Teaching the Dog to Think: My Year of Dog Agility Training with My Collie, Willow [Paperback]

Kimberly Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 20, 2011

TEACHING THE DOG TO THINK is Kimberly Davis’ engaging memoir about her crash introduction to the sport of dog agility—with its jumps, tunnels, balance beams and weave poles. An award-winning poet and blogger, Davis vividly describes her frustrations trying to get her dog to “mind.” We then watch as her first steely-eyed agility coach shames her into giving up choke collars and scruff shakes in favor of the “positive” training methods used by agility instructors. Davis’ breezy, often humorous account shows how these new techniques allow her to communicate with the “alien” mind of a dog. Also how they transform her unruly yearling collie, Willow, into a loyal, hardworking teammate. Davis ultimately carries the lessons she has mastered in dog training class into other areas of her life, particularly into parenting and teaching creative writing. In the end, this memoir becomes a soul-searching exploration of how to get others to do what we want without bullying or cruelty—by using our heads and forcing ourselves to be a little smarter. A subtly subversive book about dealing responsibly with those less powerful than ourselves, Teaching The Dog To Think speaks not only to dog lovers, but also to anyone who has ever felt helpless, angry, or frustrated as a parent, teacher or pet owner. "You MUST read this book if you have children or pets, and want to change their behavior without coercion!"--Richard McManus, Founder and President, The Fluency Factory "An interesting story of how switching to clicker training vastly improved one agility fan's dog and also changed her own approach to family life."--Karen Pryor, author of Don't Shoot the Dog and Reaching the Animal Mind "A wonderful entry point for anyone learning about these important new methods for teaching skills and enhancing creativity."--Catherine S. Mayes, Independent Autism Advocate and Autism Project Advocate, Massachusetts Advocates for Children

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A skilled writer, Davis tells her tale with intimacy as she casually converses with her reader…In her kind, cheerful treatment, she expresses honest thoughts about her own perceived shortcomings as a pet owner, as highlighted by the training experience. Through the detailed examination of Davis’ experience, readers will not only comprehend her expanded knowledge of spirit and soul, but also her feelings of failure and, most significantly, her reinforced attachment to her pet…In the end, Davis’s memoir is as much about the human spirit as it is about dog training [and is] an enjoyable look at the connection between people and their dogs.

Review

A spirited, lighthearted foray into agility training . . . A skilled writer, Davis tells her tale with intimacy . . . a worthy read.--Kirkus 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Climbing Ivy Press (December 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0983449201
• ISBN-13: 978-0983449201
• Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 5.2 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #622,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

KIMBERLY DAVIS is an award-winning poet and the author of the poetry chapbook Alchemies of Loss, and of the memoir Teaching the Dog to Think about her crash encounter with dog agility training. She was the winner of the 2009-2010 James Wright Poetry Award, and won First Prize in Poetry and the Benefactor's Prize at the 2007 Whidbey Island Writers Conference. Davis is also a blogger, and writes Kim's Craft Blog, a blog about creative writing craft and the writing life. She lives in Hingham, Massachusetts with her husband Steve and son Daniel.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book about dogs, dog training, personal growth and love February 20, 2012

By Ursula Wong

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a beautifully written story about a collie named Willow and his handler, author and teacher Kim Davis, during a year of change. The story begins with Willow attending an agility training class, where he learns to navigate obstacles such as walking on an elevated plank. This type of obedience training rewards desired behavior as opposed to older methods that advocate controlling the dog with for example, a pull to the choke collar.
Kim discusses the reward method in detail as Willow becomes a more responsive and obedient dog. She comes to understand how and why the technique works and she applies its principles to her own life. She gives her son time for a favorite hobby when he finishes homework as opposed to demanding it be done now, as many of us parents do. She applies the technique to her creative writing students by singling out good writing and having them "do more of this", in order to coax new levels of accomplishment.
The story is funny, heartwarming, and thought provoking. It winds along many surprising and pleasurable paths. It offers information we can use in our own lives to become more thoughtful people. Read the book and take a walk with Kim along the road of self-discovery, through the woods of south coastal Massachusetts, the scent of the sea in the air, with Willow running ahead but looking back for guidance on which way to turn.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful about dogs and people! January 21, 2012

By Daniel M. Jaffe

Format:Paperback

This book is certainly an enjoyable and well-written read about the relationship between human and canine. But it's more than that, too--it's also a thought-provoking examination of relationships in general, how to coax the best from others while being true to self.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Really liked this book June 17, 2012

By Cat Lady

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book and I don't even have a dog. I started reading it because the subject was intriguing. I do believe that animals have their own intelligence and that we can communicate with them. I loved the emphasis on reward/positive reinforcement and it confirmed my teacher husband's talk about this. Unlike a few readers, I found the author's admissions of problems dealing with control issues and the need to excel rather informative, and I think her brave to admit them. And I particularly enjoyed how she used rewards with her son. All in all Definitely worth a read.