02 07 05 676 W - + 172 - 142 Ted's Primary Reading List

Here is my suggested reading list for people interested in learning more about: raising a puppy, teaching the puppy obedience, training the dog for hunting, hunt tests, and field trials. Recommended Reading

There are plenty of books on dogs, obedience, retriever training, hunt tests, and field trials out there - and the bulk of them are in my home library. Nevertheless, these are the books and publications that I recommend most highly.

Raising a Puppy

Not every puppy will have the raw talent to be a superstar, but there is no reason that puppy cannot be a great citizen and friend. Here are some books that I think do a marvelous job of describing how to housebreak a puppy and teach it basic obedience.

1) The Art of Raising a Puppy, the Monks of New Skete, Little Brown and Company, 1999. It’s predecessor, How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend, the Monks of New Skete, Little Brown and Company, 1978 is also marvelous. These books discuss the philosophy of making your dog a part of your life, not just an attachment to your life.

2) Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Manual, Volhard and Fisher, Howell House, 1983. I have used this book as my guide for teaching basic obedience to my dogs over the past 20 years. Simple instructions. Detailed diagrams and photographs.

In my opinion, the two books listed above are all you need to get through the tasks of teaching housebreaking and basic obedience to your pup. However, if you are interested in learning more, I recommend reading the following books by Carol Lea Benjamin:

3) Mother Knows Best - the Natural Way to Train Your Dog, Benjamin, Howell House, 1985.

4) Surviving Your Dog’s Adolescence - A Positive Training Program, Benjamin, MacMillan, 1993.


Field Trial Training

1) The Working Retrievers, Quinn, Hilltown Press, 1983. My all time favorite retriever book. Gorgeous illustrations by the author, a celebrated artist. Large crisp photographs. Detailed diagrams. Beautiful prose by the author describing his passion for retrievers, hunting, and field trials. A bit dated with respect to training techniques, but a wonderful introduction to the sport of field trials.

2) Retriever Puppy Training - the Right Start for Hunting, Loveland, Alpine Press, 1988. This book, which was co-written by my good friend and mentor, Cherylon Loveland, does a wonderful job of describing how to teach your dog basic obedience. More importantly, it describes in detail how to go through the process of force fetching your dogs.

3) Retrievers Online. A marvelous bi-monthly publication prepared by Dennis Voight. You will find more down to earth articles on field trial training and competition techniques here than anywhere else I know.

4) Training with Mike Lardy, Lardy, a series of articles originally published in the Retriever Journal, can be purchased at http://www.totalretriever.com/rjarticles.htm. There are two volumes. Both are instructive.

5) Training Retrievers for Field Trials, Hunt Tests, and Hunting, Hillman, Fireside Press, 1999. This book contains tips gathered by Bill Hillman from trainers across the country on a wide variety of subjects. Not a training guide as such, but very thought provoking on a wide range of subjects.

Field Trials

1) 1941-1995 Retriever Field Trial Statistics, Reynolds, Bacon and Freeman, 1996. If you are fascinated by numbers, what a handler’s winning percentage is, what a dog’s winning percentage is, what percentage of trials the top dogs completed, this is the book for you. I only wish Sue would prepare a book for statistics from 1996 to the present.

2) Training and Campaigning Retrievers, Gwaltney, Intellect Books 1995. An interesting book on the philosophy of training and competing retrievers.

3) Retriever Field Trial News. This publication tracks the performance of retrievers in field trials across the country.

4) Retriever Journal. An attractive monthly publication. In truth, I mostly glance through this publication's articles. Exceptions - which I cut out and store in a folder - include articles by Mike Lardy and my good friend, Vickie Lamb on training. I also keep the publication's articles on medical/health issues concerning retrievers. The artwork and photographs in this publication are most appealing.

How nice to see your comments about my book! Thank you! By the way, I have every intention of updating the book and republishing it in the next 18 months or so, with some changes to the chapters. Thank you for your kind words. Sincerely, Sue Reynolds
Sue Reynolds (Email) - 09 11 06 - 19:36

Merry Christmas, Newt is interested in your stat book. Please let us know how we can purchase one. Hope all is well with you, it’s been so
long since we last saw each other. Look forward to hearing from you. again, Happy Holidays. As I write this, Newt is leaving a message on your voice mail.
Newt & Karen
Newt & Karen Cropper (Email) - 23 12 06 - 08:31


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