Recommendations for dog books/blogs, etc.

[fish88]

We are considering getting a puppy. In the very early stages at the minute and are not going to be rushing the decision. We have owned dogs previously but our last dog died 5 years ago. We know information about our preferred breed, how to find a decent breeder, parental health checks and similar.
Some bits I have read seem to suggest training and puppy rearing methods have changed quite a lot since we last did it. Please can I have any recommendations for experts, books, blogs, etc. that I can read before we make a decision.

This group or their book on Amazon.

When I got my third Labrador (fourth dog) fourth yeas ago, my go-to book was Pippa Mattinson's Happy Puppy Handbook. It's in roughly chronological order and much easier to refer to than the Puppy Squeezy book. I learnt a lot, even after four decades of dog ownership and training.

Depends what breed. I love jane arderns book

Agree with PPs. Even within groups (Gundog, Pastoral, Utility), training methods and the effectiveness of those training methods will vary massively - what works for a Golden Retriever will quite possibly not be anywhere near as effective as with a Cocker Spaniel, for example.

Ditto with puppy raising/rearing. One of my closest friends has a Mali that is a similar age to one of my dogs. The way we trained our dogs, the way we reared them and they live they live is completely different - because our dogs are different breeds and need completely different things. Be really wary of anyone touting 'this approach will work for any breed' advice.

I think the 'regulars' on Doghouse have most of the typical breeds covered - so if you're happy to post what breed you're thinking of, you might find some useful advice is posted here 😊

Agree with above. Most general books, blogs and videos are too generic. It isn't a case of a dog is a dog is a dog is a dog. You really need to know your own breed, its instincts and what drives it, before you start.