My First Dog

There’s very little new in the world of dog training, but we still read books that take our fancy. We fell over My First Dog by Dinah Webb while browsing Amazon and were interested enough by the contents list to get hold of a copy.

There are navigation links to help the reader move quickly to a subject (essential in a reference book) and the section about things that are poisonous to dogs was the most comprehensive we’ve seen in one place.

It opens with some sound (and funny) advice about dog poop. It’s a subject most people steer clear of, or they become quite clinical, so we were pleased to see it dealt with in such a straightforward way.

There are no surprises in the training elements of the book – all of the methods are tried and tested and they work.

What was refreshing was how much attention is paid to leads, collars and food and water bowls. We know from experience that different water bowls are suitable for different floors (and different dogs), but that experience can cost a great deal of money to gain – ask anyone with dogs whether they have a cupboard full of dog-stuff they don’t use any more and 90% will admit to one.

There are also some lovely photographs of dogs, which is obviously important to all dog-lovers.

We imagined Dinah as the sort of lady who would tell a vicar that his last sermon was self-indulgent and no good (if it was). A lady wearing a Barbour jacket and good boots. She certainly knows dogs.

If you’re about to take ownership of your first dog or he’s recently come to live with you, you should give My First Dog a look. It will save you a lot of time and guesswork in the first few months and help you to get into good habits about exercising your dog.

We like: Clearly written with some wry humour. Pictures of dogs. Loads of useful information.

We don’t like: Not always a photograph for every breed mentioned.

CbD Rating: 4/5

My First Dog on Amazon.co.uk