Customer Reviews

Positive Gun Dogs: Clicker Training for Sporting Breeds (Karen Pryor Clicker Books)

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

 

 

Extremely disappointing. Decide for yourself, but in my opinion, this book is useless if you are looking for real positive clicker/gun dog training techniques, solutions and instruction. I was left wondering if the author had actually trained a GUN DOG with a clicker. It is an okay book for learning how to train your gun dog puppy to do basic obedience. The positive gun dog concept is great and one I encourage, but the book certainly does not live up to its own title.

I bought this book at the recommendation of dog trainers that said e-collars weren't necessary for a bird dog. The author states in several places that he hasn't tried these new techniques, but they "should" work on a dog. Come on, do some research before you write a book. Then give examples of how it "did" work rather than how it "might" work. The book also has some annoying printing errors. In some places the letters "ie" didn't print. So Field becomes f ld, etc. I ordered a replacement book for the printing error, but it had the same problem so I sent both books back for a refund.

This book does help open the door to training gun dogs with the clicker, which I am very much in favor of. However the book could be a little better organized and less theory oriented. I found the chapter that addresses the conditioned retrieve to be a bit weak, and I have yet to be convinced that the clicker will ever be a truly reliable replacement for electronics. I belive that it is a great tool to introduce cues to a dog, and that many behaviors can be shaped with the clicker. But let's be realistic here; A field full of wild pheasants will always be much more enticing to a gun dog than a piece of hotdog.

I recently purchased this book and really, really enjoyed it. The training principles are sound and based on fact, not blindly following tradition. The book assumes that the reader is new to the sport and does a good job of explaining things a newbie might not understand, such as the different roles that different breeds play in the field, what equipment is required, and where to find more information. The chapter on record keeping is excellent! This book far exceeded my expectations.