Customer Reviews

Expert Obedience Training for Dogs

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This book outlines exactly how to train your dog, from picking a puppy, teaching her tricks that will be built upon in formal training, how to ride in a car, how to swim, and how to flawlessly train novice, open, utility, tracking, brace-work, finding lost objects and even how to train your dog to carry the groceries in.

But, this book isn't a load of useless fluff - at its core is how to train your dog to perform with precision. There are no gimmiks like ear pinches or clickers. It is training boiled down to the core of what you need. This isn't to say that there aren't any details - it is the many *important* details that allows one to train with such perfection. Strickland suggests that you read each chapter over several times before you begin training that section.

My dog and I converted from clicker training a few months ago and after a month researching and method-shopping, I stpped here, at this book. I have never looked back. My dog heels with precision, her head high and her tail waving, exited but controlled on the fast, trotting on the normal, and prancing with exitement on the slow(she can't wait for me to speed up and run around, but she never breaks). She drops on signal or command, and stays beautifully. Although we are working on fly-bys on the recall, her method of making a shute with your hands and guiding yor dog into a streight sit(no collar corrections needed, just a light tap on the rump to remind her to sit quickly)s allowing us to swiftly over come this problem. She is almost ready to compete in novice. There is an answer for everything in this book - we haven't run up against a problem that she hasn't had a solution for... I honestly suggest it to anyone getting a dog, pup or adult, pet or obedience prospect. You won't be sorry.

Wynn Strickland's method is dog training for the thinking person. It logically outlines a procedure for working from the ground up, WITH your dog's natural proclivities rather than against them. A wonderful companion book to the New Skete Monks' "How to be Your Dog's Best Friend," it takes the next step toward precision training for the ring.

I have trained a number of dogs by the Strickland method by using this book. It is easy to follow and uses a humane method. No spike collars and other gimmiks.

Fads, gadgets and gimmicks in training come and go. They DO sell books, classes and fancy equipment... and also confuse a lot of dogs and their owners. But this is a masterpiece of SOUND advice and a method of training that is based on a life-time of outstanding success in obedience trials. HOW can anyone argue with her degree of success? Winifred G. Strickland's methods will be around forever because they work so beautifully. She has won endless titles and done it while loving and respecting her happy, enthusiastic, super dogs. Her gentle, intelligent training program will succeed with other breeds that are not as naturally keen to work as her German Shepherd dogs.

I love this book. A classic that will probably never go out of print. What a joy to read and apply! It has an honored spot on my reference shelf and is one of the most valuable books I have ever purchased on the subject! It is easily worth ten times the price.

This book continues to be THE unequivocal expert's choice. Despite comments that her methods are 'dated' (a remark I find says more about that reviewer than about Strickland's book) the simple fact is that dog training is a skill that has been honed for hundreds of years. These methods were found to be effective when much more was required of dogs than that they be fashionable, pampered companions. I sincerely doubt that the 'innovations' and gimmicks of recent years will be found, in the end, to be more than passing fads. You can have your clickers... what Wynn teaches is *real* obedience.

If you want solid, competent, reliable response from your dogs, then use Wynn's methods and her books. Otherwise, continue bribing and entreating and cajoling your dog with clickers and treats instead of training it. Don't worry, *eventually* they will do what you want... at least half the time.

Those who want a thorough grounding in training basics will find this a wonderful resource. It is still the most comprehensive collection of training basics out there. Dogs trained with this method will be happy, reliable workers. Isn't that what we all want?

This is THE book for training and understanding your dog. It works!! The author has streamlined the training process and done away with all the ridiculous "tricks" found in other books that confuse dogs. What she presents is a tried and true training method that both dog and trainer will love.

I have been training my doberman for a year using various books and videos with great success, but there were little problems here and there that I couldn't find information on solving. In this book Winifred dealt with every one of them. I was amazed that she mentioned every one of my issues with my training.

I have used Strickland's method for obedience training several dogs. The methods and concepts have never failed. A must for the dog owner and trainer.

For those of you interested in serious obedience training, this is your book. Strickland, seems to be the most successful of trainers, touches on everthing including troubleshooting (correcting the dog).

[While not worthy of such, this book recieves one star simply because Amazon demanded that I rate it.]

While her methods may have won her and her dogs multiple awards in the 1960's, Winifred's harsh training style is out-dated and inappropriate given the less "hands-on" methods that science has found to work best for all mammals, not just dogs...

In this book, the author preaches physical punishment (slapping, hitting, jerking, pushing, pulling, "scruffing", etc), often coupled with in-your-dog's-face vocal reprimands, and she recommends doing it "as often as necessary", even to very young puppies.

You'll find lots of useless information and even more bragging, and if you follow the "steps" as the author suggests, you're garenteed to damage whatever relationship you have with your dog beyond repair - this type of "training" will teach even the toughest, hardest dogs that you are dangerous. I highly doubt that any worthy dog owner, whether trying to better their housepet's manners or trying to earn a formal title, would be eager to intentionally frighten or physically harm their puppy or dog.

I've been a professional trainer for over 15 years, and used to use the "J&P" (jerk & praise) methods with limited success - I watched dogs pass with flying colors one moment, and crumble the next. Back then, it was frustrating and often infuriating, but I know now that they sometimes crumbled for the same reason they sometimes excelled: anxiety and fear of aversives.

While there is no such thing as truely positive training (don't let those "fluffy" trainers fool you), clicker training and using rewards (which doesn't just mean treats, folks) has scientifically proven highly successful for a variety of mammalian species. IT WORKS, and it works 100% of the time for 100% of dogs. It takes far less time to train a dog using rewards than it does to train a dog using aversives and negative punishment, and for two simple reasons: NO ONE WORKS FOR FREE, and EMOTIONAL STRESS HINDERS LEARNING. Believing that your dog works "just to please you" or just "because s/he should" is the equivilent of your boss believing that you go to work every day just to make your boss happy - it's ignorant, arrogant, and egotistical, to say the least. Mental and emotional stress trigger the "fight or flight" reaction that ALL mammals possess, and once that button has been pushed, learning is impossible, causing you frustration and causing your dog to move into panic mode...

While I could easily go on about this, I'll stop here. This book may be useful for historical purposes, but for your dog's sake, learn about the science behind canine behavior, learning methods, and training methods before you plunge into punishments and aversives. Or better yet, find a trainer that's well versed in ALL methods of training, and have them help you out. It may be easier for you to read just one book and jump into scolding your dog for everything he does wrong, but unless you tell him what he's doing RIGHT, in a language he can understand, he'll never learn anything other than to fear you.