23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid, relationship-based training advice, June 5, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell Reference Books) (Hardcover)
McMains is a dog lover, first and foremost. He takes great pains to emphasize that dogs are friends and comrades, not employees or slaves, and should be treated with the respect and love they deserve. In the heat of training, many people (even many trainers) seem to forget that the reason they originally got a dog was not to do a straight sit or a snappy recall, but rather to fill out their world with a new friend. I don't know a friend in existence who would tolerate what some trainers advocate in the name of "training."
His method is not compulsion-free, but it is centered around the dog VOLUNTEERING behaviors, rather that being yanked/forced into them repeatedly. He discusses how to use the dog's natural compulsions/drives to encourage the behaviors the team is shooting for, as well as ways of solidifying those responses under REALISTIC distraction conditions.
The most telling point about the book's organization is that it doesn't adhere slavishly to the standard AKC Novice routines, but rather focuses on skills and attitudes that the non-competitor will find most necessary/useful around the home, which is where all dogs, competitor or not, spend most of their time. Make no mistake, a McMains-trained dog will reach its full competitive potential, but McMains' focus is where it should be, on the 99.9% of the dog's life spent outside the ring.
In a world where millions of dogs are put to sleep in shelters each year, primarily for "temperament problems" (which can be interpreted as the owner crying "I don't know how to deal with this dog!"), a book with this much compassion and intelligent information on how to understand and relate to your own dog is invaluable. The problem is not that there are too many dogs in this country, it's that there are too many OUT OF CONTROL dogs in this country.
If McMains has his way, that won't be the case forever.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TOPS!!!, February 6, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell Reference Books) (Hardcover)
***** Outstanding! Dog Logic provides readers with an excellent guide on obedience training for practical purposes. McMains' rapport-based methods are based on mutual respect between owner and dog, and his love for our best friend is evident throughout the book. Author McMains explains how to appeal to your dog's drives and instincts in order to become the animal's pack leader. He encourages readers to train "at the dog's level of understanding," and reminds that "rapport is critical." Anyone can force a dog to be obedient, but McMains shows you how to have your dog respond out of a desire to please you. This is where McMains' insights help you to think like your dog and understand canine logic.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book, August 23, 1999
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell Reference Books) (Hardcover)
Dog Logic: This is a book clearly created for easy to follow instructions in dog training! Your dog will come away trained and still want to keep company with you. It has all the instructions needed to train your home pet. I applaud, Joe M. McMains for his guildence and understanding of mans best friend.
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