Puppy Training

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes when I saw yet another puppy training audiobook cross my desk. But *Puppy Training* won me over in the first 20 minutes—not because it’s revolutionary, but because it’s *honest*. Ken Phillips doesn’t peddle gimmicks or guarantee a "perfect pup in 7 days." Instead, he lays out a no-excuses framework that assumes your puppy *will* test you, and your success hinges on outlasting their stubbornness. The chapter on housebreaking alone is worth the credit: Phillips’ "schedule + supervision + confinement" method is so simple it’s almost radical in an era of overcomplicated training trends. Gary Crane’s narration is a masterclass in matching tone to content. He avoids the pitfall of sounding like a robotic instructor or a hyperactive dog whisperer. His voice is steady and reassuring, with just enough dry humor to keep the material from feeling like a chore. (His delivery of Phillips’ rant about "the uselessness of yelling at a puppy for something it did five minutes ago" had me laughing—and nodding in recognition.) My two critiques: First, the audiobook’s brevity means some topics (like leash reactivity) get shorter shrift than they deserve. Second, the production occasionally suffers from slight volume inconsistencies between chapters, though never enough to disrupt the listen. Still, this is the rare training guide that respects your time *and* your intelligence. If you’re drowning in conflicting advice and just want a system that works, start here.