PuppySmarts

I have a black Labrador named Harley, and while I love him terribly, I have to say he is one of the most undisciplined dogs on the face of the planet (after seven years you'd think he'd stop barking at the mailman). Of course, like many people, I gave up training him as a puppy when it became too frustrating for the both of us. Presented by veteran dog trainer Linda White, PuppySmarts reminds us that puppies are very much like young children that are full of enthusiasm but lack discipline and direction. Divided into short segments--perfect for busy career people--the five basic lessons presented here cover potty and crate training, obedience, chewing, jumping, and biting. On the plus side, children are featured in the demonstrations as well (which is good, since many dogs are family dogs, and all members of the family need to be on the same training newspaper, so to speak). On the minus side, the program is rather short, and omits standard topics such as walking on a leash. While a better choice here might be Training You to Train Your Dog (VL-9/02), this should still be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (J. Asala)