Ruff Love: A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog [Paperback]

Susan Garrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2002

A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Ruff Love program can be a lifesaver for any rescue or re-homed dog. The boundaries provide structure that builds confidence in the dog in its new environment. Without Ruff Love I doubt Meg would have survived." -- Mary Ann Kras and Meg, 4-year-old Border Collie

"The Ruff Love program gave me the tools to build a great relationship with my very independent and confident puppy. That success has been the key to the wonderful pet Lacey has become and the terrific competition dog that she is becoming." -- Anne Stocum and Lacey, 2-year-old Sheltie

"When my young dog was five months old, I had my hands full. She was extremely stimulated by motion and a bit fearful. Even in my small town, she could not function walking down the main street without lunging to the end of her leash constantly. After going through the Ruff Love program, I now have a dog that is very focused on me and can handle high levels of stimulation. We are still a work in progress but instead of having a dog unable to function in everyday life, I have a wonderful companion and performance partner." -- Kathy Keats and Mojo, 2-year-old Border Collie

From the Publisher

Internationally-known canine sports instructor and competitor, Susan Garrett, shares her incredibly successful relationship-building program. Based on her years of experience working with dogs, the Ruff Love program is designed not only to help people dealing with "problem" dogs, but to help agility, flyball, obedience, and other dog sport handlers build a better working relationship with their current competition dog or get their next puppy or rescue dog started out on the right paw.

Do you need Ruff Love?

* Is it difficult to motivate your dog to do what you want him to do, when you want him to do it?

* Is your dog "too energetic" or "too distracted" to give you his best work?

* Is your dog happy to run after squirrels in the back yard, but not willing to run on the agility course?

* Is your dog's recall effective only if there isn't something more interesting nearby?

* Is your dog willing to work only if he sees the bait bag or his favorite toy?

* Is your dog "into" toys, but won't play tug with you?

* Is your dog prone to the "zoomies" during an agility run?

If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, your relationship needs strengthening. The Ruff Love program will help you to achieve just that.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Clean Run Productions, LLC; 1st edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892694069
• ISBN-13: 978-1892694065
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #324,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars customizing the program, May 15, 2009

By 

J. Yasi (Portland Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ruff Love: A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog (Paperback)

I've been training seriously since 1996, and this book was just the shake-up I need. Susan Garett does NOT recommend crating dogs all day long! This is a program about controlling reinforcement in the environment so that as the dog shows increasing self-control, s/he earns increasing privileges. My dogs are very soft. I have a genetically shy/reactive waterdog, and a bichon (he's the toughest one!) and a formerly feral dog (a dog who was born on a beach in PR, and lived wild there for the first year of his life). For the past year, I let them sleep in my bed, on the furniture, rough house etc, and they trust me, they're happy, plus, they take me and my training opportunities for granted! Though that period of permissiveness I think was good, as they are very creative and happy and playful, now I want them to have a deeper self-control, simply because I want to give them even more privileges eventually. I want my dogs to respond dependably and instantly off leash around big distractions. I want their performance skills to snap on quickly, so that we can go new places and have fun. So this program helped me to see the times that my permissiveness is not working in our training favor. I went for a training walk today (actually doing this program isn't easy. I am training recalls three times a day! And I'm supposed to do that for at least six or seven weeks!) and when I got home instead of just letting my dog loose to play in the yard, I crated him for an hour while I worked with the other dog and had lunch. I notice that these short little crating periods during the day are making my dogs far more eager to work. It seems to help them value training periods, as the training periods are now the "best" part of their day -- rather than the part they want to rush through so they can get to dig in the garden! Garrett is asking us to shift our own "permissiveness" level in accordance with our dog's behavior, and teach dog to earn privileges rather than just beg or steal them. Every trainer will need to adapt the program according to what they have time to do, and what they really want out of their lives with their dogs.Reading her book through the lens of what I already understand about operant and classical conditioning, stimulus and response, her program is about being disciplined enough to pull unintentional reinforcements out of our training environments, and then putting those reinforcements back in when and where we want them. If you are a serious trainer, and your ultimate goal for your dog(s) is to really give your dog(s) the kind of self-control that makes a life full of privileges possible, get this book, read it and give it a try.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Ruff Love training guide, April 28, 2008

By 

StaticNFuzz "SigFritz" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ruff Love: A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog (Paperback)

The book is not too text heavy and a short read which is big plus for folks on the run. The book discusses some behaviorist concepts that may be best reviewed with a trainer for the first time dog owner or those inexperienced with training a canine companion. The guide can be used as supplemental hand book that accompanies training with a good instructor.

I found the techniques very useful for implementing a management structure to start the relationship building on the correct paw. The techniques can be as rigid or flexible as needed based on the training stage of pet, its development, temperament, and specific behavior issues to be addressed. I found the NILF backed strategies and tips a sound approach for working with the most willful of dogs. I have referred back to the book on more than one occasion for different dogs with successful results. The down side is the lack of a simple definitions glossary for training terms used in describing some of the techniques (i.e. targeting, reinforcement, extinction, trigger). Overall, it is a good book that can be paired well with a sound obedience training program with a qualified instructor.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful book, August 29, 2007

By 

K. M Merrill "justine" (Forest Grove, OR, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ruff Love: A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog (Paperback)

This is an underead book from a great trainer that is honest! I am a trainer and I use a lot of these techninues to get the spoiled dogs of the world to start listening. You can still buy this from dog wise for a reasonable price.The woman who blew it off does not have the creditals to review this book.
I wish a had a copy, mine was stolen by a client.
This is much better than "Control Unleashed".