Remembering to Breathe: Inside Dog Obedience Competition [Paperback]

Willard Bailey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 2003

Honeybear and Skippy stumble into the high-intensity world of American Kennel Club dog obedience competition as the most clueless of neophytes. They share a life-defining adventure in pursuit of the "Holy Grail" of dog sports. Their odyssey is an emotional roller coaster -- a succession of cliffhangers resulting from injuries, training crises, performance curve balls and the mine field called the competition ring. Along the way there are underlying conflicts: about training philosophies and methods, with members of the lowlife fringe of the obedience community and, indeed, internal conflicts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Infinity Publishing (December 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0741418606
• ISBN-13: 978-0741418609
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #585,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stayed up 'til 2am..., April 13, 2004

By 

Madeleine Phelps (GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remembering to Breathe: Inside Dog Obedience Competition (Paperback)

...I just couldn't wait to find out if HB and Skippy acheived their OTCH - this book is a real rollercoaster, I actually cried at the end. It's as much a love story of a man and his dog, as it is a fascinating look into the world of dog training the obedience ring. Willard (aka Skippy) writes with a benign humor and wit, it's very readable & informal.

If, like me, you are entering the world of competitive dog obedience, this book isn't only a pretty good obedience primer (I got some great tips), it will make you feel much more confident about going into the ring. I loved this book, and so far have loaned to to one friend (who read it in a day and also loved it) and a second friend who is reading it now.
I highly recommend it, could you tell?

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only read one book on dog training...read this one!!!, July 12, 2005

By 

Karen Thompson "apprentice dog trainer...." (Eau Claire, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Remembering to Breathe: Inside Dog Obedience Competition (Paperback)

I have recently become very interested in AKC Obedience dog training. I have a 14 month-old Golden Retriever and she and I have been training for 10 months now. I have acquired a collection of books on training techniques and such but have very high regard for only a few. This book is at the top of that list. It is more of a story than a training manual, but buried within it are many "pearls of wisdom" that I know will prove invaluable in my pursuit of AKC titles. This book is superbly written with such emotion and dedication that it is very difficult to put down. I was drawn into it even further as I began to read it and saw my own mistakes and my own experiences actually mirrored in Mr. Bailey's words. It has given me renewed confidence that anyone can do well in this sport if you persevere and have faith in yourself and your dog. Like Mr. Bailey and Honeybear, Katie and I totally blew our first AKC Novice level show. It left me feeling like hanging it all up until I found and read this book. The other thing that Willard comments on are the types of people that one encounters on this journey. Oh and how true it is. It is so good to read about these experiences and understand that there are people out there that can help you and also people that will try to hinder you. Willard so eloquently and wittingly points out how to tell the difference. I still get goosebumps when I think back on reading this book and the bond that forms between Mr. Bailey and Honeybear. She is not only his working partner, but also his lifelong companion and devoted friend. Please, read this book!!! You will be enchanted with it like I was!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing insider's story, spirited and revealing, November 7, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remembering to Breathe: Inside Dog Obedience Competition (Paperback)

How do dog obedience competitions work? Willard Bailey provides a fine survey of dog obedience competition in Remembering To Breathe: Inside Dog Obedience Competition. A blend of first person memoir and experiences in the world of the American Kennel Club dog obedience routines, this is a fine guide which covers everything from ethics and training philosophies to OTCH points and bad apples in obedience training. An intriguing insider's story, spirited and revealing.