- Provides multiple solutions for dealing with everyday challenges
- Desensitising techniques can be used for most fears
- Some readers found the book to be a little short
The authors of this book – three vets and one pet trainer – have compiled their knowledge to educate people on the fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) dogs can suffer from. This book can help recognise the signs of FAS in dogs by teaching owners about their dogs’ body language, vocalisations, and changes in normal habits. It will then lead dog owners through the methods to calm these behaviours and create a happy dog.
- Teaches dog owners how their dogs must be feeling
- Reviews state the book only gives a basic understanding of fear in dogs
- Is unsuitable for dog owners looking for information on neuroscience
For guidance on helping a worried dog, Inspiring Resilience in Fearful and Reactive Dogs has covered a lot of topics. It teaches people how to meet the needs of their pets by outlining ways to understand what their dogs are saying, why they act up, brain exercises to relax them, and much more.
- Useful for all dogs, not just those that are reactive and fearful
- Written in easy-to-understand language
- Includes a glossary and infographics
- Some instructions can be confusing and difficult to follow
Best Dog Training Books for Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety in dogs can be an upsetting experience for owners to cope with. Dogs can cry, howl, and become destructive when left alone if they suffer from separation anxiety, and owners often have no idea where to begin to overcome this issue. Thankfully, there are resources available to help.
Written by Julie Naismith, who has firsthand experience dealing with a dog’s separation anxiety, Be Right Back provides a complete guide to independence for both the dog and its owner. Its approach is evidence-based and focuses on implementing a range of coping strategies to make dogs comfortable and secure when left alone.
- Guidance is scientifically proven and written by someone with real experience owning a dog with separation anxiety
- Directed towards rescue and adult dogs
- Some people have complained about the poor bindings of the book
This dog training book is the second of Malena DeMartini-Price’s to cover the topic of separation anxiety; the latest version contains new strategies to demonstrate how to fix this particular issue. The author obtains this information by collaborating with multiple dog trainers to research the necessary aspects of treating separation anxiety.
- Clear advice about what works and what doesn’t when treating separation anxiety
- Only gives a brief overview of what separation anxiety is
- Might be more useful for dog behaviour experts than family dog owners
For practical training methods, It’s Okay to Be Alone is a good choice. This book covers understanding, diagnosing, preventing, and treating canine separation anxiety to help owners cope with and overcome their dogs’ separation anxiety.
- Straight-to-the-point advice for dog owners
- Helps to improve people’s ideas of dog ownership
- Not based entirely on current scientific knowledge
- Focuses on the “pack leader” ideology
- Punctuation and grammar errors throughout
Best Dog Training Book for Resource Guarding
Resource guarding is when a dog acts defensively to protect food, toys, or any other “resources” from a perceived threat, which is another common issue dogs can have. It can become dangerous depending on how extreme the dog’s guarding is; some dogs can growl, lunge, and even bite to protect what they deem as theirs.
If your dog displays signs of resource guarding, there are ways to stop this behaviour.
Jean Donaldson, who also wrote The Culture Clash, has produced a comprehensive guide on treating canine resource guarding of various items. It has a lot of detail for owners who might be struggling to find suitable training techniques. Some of its contents include the nature and different kinds of resource guarding, how to recognise guarding, what safety tools to use, and more.
- Helps dog owners understand the resource guardian process
- Most of the book focuses on resource guarding food and toys, not people
Best Dog Training Book for Impulse Control
Dogs can struggle with impulse control at times; some dogs will find it more difficult than others. Just like people, knowing when to control behaviour is something dogs must learn. Some examples of dogs struggling to control their impulses include chasing things that move, eating items off of the street, jumping on people, etc. Dogs from the working group can experience impulse control issues due to their high drive.
To know how to handle impulse control training correctly, this book could be a useful resource.
Miriam Sommer’s dog training book is a beginner-friendly guide on impulse control and more. The book contains 124 exercises to prevent or stop unwanted behaviours, such as chewing furniture, excessive barking, jumping on people, and so on. Owners will be able to help their dogs with self-control, no matter the animals’ ages.
- Explain why dogs develop impulse control issues
- Enables the dog owner to have confidence in the training techniques
- Instructions might be considered brief by some readers
Best Dog Training Book for Recall
Owning a dog with reliable recall is much easier than owning a dog without. It is a common problem for lots of owners; their dogs won’t come back to them when called. However, teaching your dog to return to you when you call for it is essential, as it could save you from unpleasant and sometimes dangerous situations.
One of the best books for perfect response training is provided below:
As an international bestseller, Pippa Mattinson’s Total Recall has become a staple resource in canine recall training. For dogs that don’t return when called, it is a must-have to teach good recall and ensure the dog is always on the lookout for its owner. The book has three main parts; preparation, recall training programme, and problem solving.
- Dog owners don’t feel “talked down to” when reading
- Full of sensible ideas and guidance that is easy to follow
- Might be too dense for some people
- Some practices might be viewed as “questionable,” including rewards and punishments
5 Reasons Why Training Dogs is Important
Training your dog is essential for all dog owners. It helps ensure the safety and well-being of both your dog and your family. The following are some of the most important reasons why dog training is so important.
Avoids Behavioural Problems
By training dogs from an early age, owners can prevent behavioural problems from developing. Training helps establish boundaries which can help dogs to become more obedient and comfortable in different and unfamiliar situations.
Positive reinforcement training is especially successful at curbing unwanted behaviours. It teaches the dog that good things happen when commands are followed. This training can also work to tire out the dog, which will decrease the chances of misbehaving.
Builds a Relationship Between Dog and Owner
Working with a dog and spending time together are key aspects of training, and this can help to build a stronger bond between dog and owner. It doesn’t have to be training basic commands; training as a way to build a relationship could be taking up a dog-focused sport, such as canicross or agility.
As previously mentioned, using positive reinforcement during training sessions helps dogs to develop good associations with their owners. By using positive methods, dog owners are working with their dogs to form mutual trust and understanding instead of forcing the dog to bend to the owner’s will.
Enables Socialisation
Proper training teaches dogs how to behave in social situations, such as in shops or visiting relatives.
As a puppy, it is important the dog experiences as many good things as possible, even if the situations are strange and scary at first. This includes meeting different people and animals, hearing different noises at varying volumes, and visiting new places, such as the beach, town centres, and more.
The key to socialisation is the dog is happy throughout it. A positive experience means the dog is more likely to do it again in the future, and it will be easier each time. Although socialisation can be completed successfully with older dogs, it will take more time and effort to get the dog used to all of the different scents, sights, and sounds.
Ensures Better Control Over the Dog
Dog training involves teaching a variety of commands to the dog, which helps owners to have better control over their pets. This is particularly important in situations where the dog is put at risk, such as when crossing roads or when another dog or person is around.
Training teaches the dog to respond to commands quickly, such as “sit,” “stay,” and “come.” With proper training, owners can have peace of mind that their dog will be obedient and will stay safe.
Provides Mental Stimulation
Dogs get bored just like humans, and this can lead to destructive behaviour and other issues. Training helps to provide mental stimulation for the dog, which can help them to relax and feel calmer. It also helps to keep them mentally alert and occupied.
This is why it is essential for dog owners should try to provide their beloved pets with suitable mental stimulation, such as teaching them new tricks or commands that they can use at home, at the park, and in public. Playing together, such as a game of fetch, can also help to keep them stimulated and happy.
Best Dog Training Books for UK Owners: FAQs
Although having the best dog training books on hand is useful, it is normal to have questions even after reading all of the available material. Below, the main questions and answers are provided to ensure you are prepared for dog training, no matter if you are an expert or a novice trainer.
When should I start training my puppy?
Puppy training should begin as soon as the pup is brought home, roughly around eight to ten weeks old. The first few weeks of a puppy’s life at its new home will be strange, but it is also the best time to create habits and enforce rules. At this time, puppies should learn their names, good manners in the house, basic commands, and the early stages of socialisation.
In some cases, the breeder or animal rescue centre will have already started training the puppy before the new owner arrives. This often includes beginning recall and house training.
Should I enroll my puppy or dog in training classes?
Enrolling a dog of any age in training classes can be useful in the long term. Puppy or dog training classes are run by experienced dog trainers who can assist and educate owners on the correct methods to use. These classes can help to stimulate dogs mentally and form better bonds between dogs and their owners.
At what age should my puppy begin training classes?
Puppies are often enrolled in classes after they have received all of their vaccinations; this is usually around the age of 12 to 16 weeks. Some training classes are focused on socialisation, which is perfect for puppies as they begin to explore and learn about the world.
When’s the best time to train a puppy or dog?
Both puppies and dogs are best trained when they are hungry as this can increase their focus on the food used as rewards.
However, puppies should be trained when their energy levels are stable; this means it is best to avoid training when the puppy is at its most excitable or when it is sleepy.
What are the best methods of dog training?
The best methods for training a dog include rewarding good behaviour. For many years, dog owners would punish negative behaviour to deter it, but this is no longer the case.
Two of the best training methods to follow when training a dog are:
- Positive reinforcement training – This training method rewards the desired behaviour; the reward can be food, toys, or praise. Dogs will learn that when they perform a specific behaviour, like responding to their name, they are likely to be treated.
- Clicker training – Similar to positive reinforcement training, clicker training rewards desired behaviour with the additional aspect of a specific noise, often a click. When the dog displays a good behaviour, a click marks the moment it completed the behaviour correctly, and the reward is given.
To Sum Up
To have the perfect pet, training is essential. Dogs are similar to humans in the sense that they have to learn which behaviours are acceptable and which aren’t; unfortunately, this is made even more difficult for them by having to adapt these behaviours to a human-orientated world. Thankfully, there are great books available to use as training resources.
These books can cover a range of topics, from different age groups to different behavioural problems. The 20 best dog training books for UK owners in this article have covered general dog training, puppy training, and unwanted behaviours, such as reaction behaviour, fearful behaviour, and more. So, no matter the training issue you come across, there is sure to be a book that will assist you.