Best dog training books for kids | Encourage reading and bonding with pets
Having a puppy or family dog is a great investment, especially if you have kids. Pets in the family can not only provide a source of love and compassion to the children but also teach responsibility and cooperation. However, in addition to picking the right dog, having the right resource to teach kids how to take care of the doggo is important.
So, which are the best dog training books and guides for kids?
In this article, we review and list some of the best dog training books for kids available in the market. Our list includes beginner guides for all age groups – from young children to pre-teens and teenagers. Most of these guides are available in multiple formats including Kindle format, so you can pick the right format as per your preferences.
Do not forget to check out our article on the best dog training books if you are looking for some additional dog training resources for adults.
Best dog training books for kids list
Some of the best dog training books and guides for kids are listed below:| Picture | Product | Editions | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Puppy Training for Kids | Kindle Paperback | |
 | How to Speak Dog | Paperback Library Binding | |
 | How to Care for Your Dog: A Color and Learn Guide | Paperback | |
 | 101 Dog Tricks, Kids Edition | Kindle Paperback | |
 | Ultimate Puppy Training for Kids | Kindle Paperback | |
 | National Geographic's Kids Everything Dogs | Paperback Library Binding | |
 | A Kid's Guide to Dogs | Kindle Paperback Hardcover | |
 | The Babies and Doggies Book | Kindle Board book | |
 | Dog Training for Kids | Kindle Paperback Spiral-bound | |
 | The Dog Encyclopedia for Kids | Kindle Paperback |
Which are the best dog training books for kids?
Puppy Training for Kids
Target Audience: 8 – 12/15 year old kids.
Editions:
- Kindle
- Paperback
Year of Publication: First Edition, August 2012.
Features:
- This best-selling and widely regarded puppy training book is authored by Colleen Pelar.
- In 90 short pages, this book teaches kids how to establish a healthy, safe, and loving relationship with a puppy. It also includes some basic information on the behavioral traits of dogs, which most kids would find useful.
- Written specifically for 8-15-year-old kids, the book also has some useful sidebar information for parents.
- The dog training guide is rich in engaging and instructive color photos to make reading a lot more interactive and enjoyable.
How to Speak Dog
Target Audience: 8 – 12 year old kids.
Editions:
- Paperback
- Library binding
Year of Publication: First Edition, September 2013.
Features:
- This National Geographic’s funny yet informative dog behavioral training guide for kids is authored by Aline Alexander Newman and Dr. Gary Weitzman. Winner of the 2014 Animal Behavior Society’s Outstanding Children’s Book Award.
- In 170 detail pages, this book helps kids understand what the canine is trying to tell them through its body language and behavior.
- The book is filled with engaging dog photography, illustrations, tips-boxes as well as fun facts and information side-based to make reading more engaging.
- The book is targeted specifically at 8 to 12-year-old children, though younger and older kids may also find it interesting and informative.
How to Care for Your Dog: A Color and Learn Guide
Target Audience: 4 – 8 year old kids.
Editions:
- Paperback
Year of Publication: First Edition, November 2011.
Features:
- This smartly-abridged book is authored/illustrated by Janet Skiles and published by Dover Children’s Activity Book publishers.
- The activity book combines coloring fun with learning how to take care of a kid’s best friend.
- In 30 single-page illustrations, the book offers easy-to-color illustrations along with useful information on how to feed, groom and train a canine.
- Maybe a little descriptive for four-year-old children, so parental reading and guidance may be required for the young audiences.
101 Dog Tricks, Kids Edition
Target Audience: 8 – 12/15 year old kids.
Editions:
- Kindle
- Paperback
Year of Publication: First Edition, July 2014.
Features:
- This best-selling dog activity training guide is authored by Kyra Sundance, whose 101 Dog Tricks book has been incredibly well received with over a half-million copies sold worldwide.
- In 180 odd pages, the book covers lots of fun-filled and interactive activities that a kid can teach the canine.
- The book also contains a bunch of art and craft projects to make for and with the pet. Most projects are best suited for 10+-year-old kids.
- To make the book entertaining and engaging, each trick is accompanied with full-color step-by-step photos of the trick along with photographs of real kids teaching those tricks.
- The book is targeted specifically at 8 to 12-year-old children, though older kids may also find it interesting and informative.
Ultimate Puppy Training for Kids
Target Audience: 8 – 12/15 year old kids.
Editions:
- Kindle
- Paperback
Year of Publication: First Edition, June 2020.
Features:
- This step-by-step puppy training guide by Zoom Room Dog Training Institute is authored by Mark Van Wye and published by Rockridge Press. No.1 New Release Pick for the Children’s Pet Book.
- In balanced 100 pages, this book helps kids in training their puppy to be perfect pets. Focuses specifically on strengthening the bond between humans and pets using positive reinforcement techniques.
- All the information is presented in engaging easy-to-follow steps and supported by high-quality illustrations.
- Though the book is written for 8 to 12 year old kids, some adult supervision may be required to understand some sections. Older 12 to 15-year-old kids would also find this book useful.
National Geographic Kids Everything Dogs
Target Audience: 8 – 12 year old kids.
Editions:
- Paperback
- Library binding
Year of Publication: First Edition, October 2012.
Features:
- This popular National Geographic Kids Everything series book is authored by Rebecca Baines, a popular children’s book writer and editor, with inputs from the renowned vet Dr. Gary Weitzman – president of the San Diego Humane Society.
- In short yet informative 60 pages, the book offers well-explained fun facts and real-life experiences with canines as experienced and brought to life by a long-term National Geographic explorer.
- The book is especially rich in high-quality illustrations and photographs to make reading and learning more fun and engaging.
- The book is designed for home as well as library reading and most suitable for 8 to 12-year kids.
A Kid’s Guide to Dogs
Target Audience: 8 – 12 year old kids.
Editions:
- Kindle
- Paperback
- Hardcover
Year of Publication: First Edition, March 2020.
Features:
- This recent, informative dog caring and training guide is authored by renowned pet behaviorist and TV personality Arden Moore.
- In 140 detailed pages, the book covers all aspects of how to provide a safe and enriching environment to the canine and ensure positive interactions and rewarding, long-term relationships.
- Rich in colorful photos and illustrations, the book also offers some interesting tricks to teach the doggo. There are some engaging quizzes and art and craft activities as well.
- Although the book is targeted specifically at 8 to 12-year-old children, older kids would also find it interesting and informative.
- The author also has a popular A Kid’s Guide to Cats book for felines.
The Babies and Doggies Book
Target Audience: Baby – 3 year old children.
Editions:
- Kindle
- Board Book
Year of Publication: First Edition, March 2015.
Features:
- This visually-pleasing baby board book (or Kindle edition) is compiled by Molly Woodward and John Schindel of the Tricycle Press.
- The book was selected to be a part of the Prime Book Box subscription service by Seira Wilson, Amazon children’s books editor.
- In 25 short pages, the book explores similar actions shared by the toddlers and family puppies and dogs. The text is formulated in a rhyming fashion for a fun-filled and entertaining read for parents and their young kids.
- All pages are well-illustrated with clear and engaging color photographs, making it a fun-filled read for babies and toddlers.
Dog Training for Kids
Target Audience: 8 – 12/15 year old kids.
Editions:
- Kindle
- Paperback
- Spiral-bound
Year of Publication: First Edition, November 2019.
Features:
- This newly-released informative guide for children is authored by Vanessa Estrada Marin, director of the NY-based Frolic dog-training program for kids and illustrated by Alisa Harris.
- In 170 detailed pages, the book covers all aspects that a kid must know for caring and training his/her canine.
- The book is broken down into five sections to cover basic training lessons, essential commands, tricks, fun games, and miscellaneous advice. Every tutorial and lesson is supplemented with rich illustrations and photographs to make reading engaging and instructions easy-to-follow.
- Although the book is targeted specifically at 8 to 12-year-old children, older kids would also find it interesting and informative.
The Dog Encyclopedia for Kids
Target Audience: 9 – 15 year old kids.
Editions:
- Kindle
- Paperback
Year of Publication: First Edition, February 2017.
Features:
- This detailed dog breed encyclopedia is compiled and authored by Tammy Gagne, a popular author of more than a hundred books for adults and children and published by Capstone Young Readers.
- In over 200 pages, the book covers useful information and fun facts on almost all popular dog breeds – 150+, categorized based on the American Kennel Club classification.
- Most dog breed details are accompanied by high-quality photos and the information presented is engaging and informative.
- Some pet parents have reported that indexing and breed classification is a little difficult for the kids to follow. Still, the information presented is a great reference.
- The author also has a bunch of separate books for different dog breed types.
How to pick the best dog training books for kids?
Picking the best dog training books for children is not much different from picking an adult training guide for pets such as cats and dogs. The best dog care guide is one that is filled with easy-to-follow information and to-the-point instructions on how to ensure its proper upkeep throughout the lifetime and presents this information in a children-friendly manner.
Just like any other pet training materials, no single book may be sufficient, and you may need a combination of resources – both online and offline to help your kids take care of your beloved pet.
Some of the major factors that you should consider before picking the best dog training book or guide for your kids are listed below:
- Target audience and format of the book
- Popularity, reviews, and ratings
- Publication year of the edition
Target audience and format of the book
Considering we are discussing the best dog training guides for younger people, the target audience and format of the book are probably the most important criteria to consider.
Most of the options that we have listed are written in an illustration-rich, interactive format that caters well to children and teenagers in the target audience. Such books are typically less than 150 pages long and have a lot of navigational aids and tip-sections to support their content.
We have listed the best dog training books for all ages of children – from young 3-5-year-olds (example How to Care for Your Dog: A Color and Learn Guide) to the growing 5-8-year-old kids and the 8-15-year-old pre-teens and teenagers.
You can always utilize the “Look Inside” feature on the Amazon website to get a preview of the book or check for excerpts in Google online bookstore to determine if the presentation style is suitable for your kids.
Furthermore, if you prefer digital editions, then check if the book is available in Kindle format for easy access. Kindle editions are generally cheaper and also available with the Kindle Unlimited service.
Popularity, Reviews, and Ratings
The popularity of the author, publisher, and book is often a great indicator of how the book would turn out to be.
Most of the books listed above have been written by authors and edited by publishers (such as Barron’s) with considerable experience in the field of pet care. But as one size does not fit all, you should look at the reviews, especially by other experts and authors in the field. Check out the reviews on Amazon and platforms such as GoodReads by other readers to determine its suitability.
Publication year of the edition
While this should not be a major factor as the basic rules for training your canine companion have not changed over the years, still, the publication year of the book is also something to look at. After all, the social landscape has changed considerably during the past decade and so have the habits and preferences of children and teenagers.
You can check the publication year of the books and see that none of them are from the previous century. Some traditional masterpieces do have some outdated information and hence may not find a lot of favor with kids and teenagers.
Additional Resources for dog training for kids
In addition to the best dog training guides for kids listed above, there are some other excellent online resources that provide the latest information and tips and tricks for training and taking care of these pets. Some of our favorites are listed below:
- Colleen Pelar’s LivingWithKidsAndDogs: Colleen Pelar’s website aimed at helping parents navigate the challenges of living with kids and dogs She also co-hosts Your Family Dog, a podcast dedicated to helping families love living with dogs.
- FamilyPaws: The portal for the licensed and specialized program providers for new and expecting families with dogs. Offers some excellent activities to strengthen the human-canine bond and ensure a happy relationship between babies, toddlers, and family dogs.
- Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution YouTube Channel:Our favorite and one of the best online video resource for dog care. Filled with excellent easy to follow videos, advice, and tips for proper upkeep of puppies and dogs.
Also, check out the following beginner video on dog training tips to get you started:
&npsp;Final Thoughts on the best dog training books for kids
Teaching kids to take care of family puppy or dog is an excellent way to train them for the challenges of tomorrow. So, having a suitable, age-specific dog training resource is a good idea.
In this article, we listed some of the best dog training books for kids. Our list includes books for young children and toddlers that you can read together with your kids, as well as books that can be read without a lot of supervision. We also shared factors to consider before picking the best dog training guide for your kids and also shared our favorite picks.
We hope that you found this article useful and it would help you in picking the best dog training book (or a combination of books) for your children. Do let us know how you found this article by providing your feedback in the comment section. Until next time, have a great time with your kids and their furry friend!!
Image credits: Amazon.com