The most efficient dog training book for retrievers hunting upland birds and waterfowl—from the author of Water Dog. This time-proven guide by legendary trainer Richard A. Wolters offers a step-by-step method for completely training your dog, resulting in a skilled hunting retriever by the time your pet is one year old. In Game Dog, you’ll discover: • How to choose a pup—what to look for, where to find the best • The five critical periods of a dog's mental development • Which retrievers are easier to train—males or females • How to get two dogs to work together • Why feeding time is more than food • How to teach your dog to track, quarter, and swim after game • How to get your dog to betray his instincts and obey your commands • Which tasks your dog must master to qualify as a hunter • And much more... Fully illustrated, Game Dog is an invaluable book for every hunter training a retriever and every pet owner who wants a better trained dog. “Wolters has produced a solid book that will be of great help to anyone training his retriever to work. He is an acknowledged master in the field and an excellent instructor.”—Dog Fancy

For more than seventy-five years, The Complete Dog Book has been the premier reference on purebred dogs. Now in its twentieth edition, this treasured guide is an essential volume for every dog owner and owner-to-be. Comprehensive and thoughtfully organized, The Complete Dog Book features all 153 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, the official breed standards, breed histories, and photographs. Also included are the twelve most recently recognized breeds: Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Black Russian Terrier, German Pinscher, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Havanese, Löwchen, Neapolitan Mastiff, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Parson Russell Terrier, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Spinone Italiano, and Toy Fox Terrier. Along with AKC registration procedures and current forms, The Complete Dog Book includes sections on • choosing the dog that’s right for you • training • nutrition • grooming • responsible breeding • canine first-aid • joining a dog club • Canine Good Citizen® program • every AKC sport: Agility, Conformation, Coonhound, Earthdog, Field Trials, Herding, Hunt Tests, Junior Showmanship, Lure Coursing, Obedience, Rally, and Tracking Concluding with an extensive glossary of terms and line drawings, The Complete Dog Book is a reference that dog aficionados will turn to again and again.

Okay, please don't misunderstand me. I am not trying to insult you with the title of this book. Rather, I want to get your attention. The goal of teaching you how to get you pooch to come back to you when you call them is secondary. My primary goal is to get you to think about dog training in a different way!

In many ways, I train dogs the way most of us want to teach children. That being said, I for some reason have way more patience with my dogs than my own kids - just ask my sons and they will confirm. I think it has something to do with the fact my sons talk back and my dogs don't but that is just one man's opinion . . .