The Koehler Method of Dog Training [Paperback]

William R. Koehler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

ReferenceLarge Print EditionUndoubtedly one of the best books on general dog training Ive ever read. Sports AfieldA well-behaved pet is not only a joy to his owners, but is also a happy pet. The Koehler Method of Dog Training is one of the most successful dog training manuals ever published. Its main objective is to enable the reader to train his dog regardless of current conduct to a point where he and his dog will enjoy the fullest companionship possible.

Product Details

• Paperback: 378 pages
• Publisher: G K Hall & Co (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0783818718
• ISBN-13: 978-0783818719
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,407,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Results Oriented Dog Training - Not Touchy Feely Pap, June 7, 2000

By 

Afan of Sitagyl Manor (Brooklyn, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Koehler Method of Dog Training (Hardcover)

No training method works for all dogs, but the Koehler method comes close. I read this book thoroughly before using it to train my dog, an American Pit Bull Terrier. I recommend it on the basis of the results I achieved with my own dog. My Pit Bull is a happy, calm, sweet animal who is well behaved and trustworthy even in crowded, distracting public places. Please note the notarized statement in this book attesting to the author's success in training thousands of dogs. A well-trained dog is a joyful companion and something to be proud of. As for the "brutality" ascribed to this training method by its detractors, I "corrected" my dog with the choke collar only three or four times - always for something potentially dangerous (with a big and strong dog like a pit bull) such as running wildly on the long training lead. Most of the time, during the routine exercises, the dog corrects himself. Essentially he is given a choice between discomfort and comfort. If he makes the right choice he avoids discomfort. This does not assume the dog is human - it respects the dog's intelligence and ability to make choices. This book helps you to train a dog to be obedient off leash under highly distracting conditions. I knew my pit bull had graduated the day I was allowing her to run around on a 30' lead and another, loose pit bull appeared out of nowhere. This animal ran up on my dog, she surged after it, and the worn lead parted company with her collar! I called my dog to me, and she came and stood in front of me. I told her to sit, and she did so, allowing me to tie the broken ends of the leash together - with this maniac nuisance dog running circles around us all the while.

I tried using food to motivate my dog but she became intensely focussed on the food rewards in my pocket. In Koehler training, the dog is supposed to be attentive towards you, not your pocket! With the firm foundation of obedience training, I am now able to teach my dog all kinds of tricks. Trick training is FUN training so I have no problem using food rewards to teach tricks. My dog can jump through a hoop, etc. However, obedience training is serious business that can one day save your dog's life. I feel the Koehler method is particularly valuable with big, strong breeds such as pits and rottweilers that can cause so much trouble when they are NOT properly trained. I thank this book for the wonderful, reliable pit bull friend I have today.

63 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, May 12, 2006

By 

A reader (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Koehler Method of Dog Training (Hardcover)

Let's be straight -- Bill Koehler loved dogs. In fact, he loved and respected dogs a whole lot more than some of today's "big name" trainers who refer to dogs as stupid creatures, incapable of thought or responsibility, only able and willing to work for a cookie, because they are nothing but selfish "lemon brains."

I am a professional dog trainer who came up through the ranks of the "positive reinforcement" school of training. I was taught to use cookies and praise to get dogs to behave. And most of all, NEVER correct a dog -- that's cruel and outdated. Well, the "all positive" method of training does work -- to a point. But I found, time and time again, that only using positive reinforcement did not create reliable, 100% consistent behaviours. Where this was most obvious was on the recall -- let's say your dog is off leash at the park, and he takes off after a squirrel. And you're going to try to call him back and give him a tidbit? Most dogs would just keep on running. And to my mind, as a professional trainer, that was unethical and immoral, to send my clients out into the world, knowing full-well that their dogs were not safe, because their behaviours were not reliable.

The Koehler method makes commands reliable. And it does so without abuse, fear, or beating. Bill Koehler belived that it was far kinder to a dog to respect the dog's intelligence, to show the dog the clear contrast in consequences that occur when choosing between one course of action (say, heeling) over another (not heeling, and receiving a SINGLE forceful, well-timed correction). Correct the dog once, properly, the first time, and let the dog make his own choices after that. In fact, Koehler believed it was completely CRUEL to a dog to consistently nag it, over and over again. Witness the "positive only" crowd using gentle, nagging leash tugs, saying "Heel heel heel heel heel" in a chanting manner. Drive your dog crazy, it would.

The Koehler Method is a complete method of dog training that works on three parts:

1) show the dog what you want them to do, and praise him for making the right choice.
2) practice with the dog until you are sure he knows what you want him to do, and praise him for making the right choice. If he doesn't make the right choice while he's learning, then show him again.
3) once the dog knows what is expected of him (that is, after lots of practice), then "proof" the command by providing lots of distractions for the dog. If he chooses the right behaviour (and remember, this is only if he already KNOWS what is expected), then praise him. If he chooses the wrong behaviour, correct him firmly, correct him once, and give him the opportunity to make the right choice.

You'll read reviews that go on and on about hanging, drowning, and beating dogs. Yes, Bill Koehler DID say those things. He said those were methods to be used if the next stop for the dog was a one-way trip to the pound. They were never intended for your average family dog.

Buy the book, read it. Find a reputable trainer through the International Association of Canine Professionals, and get someone familiar with the Koehler method to help you out. But don't let the "positive only" crowd make up your mind with ranting and rhetoric. If you care about your dog - if you care that your dog will be able to respond to commands reliably, and therefore be safe -- you owe it to yourself to check out this book.

Jill Skorochod, CPDT
Member, APDT, CAPPDT and IACP
Time and Patience Dog Training Ltd.

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book could save your dog's life, June 12, 2006

By 

Matt (ASHBURN, Vatican City State (Holy See)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Koehler Method of Dog Training (Hardcover)

This is a very easy to follow, effective book for training dogs. This is NOT a book for owners with dog problems (or dogs with owner problems). If you just want to train your dog by using proven, conditioning techniques, then this is the book for you.

In a nutshell, this book teaches you how to ensure that your dog is paying attention to you at all times, and either obeys your commands, or suffers the consequences of his actions. This is NOT punishment. The dog decides. The dog learns. The dog obeys because he decides to obey. This not only gives him self-confidence, but also gives him a feeling of security because he knows he is doing the right thing. Dogs crave this. They WANT to please you.

Basically, you start with a long leash and a choke collar. You start walking in one direction. Of course, your dog will bound off ahead of you. At that point, you reverse direction, and walk the other way. The dog learns pretty quickly that he better keep an eye on you if he wants to keep from getting jerked around.

It goes on from there, and the lead gets shorter and shorter. The dog learns to HEAL, SIT, STAY etc., but basically you are conditioning the dog to think he is on lead all the time, and has NO choice but to obey or come when called, and, he is always paying attention to you. This is KEY!

If your Jack Russell sees a rabbit running across the road in front of an oncoming car, do you think he will come if you have a treat in your hand? Is he going to look both ways before crossing? No way. But if he has been conditioned to think that if he doesn't come, you'll just jerk his chain, he won't hesitate. He'll stop in his tracks, turn, run back to you, run right around behind you, and sit down right beside you... No kidding.[Keep in mind that to get to this point takes months and months of training for at least 30 minutes a day. This is not a miracle training book]

I have used it and it works, plain and simple. Also, you can stop at any time, and still gain some control of your dog on lead.

There is no punishment involved as part of the training of the dog! The dog gets to decide what he wants to do.

I trained my first dog this way, and it worked perfectly. I never hit, drowned, beat, etc., because that's not part of the training!

All the negative comments on this book have to do with either the last chapter or just plain ignorance. The last chapter deals with a subject the author probably should have left out, that is, dealing with problem dogs that are on their last chance before being put to death. Don't bother reading it. If you have a dog that bad, you've got a problem you can't solve on Amazon.com!

Others try to equate a dog's mentally with that of a human. Dogs do not perceive, process, or analyze information the way humans do. Comparing how you would feel if you were treated the way a dog is treated is incorrect.

I just got a new dog, and I want it to be happy and love life. The Koehler method helps set expectations the dog understands and can achieve, which in-turn keeps him happy and safe at the same time.

Good Luck!