A new puppy is a blank slate with endless possibilities. It’s a new beginning that offers you a chance to get it right and not repeat past mistakes. Anyone who has trained a dog before loves that feeling of starting fresh, believing this new puppy will be the best one ever! But a new puppy is also pressure. A new puppy means a major time commitment, not only in how much time you have to spend with him, but in being sure to do all the right things at the right moments. This book integrates the authors’ FOCUS (Fun, Obedience, Consistency, Unbelievable Success) Training System techniques with the developmental stages and specific needs of pups and young dogs. The goal is to help you prepare your puppy to become an excellent companion as well as a potential performance dog. The FOCUSed Puppy presents a variety of foundation exercises for your pup’s first year. The book tells you exactly what skills you should be working on and when. By following each step, you and your puppy will build a wonderfully rewarding relationship that will carry over into everything you do together. And once his foundation skills are set, you can easily take your training in any direction you choose.

If you have adopted an older dog, The Focused Puppy can also be helpful to you. Rather than trying to build on a faulty foundation based on previous or poorly-taught experiences, you can simply start fresh with the FOCUS Training System.

Start out on the right track with your dog and build his foundation skills at the right time in the right order. And enjoy the process; you’re about to embark on an amazing learning experience! The Focused Puppy includes over 280 full color photos.

Deborah Jones, Ph.D. and Judy Keller developed the FOCUS program in 2003. This program is designed to help trainers form a good working relationship with their performance dogs. Deb has an academic background in learning theory and social behavior. She is also an innovator in the use of the clicker in dog training. Judy has been on the AKC Agility World Team three times, winning team gold in 1998. Both Deb and Judy share a strong commitment to using training methods that are positive and gentle, yet are also efficient and effective.