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Now I am the proud but mismatched owner of an 8 month old, 35 pound, super-smart, warp speed dog who is launching herself excitedly at anyone and everyone, and chasing squirrels, birds and toys with abandon. 

Yes, I have watched countless episodes of Dog Whisperer on Saturday mornings searching for clues. Yes, I have taken her to two puppy obedience classes but all she wants to do is play, play, play with the other dogs! 

Then I found two books by Hollywood dog trainer, Joel Silverman, What Color is Your Dog? and Take 2: Training Solutions for Rescued Dogs which may be the key to my pup's training problems. 

Does your energetic dog dominate family members, chase whatever moves? She's orange / red. Does your dog go along with almost everything you ask, prefer sleep to walkies? He's yellow. Is your dog shy with people, or skittish about strange noises and objects? She's blue / green.

These are the five basic colors of dog personalities or temperaments, and Silverman shows you exactly how to match your training tools and techniques your furry student's "color."

Whether you are a first time dog owner or not, I also highly recommend as a companion book, What Dogs Want: a Visual Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Every Move. It's filled with great photos, 100 examples of natural canine body language, sounds and actions, plus detailed answers about how to respond to each one.

For the junior dog trainers in your home, please share these simple yet humorous stories of kids trying to teach their new friends to sit, stay and all the rest:

Dog obedience : getting your pooch off the couch and other dog training tips

by Liz Palika

Simple instructions for kids on how to teach their dog thirteen basic commands.

Bad dog school

by Barbara M. Joosse

Is Zippy out of control? Maybe...or maybe not. Harris and his family learn to accept some of his behavior.

Stay! : a top dog story

by Alex Latimer

While Ben is on vacation, Grampa teaches Buster some new training tricks.

Froggy gets a doggy

by Jonathan London

When Froggy gets a new puppy to play with, he learns that he must must feed, walk, and clean up after his new pet too.