No comments about Play With Your Dog (Dogwise Training Manual).

5 comments about How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks.

1. How many times have I walked through the park to see a dog pushed in a baby carriage? Or a small breed carried in a "baby pack" type sling? Ian Dunbar's approach is training from the dog's perspective and this has worked for me. One of my favorite quotes is "A Dog's a Dog" which is so true. Dogs need to do dog things, not to be treated like human babies! My dogs were digging up our garden. At the advice in the book we created a "doggy sandbox" and the pups stay out of our garden. I highly recommend any of Dr. Dunbar's books!



2. I was very interested in Ian Dunbar's "positive reinforcement techniques" as an alternative to more confrontational methods. I was very shocked to find out that he recommends booby-traps for effective punishent of dogs on page 72 on his book. He suggests creating a trap that drops twenty pebble-filled beer cans on your dog after the dog triggers it by taking a bacon-fat soaked bait e.g. from the trash can.
   
   Dunbar finds this kind of "effective punishment" very clever because it doesn't affect the dog-human relationship. I find suggestions like this completely inhumane. Traps like that will scare a dog out of his mind and you risk coming home to a traumatized and maybe even injured dog. Please do not fall for such outdated punishment-based training methods. The re-labeling of these methods as "reward-based" or "positive reinforcement" doesn't make them any less abusive.



3. First let me say that this book and the more recent "Before and After Getting Your Puppy (Dunbar 2004) are virtually identical. There is a little additional material in the later volume, but in that book states that all important training MUST occur in the first 6 months of puppydom. One day later is too late. For those of us who aquired the dog when slightly past six months - well - let's just hope it's not true.
   
   That said, I think most of the training techniques in Dunbar's books are reasonably effective - but he cops out on some very important behaviors. Many older puppies and dogs have greeting behaviors that include frantic jumping, pawing and scratching and even excited nipping. If an owner and his dog are ever going to have a social life (or a uneventful walk,) it is essential that these behaviors be corrected. These behaviors are particularily challenging because they are cccurring when a dog is in a high state of agitation and far less likely to attend to, or even hear, commands.
   
   Dunbar's recommendation is to have a party (with at least twenty people) and have all those individuals repeatedly enter the house armed with treats. The dog is instructed in the proper behavior and rewarded when he/she complies. Treat and repeat until Rover gets the idea. Then have a party the following week to make sure it all stuck. Dunbar also wants you to have all these good natured dog lovers to walk around the block a number of times carrying treats so that Rover can "run into them" on his walk and be shown (again, and again, and again) how to behave. Now in theory, this is a great approach, but the truth is that most of us don't have twenty or more friends willing to spend a number of hours, two weeks in a row, assisting us in our dog training. As this is his only suggestion for correcting greeting behavior, it leaves the majority of us in the lurch with jumpy, hyperactive greeters who will no doubt drive away the friends we do have.



4. I enjoyed reading this book. It gets into a dog's head. It may be a little common sense at times, but not everyone has common sense. A good book to buy that combines training with dog behavior.



5. Step by step, effective, useful, reading to learn to mold your dog so that life is more fun "enjoyable" for you and your pet. Head and shoulders over other dog training books I've read.

5 comments about Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed..

1. What a wonderful book. I had received it as a gift initially then purchased a copy for another animal lover. It is the best gift for those who have a tender spot in their heart for shelter/rescue dogs.



2. Every pet owner should read this to understand the realities of what happens. Then pass it along to their children. Shelters are overwhelmed with these stories. Some end well, but many more do not.



3. Great for any pet lover or aspiring owner. You'll be moved to run to the shelter on your lunch break and make a new home for some eager little animal. Thanks Patrick McDonnell! Love Mutts. Love this book!



4. Pet lovers and those who enjoy the Sunday funny pages have a treasure indeed in "Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.", a compilation of over one hundred of McDonnell's Mutts comic strips; on the opposite page of each strip are full color photos of pets found in animal shelters and their heartwarming success stories. A perfect gift for the dog or cat lover, "Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed." is highly recommended for community library pet and humor collections.



5. I awaited the release of this book very eagerly, looking forward to seeing a lovely little all-black shorthair cat named Pauline featured as a starlet. And there she is, cute as can be!

5 comments about My Dog Pulls. What Do I Do?.

1. Essentially, this book explains how to teach a dog to walk on a leash without excessive pulling. Though it implies that there is no pulling whatsoever, the methods used would not allow a dog to walk free of a leash all together--which is my idea of a well trained "Heel" command.
   
   To be fair, the author doesn't really suggest that a dog walk at "Heel." Although I can see her side of that argument, I had the (mistaken) impression that I would be able to better teach my dog(s) to "Heel" without any pulling on the lead and without any harsh devices. That is not the purpose of this book.
   
   This author contends that a dog should be free to walk anywhere it wants, so long as it isn't "pulling." However, if a dog isn't pulling ever so slightly while on a leash, why have the leash at all? In truth, I believe that this book teaches a dog how to be leash trained--meaning that when they have the leash off, they are free to go wild.
   
   At one point she brags about a time when her dog was agitated and jumping toward another dog but (supposedly) not pulling on the leash at all. My question would still be: Why have a leash if the dog knows that it can only get six feet away from you? The truth is, the dog obviously knew it had a leash on.
   
   My goal was to teach my dog(s) to heel better and ultimately remove the leash. I work with rescue Doberman Pinschers and many of them are quite strong yet have absolutely no training. There are people--such as this author--who contend that dogs do not need devices such as choke chains or pinch collars. Being the sucker that I was, I thought perhaps the author was right and that you could somehow use positive reinforcement in all cases in order to teach a dog--one who often weighs 80-90 pounds--to heel without pulling at all.
   
   That was not the case.
   
   Please don't misunderstand...I'm sure the author has lots of success teaching what she teaches--with the kind of dogs she trains. However, I do not believe that a dog--especially a large dog--should be able to walk wherever it desires. And I have found that some dogs respond very well to positive reinforcement (i.e., treats) while teaching them to walk on my left side. However, I have also found that some dogs don't care what you are offering them, they want to drag you down the road after that cat that they see as prey!
   
   Since I would rather, in those cases, use a little negative consequence (i.e., correction device such as a choke chain or even a pinch collar) to help them become adoptable, than have an uncontrollable (and unadoptable) dog, that's what I'll continue to use...because I prefer a dog that behaves even when the leash is off.
   
   In summary, if you want your dog to behave when it's on a leash, and be able to walk in front, behind, wherever it wants--only while on a leash--than this book is for you. However, if you want your dog to obey the Heel command without any pulling, there are better methods.
   
   All in all, it's a fair book; it's just not what I was looking for.



2. A third great book by Turid Rugaas. When I see a toy poodle or silky terrier pulling a 6 foot person down the street, it is a riot to behold. An easy read, plenty of photos which show the "How TO" in attaining a pleasant walking partner. The written portion explaining the photos is very easy to understand. I suggest every one contemplating buying a dog to purchase this book first. Information is a wonderful thing.



3. This short, readable, incredibly helpful book shows humans how to teach their dogs to walk nicely on the leash. Her method is scientifically proven to work, if you stick with the program.
   
   Turid Rugaas is humane, kind, and a real friend to dogs. Unlike so many other authors, Rugaas doesn't believe in "leash pops" or similar methods which hurt and frighten dogs. You will feel really good about this gentle, patient, and effective method for training your dog.
   
   Rugaas also has a WONDERFUL book and DVD called "Calming Signals", which teaches you to understand dog language. It really helped me understand my shy, traumatized rescue dog.



4. The author here lays out a simple, highly effective and *kind* method for teaching your dog to walk poilitely on a leash. No special collars, no beating up on your dog, no gimmicks.
   
   It's behaviorally sound and will have you enjoying loose lead walks with your dog in a short time.



5. Turid Rugaas' books should be issued with all puppy packets & adoption info. Her excellent insights into dog behavior bring fresh perspectives to owners/trainers of all levels. In this book, she reveals how so many handlers accidentally reinforce their dogs' tendencies to pull.
   If followed, her advice really works.

No comments about A Friend Like Henry: The Remarkable True Story of an Autistic Boy and the Dog That Unlocked His World.

5 comments about Doxie Moxie: Little Dog, Big Attitude.

1. This book is great for kids and adults alike. The author has a true understanding of the Dachshund personality. I gave it to my 8 year old niece and my friend's 11 year old niece and I have a copy for myself. I pick it up whenever I need a smile.
   Nancy



2. IF YOU ARE A DOXIE FAN THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!! IT'S TRULY RIGHT ON TARGET!
   GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS AND WONDERFUL TEXT.



3. This little book is BIG on laughs for anyone who owns a Doxie or who loves dogs in general. Excellent photography and true-to-life snipets of what the famous Doxie's are all about. Great reading for all ages. Highly recommended.



4. How can you go wrong with a photographic book about dachshunds?
   Author Melissa Sovet has captured the long and short of the spirited breed. There are photos of doxies with bling, doxies being naughty, as well as doxies being charioted by working dogs.
   
   If you love doxies you need this book!



5. If you love Dachshunds or know anyone that does, this is the book to get or give as a gift! The pictures are absolutley adorable and funny - puppies, different colors, different poses, costumes - very sweet!
   The text, written as a "doxie" describes the dog very accurately and uses several quotes in just the right places.
   A great book for "Doxie" lovers and a great little "pick me up" book for anyone else!

5 comments about Search and Rescue Dogs: Training the K-9 Hero, Second Edition.

1. Excellent book on the training of all breeds for a difficult task of search and rescue. Easy to read and follow with many diagrams and pictures. Many of the suggestions are still use today by trainers in obedience classes. Well written



2. In training any dog, the biggest challenge always is how to 'connect the dots' in the dogs mind for what you want to see repeated and ignore what you don't want repeated. You then move on to giving the dog space to make his own choices based on what you taught him. This book fits perfectly into the philosophy.
   
   I have owned two purebred dogs. Field Springers and Border Collies. Both breeds I had to trust to make their own decisions at one point as both had to ultimately operate off a lead. Establishing that connection is key with any dog to keep them safe, and to keep the enjoyment factor high. I give high marks to this book for making this point.
   
   I disagree with a previous reviewer that this is only about German Shepherds. Certainly the pictures are, but anyone who has ever trained a dog should know that personality, drive, and disposition are all factors in training and that trumps breed every time. If the dog is interested he/she is limited only by his ability to smell.
   
   The strongest part of this book is that it begins with simple puzzles for the dog, then offers more complex puzzles as they gain confidence. Like the writers, I agree that the dog has to want to do this. For my border collie it is now a passion. What I used to call 'hide and seek' with my dog has now jumped to a different level thanks to this book.
   
   I'm grateful to the reviewers of this book who gave this such high marks. It made all the difference in choosing the right one. AND, I chose the right one.



3. An excellent book on the role of dogs in rescue. Differentiates tracking dogs from the wider term rescue. Very well written.



4. This is a really good book. But, if you don't have a German Shepherd than you still might want to look elsewhere. The book can absolutely teach you a lot but the concentration on GSDs will likely grate on you. The bias is such that there is no mention of the fact that the public tends to be frightened of German Shepherds, and that Labradors and Goldens can do the work just as well without the unfair but widespread stigma of Shepherds. Or that Retrievers excel at this work BECAUSE they are retrievers and because they genuinely adore people! Anyway, it REALLY does have a lot of good information, I just can't give it five stars because there are lots of great breeds in the world, many of which are suitable for SAR work. Why discount and ignore them?



5. This book was great, it helped me be able to learn how to trian my dog to track using the air scenting method. It gives step by step instructions on how to succeed in training you dog to become certified in Search and Rescue. Published by the ARDA you know that the material it contains is up to date and current. The other great feature in this book is that is specializes in ground tracking, air scent tracking, disaster search, avalance search, cadaver search, and water search and rescues. Can't speak more highly of this book, the only book that compares with this book is Search Dog Training by Sandy Bryson.

5 comments about Bad Dogs Have More Fun: Selected Writings on Family, Animals, and Life by John Grogan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

1. I'm a lover of all things dog related, but this is just too much. While this was written by Grogan, I'm pretty sure he isn't behind this book, and for that reason alone I won't buy it for anyone. Like another reviewer, I'm giving this away. I'm not even going to try and sell it.



2. My husband gave me the audio book for Christmas and we just took it on vacation to listen to in the car. We were disappointed that we listened to it for over an hour without one dog story. I'm selling it off without finishing listening to it.



3. I'm sure I was not the only one mislead by the title. I bought the book hoping for stories on dogs that would take me on a roller coaster ride. There are some valuable op-ed articles in this book, but it certainly wasn't what I expected when I bought it.



4. The greedy, seedy editor and publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer bypassed John Gorgan and put this book together without his knowledge or consent. They boldly capitalized on John's popularity and ability to sell books to pimp out his previous works for their sole monetary gain. Perhaps worse, they used Marley's name and a picture of a little puppy to pull in dog lover's around the world. How low is that? How can these sleazy people sleep at night? If they had done the courtesy of collaborating with John Grogan, they may have seen this book reach stratospheric success. Instead, they circumvented him. They cut Grogan out completely, yet marketed his name, so that they didn't have to share the royalties with him. Yes, they technically own rights to Grogan's columns, but it was the wrong and disrespectful thing to do, and they know it. I urge you not to compensate them any further. Do not put more money in their pockets. Refuse to buy this book!!!



5. This book is a compilation of Grogan's articles from the Philly Inquirer. It is a very enjoyable and quick read but it has little to do with dogs. If you're looking for a book about the bond between humans and their 4-legged friends, consider looking elsewhere. If you're looking for a series of lighhearted shortstories about Grogan's life and his observations about the world around him, pick it up.

5 comments about Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: The Ultimate Episode Guide.

1. I find this book very helpful to the dog owner. You can find the episode that matches your dog's behavior,which can give you tips on what to do with your dog,learning how Cesar works with the dog and the dog's owner basically learning how to interact with the dog,and doing what can keep the dog,as Cesar says,"calm and balanced". A Great book I recommend it!



2. This is a very informative book showing a brief synopsis of all his
   season 1 through 3. I have caught with his show using this book, as I have not been watching long. I recommend it to anyone who loves dogs
   and stories about them and their owners. Enjoy



3. I am SO grateful to have this particular tool by Cesar Millan to go with the Season DVDs. "Dog Whisperer Show Season 3" DVD is supposed to be released around July 8th, 2008, I hear.
   
   I have had a large (2600 member) Yahoo email list for over 3 years now. This list has had over 14,500 members, who have used different elements of Cesar's solutions to solve the problem behaviors of their dog successfully, as well as to understand how to prevent them in the future. One of the greatest challenges we have faced there, is remember which episodes covers what kind of problems, with what kind of dogs in what kind of conditions. The episode guide makes finding those answers so fast now!
   
   I am not sure which elements of this book I love more. The dog breed guide so when I am looking for problems Cesar has addressed by breed so I could just refer to that list. "Two days ago, someone was asking about their non-stop braying beagle Cesar solutions and they said they watched the TV show on Nat Geo. In just minutes, I had a list of the 6 episodes from Season 1-3. I LOVE my Season DVD's also available here but am constantly frustrated that there are only two line descriptions and in the 317 episodes from just those three seasons, I CANNOT remember which episode I saw what solution!
   
   Having the Season 1-3 Episode guide solved that because NOW I was able to not only talk about which episodes were specific to beagles "who do have some - uhhhh, unique breed challenges that most urban people are not skilled enough to solve - g" but I was able to specifically refer to my top two favorite solutions for this kind of dog, that was used in the specific episodes for them to be able to watch and SEE what they could do themselves!
   
   I also LOVE to read or write about the follow up stories of the successes that the dog owners have had including the simple recognition of the fact that the dog requires more work then they were willing to give and the subsequent successful re-homing into a forever home with people who understand how to work with that kind of dog to simply changing the HUMAN behavior to change the dog behavior into the desired outcome!
   
   Since I work with so many rescue dogs and dog groups, I actually bought a second book to carry with me in the car so I can look up solutions BECAUSE if you go to the video page of the National Geographic Website you can see video clips of these same episodes to go with the book so you don't even NEED to GET the Nat Geo channel!!!
   
   This book solves the problem that comes because the video clips only show the solution/result. I you have the book you can now get the whole overview, background not even discussed in the show and behind the scenes information to get context!
   
   Then, if you get the free software Miro, you can download these clips into your computer to look up whether you are online or not or if you have an IPOD, to download those whole episodes to watch, based on what you identify that you need to look at from the information in this book! Finally you can amble over to youtube and see other video about successful Cesar's way examples.clips, including mine (under /cjanderson, where I show ten concrete examples of how I have used Cesar's Pack Leader techniques that I learned from the episodes discussed in THIS book's pages to help rehab over 25 problem dogs who were going to be euthanized if someone didn't step forward to help, and the someone who stepped forward here with those dogs was just me, a dog lover who watched and learned from the episodes listed in this wonderful guide!
   
   It has never been easier to show someone else the simple and often easily and safely replicatable solutions to change problem dog behaviors using this guide with the online free videos of Cesar's Dog Whisperer Shows!



4. Great to know what episodes deal with what problem so it is easier to find those episodes on the three seasons of the Dog Whisperer DVD.
   
   Can find out what happened long term to the dogs and the owners success rate using Cesar's methods on using energy.
   
   Louise



5. This is an enjoyable book for fans of Cesar Millan. It gives a synopsis of episodes, in some cases including a photo. A sidebar tells how the owners and dogs fared long-term, and sometimes a "Behind the Scenes" paragraph tells about what happened that you don't see in the show, such as a production assistant got bitten during the filming.
   
   I was gratified to learn how some of my favorite pet owners turned out. The woman who was anxious about going outside her home continued to improve dramatically, for instance. Some of the owners did not fare so well, however. They were not able to carry through as firm leaders and a few eventually gave up their dogs to new homes. Many made improvements but did not reach the level of leadership that Cesar showed on the show. Others achieved their goal of having the "perfect dog."
   
   I've watched many episodes of the Dog Whisperer and this book reinforces what Cesar demonstrates onscreen. You need to be clear on how you want the dog to act and remain calm and assertive. You should not reward a dog for being afraid by showering him with affection. Dogs are not human children.
   
   This book is for viewers who want more information about the episodes. If you haven't seen the show and want to learn about training your dog, you probably want to start elsewhere, such as reading Cesar's book "Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life."

1 comments about Chicken Soup for the Soul: Loving Our Dogs: Heartwarming and Humorous Stories about our Companions and Best Friends (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. I was so excited to receive this book for review. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am quite an animal lover and have always had a pack of dogs as part of my family. I knew I was going to love every page of this book, and I was not disappointed.
   This work is divided into eleven categories: On Mutual Love and Admiration, I Can't Believe My Dog Did That!, Bringing Out The Best In Us, Pets Have Pets Too!, Man's Best Friend, Support Dogs, It's My Family Too!, Dogs and Their Soldiers, Great Dog Moments, Canine Matchmakers, and Letting Go.
   
   I am sure you can tell by the titles what type of stories you will find in each category. I have to tell you, I laughed and cried, say 'ahh,' over and over again, and stopped reading and went off to find one of my pack and give them a big hug just so they would know how much I loved and appreciated them being part of my life.
   
   This book brings to the surface just how much a dog understands, how much they want to share life with you, and how completely they want to give their love to you. Everyone, and I mean everyone who reads this book (unless your heart is black and how sad is that?,) will walk away with a mark in their heart that will remain forever.You will not look at dogs the same, but you will be awakened to their true self, which is absolutely priceless. I LOVED this book and highly recommend it.