Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training, 2E

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Pam Dennison is perhaps one of the best authors in terms of presenting positive training in an understandable way, that shows clearly why it works and how it fits naturally into a dog's "culture." I also love that she included not just one, but two chapters on body language - sorely lacking in many books. This one has knocked a couple other recommended reads a bit lower on my list. More approachable than Pat Miller (an excellent trainer but too much train-of-thought in her books) and less technical than Pamela Reid (excellent read if you want more depth, tho), anyone can use this tool to create a wonderful relationship with a willing, eager-to-learn companion.

This book is not for the more challenging issues. It is mostly manners and prevention - the basics. Pair it with Outwitting Dogs, however, and you have all you need to tackle most* issues (*barring aggression, which should be handled with the help of a behaviorist who uses counter-conditioning and desensitization).

The author discusses positive training adnosium and yet she glosses over important points and techniques. Potty training is covered in a page and a half, which seems a bit scant to me in a book about dog training. This is not so much a book on how to train your dog but book on the philosophy of positive dog training.

I found This guide to be a clear and concise guide to training using non-force techniques. The principals are covered as are the basic steps for techniques for basic behaviors. When I was looking for a general book on positive techniques, this is one of few that covers the science as well as covers the "how to"-that being said, this is not a book on aggression or reactive dog techniques-this is a primer and as such, covers the bases better than most.

I found this book at the library and loved it so much that I bought my own copy. This book is easy to read, with short sections. You will find yourself nodding in agreement and then taking notes so that you remember to implement what you've read. I read, and own, a lot of books on dog behavior and training and this is by far one of my all-time favorites. This is especially good for the pet-owner who doesn't really want to wade through tons of scientifics behind animal behavior, but wants real world applications and understanding. Great price also!

i love this book. my dog really responds to the techniques. it teaches you how to train and have a well behaved dog while using positive techniques. i have been so impressed with the results of this book, i give it as a gift to everyone i know who gets a new dog.

Also, I read another review about the book relying only on treats for training , which is not true. The training starts with treats but the author covers mixing it up with praise or other rewards and how important it is to NOT rely soley on treating to train your dog.

My family recently welcomed a wonderful Collie - Captain Jack Sparrow into our lives. From day one, I read this book, studied the techniques and the reasoning and rationale behind the methods and practiced them with Jack.

The first day he learned his name using the clicker method. After about three or four repetitions, that was it, he knew he was Jack. Amazing. The very next day we practiced his name some more and then in nothing flat he learned sit, stay, down and come in two 10 minute training sessions the same day. After that it was just a matter of continuing the repetition and adding more commands.

Once of the sections I found particularly useful was the information about reading your dog's behaviour and signals. I never really gave much thought to various dog behaviours, subtle or otherwise until I read Pam's insightful book. Now it all makes sense!

If you're looking to train your dog, understand your dog and really relate to your dog in a meaningful way, get this book!

Kevin Brett
CEO, Kevin Brett Studios, Inc.
Author: "The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life"

The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life!

Producer of: The Art of Intelligent Driving (DVD)
The Art of Intelligent Driving

I'm rating the book 3 stars because it does have a lot of good information, but also had several things I didn't like about it. I would buy a different book if I were to start over.

The author spends far too long stating and re-stating that only positive reinforcement works and any form of punishment is bad. I already believe that positive reinforcement is a good method, that's why I bought "Positive Dog Training". In addition, she makes several bold claims about psychology that sound nice without any citation or ways to verify the claims.

There is some contradictory examples in the text. She states that there are 3 fundamental rules of dog training: 1) Positively reinforced behavior gets repeated, 2) Ignored behavior goes away (the 3rd is not relevant to my example here). Later in the book, she relates the story of a dog that began chewing her shoes. Her solution? She gave the dog a reward the next time it took a shoe from the closet. According to her own rules, she should have ignored the dog, and certainly not given a reward.

Another omission in this book that I found from other sources was utilizing a dog's natural sense of hierarchy in the training.

There are a lot of pages to go through before the useful content really begins, but the useful content is there. I don't want to sound overly negative in this review, but there were certainly parts of this book that I found lacking.

While I agree with the author's emphasis on the positive, she is redundant - to the point of defensive - in stating and restating the argument. Being harsh or punishing a pet is bad. I get it. But this tome is very slow to arrive at practical, tactical "I can use this daily" advice. Dennison advocates that any form of negative discipline is counterproductive and to be avoided, often drawing human psychology parallels which, while inviting on the surface deny that Lupus canus and Homo sapien vary beyond the latter having opposable thumbs. Not all dogs share the same issues, and while I emphasize positive reinforcment for good behavior I have found that my vizsla responds to a sharp, unequivocal "NO" (i.e., entering a street; cat litter snack; paw on the table) without surrendering any affection. In due course, using an appropriate balance of reward and correction, she has learned her boundaries.

As another reviewer admits, "I wanted to like this book, but, I didn't" and I don't think you will either. (And I would suggest that you can't aford, let alone carry enough treats to reward as often as the author advocates.) My advice: Look for a book or information on your specific breed (e.g., The Versatile Vizsla is superb for those owning Hungarian Short Haired Pointers); search the Internet; trust your vet and your (and your dog's) instincts. Another option: Tune in The Dog Whisperer (Caesar Milan) on the National Geographic Channel.

This book is very wordy with few photos so I worry that adopters won't really read it all but those that do will find a wealth of good information. For adopters that like to read and want know all there is to know about training their dog, I recommend this book. For those adopters who want to see photos of what to do, I recommend Maran's Illustrated Dog Training.

I think positive training methods can be used for all breeds of dogs but I think the author has trouble presenting her book that way. She presents the info as if you own a herding dog and then adds on some quick line about what to do if your dog is resistant. She doesn't acknowledge enough that different breeds truly have different issues. It doesn't mean that you can't overcome these issues, but they are real. I didn't have to do training to prevent my hounds from barking and going crazy at the front door. They just don't do it. I have 3 and none of them has ever done this. My dogs don't nip. However, they will do anything to steal food and they don't want to walk next to me if there is an interesting smell (which apparently is always). These are the issues that are tough for me.

Anyway, if you have a herding dog, I would imagine that this is a great book, but I felt like she didn't do a good job of making the book more general. I called my friend who owns a Sheltie and recommended it to her.

For positive training books, I prefered Clicking with Your Dog by Peggy Tillman. I felt like she presents the info for all dog owners.