Dog Training For Dummies [Paperback]

Jack Volhard (Author), Wendy Volhard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 22, 2005

That innocent face. Those sad, puppy-dog eyes. Let’s face it: puppies can make anyone’s heart melt. But without proper training, they can make even the most doting doggie moms and dads’ blood pressure soar. So before your new puppy has you jumping through hoops, stop and ask yourself, “Just who is the trainer here?”

Dog Training for Dummies, 2nd Edition, shows you how to select the right training method for your puppy or adult dog, based on his unique personality, to reach your desired goals. Whether you want to teach Spike to sit, or want to help Rover master retrieving, this book gives training for you and your dog—to ensure a mutually respectful relationship with your four-legged family member.

Discover how to:

• Understand your dog’s mind
• Recognize why positive reinforcement training is key
• Master basic training
• Survive the puppy period
• Deal with doggie don’ts
• Seek expert outside help
• And much more

With step-by-step instruction in basic commands, guidance on how to eliminate unwanted behavior, and tips for making training fun for you and your pooch, Dog Training for Dummies is packed with all the latest techniques and resources you need to make your pal a Top Dog for life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"this book will give you practical information on and understandable explanations of your dog's behaviour and how to train him." Dogs Monthly August 2008

From the Back Cover

Latest training commands from sitting to retrieving

Find out why positive reinforcement is an effective teaching tool

Does your dog need training? Featuring new and updated information on popular training methods, this hands-on guide provides clear step-by-step instructions that show you everything from housetraining and socializing a puppy to understanding your dog's behavior to dealing with doggie don'ts. You'll also explore advanced training for competition and see how to find outside help.

Discover how to

• Appreciate the influence of nutrition on your dog?s behavior
• Teach your dog basic commands
• Determine your dog's personality
• Make training fun and effective

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (July 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764584189
• ISBN-13: 978-0764584183
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #406,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

132 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed bag, June 16, 2005

By 

Debbie the Book Devourer "dletour7" (Waltham, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog Training for Dummies (Paperback)

I thought the parts of this book that talked about training were, for the most part, quite good. The authors give clear instructions and reasons for their practices. For example, don't say "no" to your dog; tell him what you want him to do instead. If he's jumping, say sit, for example. Be consistent. Reinforce commands. Say commands only once. I could give more examples, but you get the idea: sound, sane, and humane advice. The advanced training sections started to lose me a bit. I found them tedious after a while.

Although the authors are very experienced with all aspects of caring for dogs, I thought they were reaching a bit with their nutritional and medical advice. They talked about homeopathic remedies as though they're proven treatments. They're not. Anecdotal evidence is not the same as statistically significant results from controlled studies. Their opinion on vaccines seemed dangerous and unbalanced. They have too much confidence in their alternative nutrition and treatment methods -- maybe they have some effect, but they're not perfect. A well-fed dog could still get fleas and infections and communicable diseases. After a while, they sounded like shills for the company that makes the supplements they use. Finally -- and I hope you'll excuse the e-shouting, but I cannot emphasize this enough -- DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG RAISINS, EVEN FOR A TREAT! Scientists haven't yet identified what it is about grapes and raisins, but they've been implicated in acute toxicity and even death in some dogs.

And as someone who makes a living from the written word, I have to say it seemed to me that the copy editor gave up on this book around Page 200. The text in the last half of the book is full of typos, errors, and repetitive writing -- not repetitive as in emphasizing a point, but repetitive as in restating the content of one paragraph in the next. Ugh.

The training advice was sound. Read this book for that, and disregard the rest.

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worthy of a Spot on Your Bookshelf, January 1, 2004

By 

Starry "evenstar7139" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog Training for Dummies (Paperback)

This book gets put down a lot because it has a couple of flaws. However, overall, it is a great book on Dog Training, and it contains a lot of information the person trying to train their dog really needs to know. This book helps you get inside your dog's head and understand why he does and does not listen. It puts the world as your dog sees it in perspective and shows you how to communicate on his level so you can help him understand exactly what is expected of him.

If you read this book you will become someone who can control their dog and have a happy, obedient canine companion.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just for Dummies, September 16, 2005

By 

houses - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog Training for Dummies (Paperback)

This book was both useful and interesting for old hat dog owners and new ones as well. I initially found it at a friend's house and while flipping through the chapters I decided I needed one for myself. Though I am very familiar with dogs, the behvioural sections helped me get a handle on my new puppies' quirks and demands, particularly the section on typing your dog's profile. They were a new breed for me, and rescues, so I appreciated the explanation of behaviours I was not familiar with. I liked this book enough to send it on to my parents when they recently got a new dog as well. I did not find the homeophatic information very helpful at all, however I don't think the inclusion of that information outweighed the potential benefit of owning the book.