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AWARD WINNER!
DOG WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 2020 MAXWELL MEDAL WINNER, bOOK - HUMAN/ANIMAL BOND
DOG WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 2020 AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED, bOOK - HUMAN/ANIMAL BOND
DOG WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 2020 award nomination, bOOK - HUMAN/ANIMAL BOND
Whole Dog Journal - Gear of the Year
AS FEATURED IN WHOLE DOG JOURNAL: GEAR OF THE YEAR
Gear of the Year 2019
What People Are Saying
Firmly in the GREAT category...
As a doctor of social welfare and applied anthrozoologist, I have seen a lot of books about dog training. Some are good, some are just bad... and some are mediocre. I have to say that Raising the Worst Dog Ever is firmly in the GREAT category (and I reserve that category for only the best). Not only is it science-based training advice, but it is a touching memoir. This book is basically like Marley and Me, but where that book stops as a memoir, this book continues with practical advice on how to improve your relationship with your dog. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is on my very short list of books I recommend to clients and colleagues. A must read. Don't miss this one!
- Dr Katherine Compitus, DSW, Anthrozoologist
It's a fantastic book...
“For years I have been looking for the perfect Puppy Guide to recommend to my clients, and at last I have found it! The heartfelt, easy to read, stories along with the practical dog training instructions make this book truly exceptional. It's a fantastic book!”
- Abigail Witthauer, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, VSPDT, Owner/Director of Training at Roverchase Service Dogs
Honest and wonderfully entertaining...
“Raising the Worst Dog Ever: A Survival Guide is an honest and wonderfully entertaining look at the complex relationship between a woman and her dog. Readers will not only gain a better understanding of their own dogs by reading this book, they will empathize with all the challenges as well as appreciate the pure joys of sharing their lives with these incredible animals.”
– Victoria Stilwell, dog trainer and behavior expert
Heartwarming and hilarious...
“As a dog photographer who has had to help numerous rescues, animal shelters, and individuals re-home dogs with serious behavior issues that started because puppies were not sufficiently trained in the beginning, I sincerely wish this was required reading for every new puppy owner. So many sad cases could have been prevented with proper training in the beginning, and this book is a fun & entertaining way to learn about proper puppy training. This book is not your usual dry How to Raise a Puppy manual. Instead it is interspersed with personal heartwarming and hilarious tales about raising the worst dog ever. Everyone - from puppy newbies to experienced dog owners - can learn something from it.”
– Hannah Stonehouse Hudson, public speaker, writer, old dog lover, Principle at HSH Communications.
More Reviews...
Recommended Reading for All Clients
Recommended Reading for All Clients
Recommended Reading for All Clients
As a dog trainer, I am always on the lookout for great dog training books to recommend to my clients. I have found my new recommendation with "Raising the Worst Dog Ever". Dale breaks down, in wonderful detail, how to work on the basics behaviors each puppy will need. In the midst of providing this great information, she shares an emotional journey of her own...raising Wylie. The ups, downs, frustrations and joys of pet ownership are all in this book. It is now on my "recommended reading" list for all clients.
~ A. Weeks, Owner of Amy's Canine Kindergarten
It's So Relatable
Recommended Reading for All Clients
Recommended Reading for All Clients
If you have a new puppy, this book is a must read! It's a little bit training manual and a little bit memoir, I love the stories Dale shares because it's so relatable! My new puppy is a lot like baby Wylie, I saw so much of him as I read my way through. I have hope that through positive, force free training, I'll develop the bond with my boy that Dale had with her Wylie girl. Thanks for sharing your story with us!
~ M. Newcomb
It Helped me Understand my Rescues
Recommended Reading for All Clients
It Helped me Understand my Rescues
Wonderful book whether you have a new puppy or wanting to correct behaviors for beloved adult dogs. The book contains techniques for getting results in simple training sessions, knowing when medical help is needed, polishing unreliable behaviors in overexcited dogs, and knowing how to handle fear and aggression. This book covers basic training, getting the right puppy supplies, housetraining and socialization, behavior and body language, as well as fun games. It helped me to understand my current rescues with real life examples I am experiencing now – with warmth and humor. Get this book. It is a wonderful love story!
~ K. Mitchell
I Found Myself Laughing Out Loud
Practical, Comprehensive and Easy-to-Follow
It Helped me Understand my Rescues
I am loving this book! Having just gotten the first puppy in 20+ years, there has been some really helpful information (and I’ve had dogs my entire life). The story about Dale and Wylie has been truly what sets this book apart. I’ve found myself laughing out loud (making my puppy, Rizzo, wonder what he’s done to make mommy laugh) and I’ve cried/sobbed. It’s a touching book written so well with great information about raising a dog, whether you are contemplating your first dog or you, like me, have had dogs your whole life. I am constantly learning something new. Thank you, Dale for writing such a touching and informative book.
~ L. Woten
Laugh, Cry, and Cheer on Wylie
Practical, Comprehensive and Easy-to-Follow
Practical, Comprehensive and Easy-to-Follow
Wonderful book! I so enjoyed this book. I am a new dog owner and this was a beautiful story but also so helpful with training tips and explanations of why a dog acts like a dog. The alternating chapters of story and training was unique and made the training tips easy to follow. Most dog training books are boring and have lots of info that is hard to understand for a novice like me. Having the story made everything flow together. Dale will make you laugh and cry and cheer on Wylie with their adventures. If you love dogs and need some training help you need to read this book!
~ T. Greene
Practical, Comprehensive and Easy-to-Follow
Practical, Comprehensive and Easy-to-Follow
Practical, Comprehensive and Easy-to-Follow
If you buy only one book for raising your puppy, it should be this one. The heartwarming story reassures chapter by chapter that you will survive puppyhood. I found myself empathizing at each turn of page and saying aloud, "oh my gosh, that's my puppy!!!" (whom I also felt was the worst dog ever). You'll also find practical, comprehensive and easy-to-follow training that works, plus recommendations for what to buy for gear (amongst the thousands of options out there). To the author whom I have never met, thank you for sharing your story--it was a game changer for developing a beautiful relationship with my puppy who just might be on his way to being one of the best dogs ever.
~ Amazon Customer
Beautiful and Inspiring
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Dale Ward has written a beautiful and inspiring story of Wylie the dog, showing us her relationship to Wylie -- facing their imperfections with grace and candor, and showing us the way forward when we face our own. Their relationship was well lived and well told. By integrating their personal narrative with insights about training, Dale teaches us much more than we realize! It's not a simple how-to, though there's plenty of that, it's a story that will stick with you long after you turn the final page. I feel like I know them both, and they are with me as I live with my own dogs.
~ L. Tirrell
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Check out the multitude of five star reviews on Amazon!