Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs [Paperback]

Amy Ammen (Author), Kitty Foth-Regner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs] takes a refreshingly direct approach to coping with canine energy.... It's well organized, with easy to follow step-by-step instructions and cross-referenced topics.... The authors' sense of humor nicely balances the complexity of some of the topics." (Dog World, April 2008)

From the Back Cover

Hyper dogs are often overly energetic, wickedly smart, and incredibly stubborn. How do you turn your furry flurry of activity into a sane, mild-mannered companion? This book gives you fun, hip techniques especially for hyper dogs and harried pet parents who want quick results. You'll discover how to:

• Help your dog burn excess energy quickly and safely
• Use communication and training skills to gain control
• Use obedience games, attention builders, and outdoor adventures to train and bond with your dog
• Create the perfect canine chill-out sanctuary
• Handle problems like separation anxiety and special circumstances like vet visits

With a canine personality profile to help you better understand your pet and real-life stories of dogs who may make your rambunctious renegade seem saintly, this book will help you channel your dog's energy and turn her into a cool, calm, and collected companion.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House; 1 edition (January 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470041013
• ISBN-13: 978-0470041017
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #513,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amy Ammen is among the nation's foremost authorities on training unusual breeds and solving difficult, confounding, and potentially life-threatening problems. She est. Amiable Dog Training in 1980 in greater Milwaukee; in the years since then, she and her staff have trained tens of thousands of dogs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big Disappointment, October 1, 2007

By 

K. Tregar (Ossining, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs (Paperback)

Let me preface this by saying that I've been working with animals for about 10 years in varying capacities, including working as a sealion trainer, and I have done extensive reading of various training methods. In this book, I expected to find new ideas for training interesting games with my hyper dog. Instead, pretty much every training suggestion given in this book involved "jerking" the dog's leash if they didn't immediately comply with what was being asked. I have always worked with positive training methods, and continually yanking on my dog's throat just doesn't fall in with those methods. Because of their high energy, hyper dogs need even more patience to teach them productive and appropriate ways of using their energy, but instead of patience, the authors of this book recommend routinely punishing the dog for being hyper- exactly the dogs this book was written for.

Sadly, this book was a total waste of my money, and I really can't recommend it for anyone. Thankfully, my dogs won't be subjected to the discomfort suggested by the authors of this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good advice, but Not much new here,, July 28, 2008

By 

F.Faulkner "F.F." (Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs (Paperback)

I was disappointed. There were very few new obedience games or "attention exercises" within the book's pages. A lot of stuff anybody would already be doing with a hyper dog - throwing the ball, retrieving, walking the dog, throwing the ball up the carpeted stairs to tire out the dog... etc.
The horseback riding suggestion was over the top. Please give me a break. How many people does this author think have access to a horse nor land to ride, nor a dog well-trained enough to follow along off-lead!?!?! Or even know how to ride? Crazy! If they did, they wouldn't have a hyper dog. I was appalled to see this as a viable solution. Rollerblading with your hyper dog I also found hard to swallow.
Worth reading, but only a few chapters worthwhile or helpful.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy Dog Household, February 22, 2007

By 

Mary Ebel (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs (Paperback)

"Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs" is robust reading material for the beginner and expert dog trainer. It contains effective and reliable dog training methods, and, accompanied with step-by-step photos, make it a treasure. You will refer to this book over and over again and have fun in the process! There is so much good information about how to work with a hyper dog that from the moment I picked up my copy, I couldn't wait to put the suggestions into practice. Your dog will be forever grateful that you've decided to get up off the couch and start interacting with him (and stop yelling at him)! Hip Ideas is a book that can help any frustrated owner of a hyper dog understand the basics of a solid method of training and understand the canine mind ... and more importantly, to know you and your dog are a team!