Teamwork [Spiral-bound]

Lydia Kelley (Author), Stew Nordensson (Author), Stuart Gellman (Editor), Scott Ash (Photographer)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 096562160X | ISBN-13: 978-0965621601 | Publication Date: December 1997

TEAMWORK is a dog training manual written specifically for people with disabilities to be able to train their own dog to assist them as a service dog in their daily lives. TEAMWORK teaches our method of positive reinforcement training, canine behavior and basic obedience training. The next step, teaching your dog the service exercises, such as retrieving dropped objects, turning on lights, etc. are taught in TEAMWORK II. Both books are also available on VHS & DVD demonstrating the same techniques step-by-step using both trained and untrained dogs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Everyone who deals with people and dogs should have at least two copies of TEAMWORK. -- William E. Campbell, Off-Lead Magazine, July 1999

Specific instructions are given for those who are ambulatory, those who use power wheelchairs and those at stages in-between. -- Quest Magazine, 1998

TEAMWORK brings hope to large numbers of people who want a dog but thought they couldn't handle (the training). -- Petdogs magazine, 1998

About the Author

Lydia Kelley has been a professional trainer for 25+ years. She is the Training Director for TOP DOG, a non-profit service dog program that teaches disabled individuals how to train their own service dogs.Stew Nordensson (1937-1999)was severly handicapped with Cerebral Palsy but still became expert at dog training and canine behavior. Stew trained more than 50 service dogs throughout his life and obtained numerous obedience degrees with his furry companions.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Spiral-bound
• Publisher: Top Dog Pubns (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096562160X
• ISBN-13: 978-0965621601
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #913,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Service Dog Training for the Disabled, September 25, 2005

By 

Claudia J. Hill (Aguila, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teamwork (Spiral-bound)

Teamwork and Teamwork II by Lydia Kelley are excellent resources for disabled people who need a service dog and have the need and desire to train their own. The system is based on that used by Top Dog, a nonprofit service dog training organization in Tucson, Arizona. They would also be extrememly useful for someone who wanted to train a service dog for a disabled friend or relative.

All methods have been adapted for use by people with varying degrees of disability. For example, some people don't have the dexterity to put on their dog's collar and harness; the books explain how to train a dog to assist in tacking up.

Teamwork addresses the obedience skills needed by a service dog who will be taken into public place (restaurants, malls, shops, grocery stores, etc) Teamwork II addresses special skills that the dog will need to help his disabled partner. Pulling a wheelchair, picking up dropped items, helping a fallen partner to rise, fetching help when needed and many other skills are taught.

I am a disabled person who is teaching her own service dog and these books have been invaluable to me. I highly recommend them.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Disabled people CAN train their own dogs!, December 27, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Kent, Washington, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teamwork (Spiral-bound)

This book is invaluable if you have a disability, and want to train your own dog in basic obedience. Stew and Lydia explain how to train a dog if you are in a wheelchair, or use crutches.

Even if you have no movement of your limbs, you can train your dog, with equipment that you can get built or buy.

This book is invaluable for anyone who is disabled, and wants to train their own dog.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teamwork, September 19, 2004

By 

P. Brady - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teamwork (Spiral-bound)

This book focuses on rewarding the positive and ignoring the negtive responses toward our canine friends. There's no hitting with a newspaper, no yelling & screaming, no negative or hurtful reactions. The authors show us that we can be more successful with positive reinforcement coupled with rewards. This is so much more humane: your dog will bond with you out of love and affection not out of fear and anxiety. It's the best way to make you and your helping dog a dependable and committed team. The book is clear, insightful and a wonderful contribution to those of us who thought we couldn't have a helper dog.