Customer Reviews

Natural Dog Training: The Canine Arts Kennel Program - Teach Your Dog By Using His Natural Instincts

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Have you ever wondered just how those really good dog trainers do the things they do. Most of them will write books and explain that if you just hold the leash this way and say "good dog" that way then you can train you dog to come when called and sit when you've got him on a collar and six foot leash.

Kevin Behan is a good dog trainer. In fact he's an expert. And he's one of those gifted people who actually has an understanding of what he's doing to such an extent that he can explain it to someone else. This book is not superb writing. He does tend to ramble, especially in the first few chapters but he's fluent enough to get the point across to those who are willing to learn.

Natural dog training refers to working with a dog on the level of his most powerful natural instinct, the prey instinct. The instinct to chase and bite a prey object. Instead of trying to deny the dog access to this instinct through punitive training methods Behan suggests showing the dog what to do with his instincts within the context of his domesticated situation. This involves only allowing the dog to have access to his drives through his owner instead of the dog deciding what he's going to do them. Once this harmonic connection is established the owner is able to mold (train) the dog's character to fit his lifestyle and domestication in general.

The chapters on training puppies are excellent and nothing like you will read elsewhere. Most people just want to get a puppy under control and because of a puppy's natural submissive nature they are usually successful at first. Things generally fall apart as the dog reaches sexual maturity. In a classic quote Behan states, "A dog owner can win a thousand straight battles with a puppy, then, years later, lose the war."

This book has depth. It is not a one trick method training book. It is about working with the true nature of the dog within the necessary context and contraints of domestication. This not only allows the dog to be more of what nature intended him to be but also fosters a deeper understanding on the dog owners part towards his dog. A more harmonious relationship with man's best friend is the result.

I can personally vouch for Kevin Behan's training philosophy as I have raised my two dogs, now going on six and seven years old respectfully, using the training methods from this book. For me, his methods have been 100% validated.

I read this book when it first came out. I was a dog trainer working in Manhattan. I was looking for a new way of doing things because I had this nagging suspicion that everything I had been taught about dogs and trainng was somehow off base. I read Kevin's book in one sitting and disagreed with almost everything he said, but I was determined to try his methods just to see if they had any value at all. The next day I began working with a pit-bull mix named Mickey, who had a problem with leash aggression. Within twenty minutes Mickey was cured of his aggressive problems on the leash. In fact, before I applied Kevin's method, the instant Mickey saw another dog coming toward him, he would go ballistic--lunging and growling, teeth bared. The only thing that prevented an all out attack on the other dog was the fact that I'm a fairly big guy and I had an iron grip on Mickey's leash.
After doing an exercise from Kevin's book three or four times Mickey's behavior changed so dramatically that as soon as he saw another dog coming toward us, he would actually look up at me and perform a perfect heel.
A week or so later I got a new client who owned a Jack Russell terrier. The experts at the Upper West Side training school he attended told his owner that he was untrainable because he wouldn't learn the down. They said (according to this client) that there was probably something wrong with the dog's breeding.
I took Mack (that was his name) into Central Park and applied one of Kevin Behan's techniques and within half an hour Mack was lying down on command and LOVING IT! In fact, the client later told me that whenever she went out for pizza at a little place on Columbus, she would tie Mack to a parking meter and go inside to order her pie. From inside the restaurant all she had to do was look at him, put her index finger in the air and then point it toward the ground and Mack would instantly lie down. And this was a dog that "could not be trained"!

I cannot praise this book highly enough. It's true that Kevin's prose style sometimes gets in the way. But when you apply the exercises he describes, and understand the underlying philosophy behind them (i.e., there's no such thing as an alpha dog), it's an amazing experience. Dog training becomes more than an enjoyable experience. In my case it actually changed my life.

I first found info on Kevin's dog training theory on the web ...
then I called him and made appointment for him to meet my so called "natural
born alpha" dog, who was classified as "dominant aggressive".Only after few
minutes of talking to Kevin I realized that ALL I was told to do by previous dog
trainers and animal behaviorist, was dead wrong, and nothing worked. After about
1/2 hour of seeing what he was able to do with my dog, using his theory on dog
training, I left my dog in his care to be train by him. I went back to see my
dog only after 5 days to find out what the progress was, and to my surprise
Kevin accomplished more in those 5 days than all the so called experts did in 2
years. I could see that my dog was happy and full of life, and when I looked
into his eyes they were finally sparkling, happy and filled with joy (for all of
you that have dog, you know what I am talking about)!!! So if you don't have
option of actually having him train your dog, I highly suggest reading his book,
which I also did just so I can keep up with my dog. If you have so called
"problem dog" or you just want to train your dog by your self, this is truly the
only book that you will ever need. This book explain everything from  A-Z
on how to deal with your dog, how they think, and how you can use their
instincts to turn any dog around, and make him calm, loving friend. I seen
this theory work with my own two eyes, my dog ( that I was told to put down,
because he was classified as "unpredictable") was happily responding to Kevin's
every command, and following his every move. Kevin Behan is truly
the best dog trainer I know. Before you go to any trainer or if you are thinking
of putting your "vicious", "aggressive", or "problem" dog down, please read
Natural Dog Training book, it will defiantly open your eyes, and it will make
you realize that dogs are not the problem, but the way we train and treat our
dogs is.

...Only after few
minutes of talking to Kevin I realized that ALL I was told to do by previous dog
trainers and animal behaviorist, was dead wrong, and nothing worked. After about
1/2 hour of seeing what he was able to do with my dog, using his theory on dog
training, I left my dog in his care to be train by him. I went back to see my
dog only after 5 days to find out what the progress was, and to my surprise
Kevin accomplished more in those 5 days than all the so called experts did in 2
years. I could see that my dog was happy and full of life, and when I looked
into his eyes they were finally sparkling, happy and filled with joy (for all of
you that have a dog, you know what I am talking about)!!! So if you don't have

option of actually having him train your dog, I highly suggest reading his book,
which I also did just so I can keep up with my dog. If you have so called
"problem dog" or you just want to train your dog by your self, this is truly the
only book that you will ever need. This book explain everything from A-Z
on how to deal with your dog, how they think, and how you can use their
instincts to turn any dog around, and make him calm, loving friend. I seen
this theory work with my own two eyes, my dog ( that I was told to put down,
because he was classified as "unpredictable") was happily responding to Kevin's
every command, and following his every move. Kevin Behan is truly
the best dog trainer I know. Before you go to any trainer or if you are thinking
of putting your "vicious", "aggressive",or "problem" dog down, please read
Natural Dog Training book, it will defiantly open your eyes, and it will make
you realize that dogs are not the problem, but the way we train and treat our
dogs is.

I found this book to be extremely helpful in understanding my dog better. The author clearly articulates the right way to look at the dog and his behavior and explains how wrong ideas can lead to anger and frustration. Once I understood what was behind my dog's behavior, I was able to stop taking his actions personally and was able to respond in a calmer, gentler way. It has improved the atmosphere in my home dramatically. Stop trying to dominate your dog as his wolf pack leader and learn how to lead him as a wise human master instead.

I picked up this book after reading some blog posts by Lee Charles Kelley, that were on PsychologyToday.com. The book attempts to educate the reader about the different types of drive a dog possesses, and the motivations behind a dog's actions. Although there is a lot of discussion on this in the first half of the book, it comes together in the second half with training guidelines. The training guidelines are a little difficult to follow if you have not read it start to finish, but they work well. The lack of clarity of the instructions is a negative in my opinion. That said, I have not seen another book that addresses this type of training well.

If you are dedicated to the program, and consistent in your training, this method of training works very well. It lies somewhere between positive reinforcement (+R) and dominance, without being either. I can't stress that enough, it is NOT +R or Dominance theory, it is developing an attraction of the dog for you, and through the attraction the dog learns to follow your guidance.

I have used and am using this book as a guide in training my 9 mo. old Malinois mix.

Behan's book is currently out of print. Maybe I should say "mercifully." I found a copy on eBay. I enjoyed the first explanation of the central thesis (use the prey instinct to train you dog) for the first chapter. Then the second chapter was the same, and the third and so on. I desperately wanted to find out something PRACTICAL. Gentle reader.., go ahead and jump to page 100 when you open this book. You won't miss a thing. And Behan will tell you what you missed. How many times can you say "harmony" and "prey instinct?"

I was unable to read more than 30-40 pages of this book because of the lack of clarity in Behan's writing. While his training methods may be brilliant, I don't imagine they're substantially different from the methods of many other effective trainers, especially some old-style, highly experienced trainers. It was impossible for me to tell because of his inability to express himself clearly in writing; my stamina just ran out! I gave the book two stars only because I suspect that his ideas do have merit.

Some people who work with animals communicate better with those animals than with people. I think this may be a case in point, altho perhaps in direct conversation he's more understandable. I only wish he had used the services of a professional writer for this book. His ideas may be valuable, and, if expressed clearly, would be more accessible to readers. As it is, I have no real opinion about his theories because I just didn't have the time to wade through the tortured writing.

Seeing that Lee Charles Kelly is a protoge of his, I ordered one of his mystery novels, hoping to get more info about Behan's methods, but in a more readable form. Sadly, there was very little in the book about dog training, and I found Kelley's writing, altho clearer and more readable, sophomoric and uninteresting. Might be a good book for a high school student, but not a serious adult reader. At least not this one!

what a bunch of nonsense-- repeated over and over. Don't buy this book. I'll send you mine.