Customer Reviews

Imagine Life with a Well-Behaved Dog: A 3-Step Positive Dog-Training Program

5 star:		(112)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a well written easy to follow dog training book. I particularly like how the author spends time in the beginning talking about how to match one's personality with their dog's personality. Other dog training books I've tried have talked about being an assertive leader for your dog, but haven't talked about how a passive personality and a dominate dog personality will clash. This author makes it clear that if you are a low energy and passive person you'll be happier with an older dog and one that is also passive or shy, and your dog will be happier too.

She also spends a good amount of time explaining how much exercise is required for a dog and challenging the reader to examine if his/her lifestyle is compatible with having a dog. She also makes several good points about how one's level of activity should match the dog's level of activity. Particularly if you are gone all day and don't have energy for an active dog, you'd do better with an older dog. She makes a great case for adopting older dogs which has really made me rethink the myth that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

The training section is easy to read and the steps are broken down so that they are easy to follow and implement. I particularly like her reminders to remain calm, clear, and consistent. The book has lots of real life cases and how the author has helped people overcome issues with their dogs. I find these extremely helpful in understanding why my dogs behave as they do and how my fears, anxieties and emotions impact their behavior.

Particularly helpful in this book is that the author gives lots of examples of how we inadvertently reinforce negative behavior by giving in to our dogs. Many of the dog books I've read talked about being the leader, but this author shows how we undermine our leadership in our house and elsewhere and what we can do to get it back. A good example is how when your dog wants something and barks we give it, then we end up having a dog that barks excessively because we've always given them attention or the reward when they bark. She gives some very good ways to stop such behavior by redirecting the dog and leaving the room, and making the dogs wait until their calm before giving them food, and attention.

All in all I found the book VERY helpful. We have 3 dogs of various ages and I've seen a dramatic change in our dog's behavior when I remember to be calm. The book has made it clear to me how we have confused our dogs by our family members giving in and not being consistent and now that we have started to work together as a family on being consistent with the dogs it has helped a great deal.

Wow! What a great book! I have a nearly 2-year-old dog, who recently started some annoying behavior, like barking at strange sounds and not stopping (especially at night!). I thought we would have to start another round of expensive dog training courses when I discovered this book. What a gem! It taught us not only how to stop the bad behavior but also how to teach our dog a number of other really useful commands, like how to stop him from chewing my daughter's toys! We really like the author's positive-reinforcement approach to training as well as her step-by-step, clearly outlined directions. It's a very easy to use book! More importantly, it works! It's also very comprehensive (offering everying from how to choose the "right" dog for your family, to training basic and advanced commmands, as well as recommending a bunch of fun stuff to do with your dog!) We recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of getting a dog and to those who want to teach their old dog some new tricks!

I purchased this book for an aunt who was having trouble disciplining an older dog she'd recently adopted. I was frustrated seeing her struggle with her own form of obedience training. I'd sought help in prior years with pets, so I thought I'd seek out a good guide for my aunt. My aunt, an immigrant, had communication issues of her own, and being around her and her pet made me nervous. I said, "enough was enough," and got her Julie Bjelland's book.

To date, gone are the days when my aunt's dog is confused and my aunt frustrated. Julie lays out a very good outline for dog ownership from beginning to end - starting from preparing for life with a dog to whether one's lifestyle would be a better fit for a puppy or older dog. I thought this was great, as I wanted my aunt to realize that there were different types of dogs for different types of lifestyles.

I especially love that Julie also outlined what tools were going to be needed, budgets of ownership, crate training, commands, leadership. Wow, I couldn't have found a more efficient and quick lifesaver for my own sanity and I'm sure my aunt's. Now both dog and human are more sane and happy in knowing their roles. I think that this book is authoritative, calm, and carries with it an air of true help for dogs and their human companions. The author is very qualified and knowledgeable and I think this book was worth the investment many times far and above the price. I also appreciated that the book was practical for the average person to understand. What a great guide from someone who trained guide dogs! Fantastic!!

After rescuing a mostly chocolate lab I found out he was a problem dog at the shelter and would be more difficult to train than the Golden Retriever that I had before. My Golden almost seemed to train himself and could learn commands after I showed him twice. My new dog, Max, could not even understand the down command. I started search for some help and the title of Julie's book described what I was looking for and wanted from my dog. The book is straight forward and step by step and very easy to follow and apply. After about three months of work with Max using the techniques in the book he has become a much better companion and is well on his way to becoming a well behaved dog. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a well behaved dog.

There are a few books that every dog owner should possess and read, and this is one of them. The author provides a well thought out method and perspective on dog training that we are already using fruitfully with our 5 month old puppy. It all makes sense! Former methods of training and discipline no longer make sense.

I purchased her book when we adopted a 6 month old rescue puppy. Sam is now 11 months and his progress is totally dependent on how closely I follow Julie's lead. This is by far the most positive, encouraging, helpful training book I have ever purchased. We've invested in puppy training at Petco, and a training package with 2 different puppy trainers, one a positive reward dog trainer. Everything you need to understand about training and the progression of training is in this unique book. Its worth the money....no question.

My husband and I just adopted an adult shelter dog about two weeks ago. We were encouraged by the shelter and by the vet to go to obedience training for Hyde. We hesitated to go to obedience class to start with because of the cost. We decided to check out books to see if we could start obedience on our own. I came across Imagine Life with a Well-Behaved Dog and decided to purchase it after reading the great reviews on Amazon. I am very glad we decided to get this book. The author does a wonderful job of helping me understand what is expected of me and what is expected of my dog. He seems to be responding very well to training and we've only been working together for a couple days! I also appreciate the approach of positive-training. It is quite rewarding for myself and Hyde too. The author offers online support, which is great for help with situations specific to you and your dog.

I was very nervous that my family and I would not be skilled enough to raise a happy healthy and well behaved dog. We had a wheaton for 12 years that never had the proper training and made our lives very stressful. I only wish I had read julies book years ago.

Julie's book covers all the important skills and methods for properly training a dog at any age. I love the fact that Julie is available via the web to answer personal questions. I feel like we have our own trainer available anytime. i know our new Bouvier puppy will be well behaved thanks to the skills that the book has taught us.

My family adopted a corgi mix who'd been through quite a few homes in his short 3 years. Though he was moved around often, our pup was superbly behaved. But, he came with a few behavioral issues that we needed to understand. After watching several online tutorial and reading blogs and articles of local dog trainers, I was more confused than when I first brought our dog home. I tried several tricks and nothing worked. He just became more wiley, and my family more frustated. I wanted to nurture our dog and teach him obedience in a manner that would help him, not hinder his progress. It seemed everything out there was telling humans they are stupid for not understanding dogs... and stupid for not mastering dog obedience within minutes of trying.

When I found Imagine Life with a Well-Behaved Dog, I felt it was the right book for my dog and me. That's exactly what I wanted. I didn't want a dog who behaved out of fear, but because he wanted to live a happy life. I downloaded it on my Kindle and was swallowed whole until late in the night. I read through each chapter with a voracious head-nod because it all made sense. Finally, someone was telling me it wasn't going to be easy. My dog wasn't going to get it right away, and I that I just needed to work diligently with him.

Not only that, but she offered the single best advice that no one else ever offered... to exercise my dog more. Sure, we went for walks, but he's high energy and needed more than that. Who knew?

Everything I implement into my dogs life from this book works. And well. I taught my dog to lay down in 24 hours with encouragement and good praise. He's learning to walk well on leash after a whole month of being dragged around my neighborhood. This is all within days of reading the book.

The author didn't provide magic solutions to cure my dog's behavior. She taught me to read my dog's body language and understand his needs. Through that, we are working together to create a nurturing environment in which he thrives. And a thriving dog is a well-behaved dog. Remove the stress, practice with patience, and understand what your dog needs. This is what she teachers.

Thanks so much to this incredible book. It has changed my relationship with my dog and he is learning so much in such a short time... more importantly I AM learning so much about him.

Owning a dog adds such a joy to our life! This joy can increase leaps and bounds if we know how to communicate and understand our canine friends. `Imagine life with a Well-behaved Dog' is a fantastic guide for anyone who already owns a dog and needs to train or a newbie who is looking for some insight into how to adopt a dog and become a happy pet owner. Julie Bjelland's book is a valuable resource full of details on where to look (and where not to look!) when you are searching for a puppy (or an adult dog) for adoption. Reading this book can be a blessing for you and your dog. This book is a must have guide for any dog owner or a would-be dog owner.