How to Train Your American Pit Bull Terrier (How To...(T.F.H. Publications)) [Hardcover]

Liz Palika (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: TFH Publications (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793836638
• ISBN-13: 978-0793836635
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,553,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Home & Garden > Animal Care & Pets > Dogs > Training

More About the Author

Liz Palika has been writing professionally since 1985 when she was first published in DOG FANCY magazine. Since then she has written more than 65 books and more than 1,000 magazine articles and columns. She has been published in DOG FANCY, DOG WORLD, CATS, CAT FANCY, AKC GAZETTE, and other pet publications, as well as NEWSWEEK, THE SATURDAY EVENING POST and WOMEN FIRST.

Her books include PUPPY LOVE and THE KISS GUIDE TO RAISING A PUPPY; both of which are favorites with new puppy owners. THE ULTIMATE DOG TREAT COOKBOOK received rave reviews in magazines and newspapers all over the country, including USA TODAY. ALL DOGS NEED SOME TRAINING was listed by PET LIFE MAGAZINE as one of the ten best training books available to dog owners.

Liz's books have been awarded many honors. THE HOWELL BOOK OF DOGS was awarded Best Reference Book by the Dog Writers Association of America and was nominated as Best Nonfiction Book by San Diego Book Awards. AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD: CHAMPION OF VERSATILITY won Best Breed Book from Dog Writers Association of America and Best Nonfiction Book from San Diego Book Writers. SAVE THAT DOG! won best General Reference Book from Dog Writers and the First ASPCA Pet Overpopulation Answers Award from the ASPCA. Liz's work has also won awards from Cat Writers and Purina, as well as others from Dog Writers. Liz was honored with the San Diego Leadership Award, was a North County Woman of Merit, and in 2005 was awarded Dog Writers Distinguished Service Award.

Liz has an international platform to connect with her readers. Not only is her podcast, "It's a Doggy Dog World" on PetLifeRadio.com the #1 most downloaded show on that site, but she is also a blogger for the PetConnection.com.

Liz has been teaching dogs and their owners in North County San Diego for almost 25 years. Her dog training is based on an understanding of dogs and what makes them tick. Liz is a Certified Dog Trainer (CDT)and a Certified Behavioral Consultant. She is an AKC CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator #4182.

Working in Vista, California (San Diego County), Liz is the owner of Kindred Spirits Dog Training and sees more than a thousand dogs and their owners every year. Liz and her dogs, over the years have participated and trained in many dog sports, including agility, carting, conformation, herding, obedience, search and rescue, therapy dog work, and more.

Liz and her husband Paul share their home with three Australian Shepherds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Vital Beginning, March 26, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Anaheim, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Train Your American Pit Bull Terrier (How To...(T.F.H. Publications)) (Hardcover)

This was one book that deserves the title that it bears. If you or someone you know is interested in this loving, kind, intelligent, and majestic breed, then this piece of literature is DEFINITELY your cup of tea. This isn't the same old "don't do this," "do this," type of book on how to raise and train your dog. Remember, we're talking about pit bulls here. Not only does the book tell you exactly what behaviors to reward and what behaviors to correct, it tells you EXACTLY how to do it; without making your dog neurotic. Face it ladies and gentlemen, pit bulls are a different breed; not the evil killing machines they are portrayed to be in the media, but loyal, powerful, tenacious, and strong-willed dogs with a great intelligence and the capacity to do anything they put their mind to. With this book, you can be the master your pit bull has always wanted, as it shows you what life is like from a dog's perspective...

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hmm, August 8, 2006

By 

Caelan Anne ".+[Blessed Be]+." (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Train Your American Pit Bull Terrier (How To...(T.F.H. Publications)) (Hardcover)

Unfortunately, this book wasn't what I expected it to be. I have a puppy that's rambunctious, loud, stubborn and playful... I needed help learning training techniques that would help me keep me under a little more control.
What I got from this book was a lot of common sense put down in book form.

Sure, if your first dog EVER is a pitbull, this book might be helpful. However, as a person who's owned and been around dogs all of her life, the techniques and proceedures in this book are so basic as to be absurd when included in this book.

There were perhaps one or two points in the whole of the text that taught me anything, and then they weren't anything to do with obedience training.
Telling the reader to take his/her dog to obedience class was not what I was looking for in a book.

In short, the book is lacking.

It might be useful to a novice, but not to an experienced dog owner.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disapointed, June 7, 2007

By 

Roz7157 (Anoka, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Train Your American Pit Bull Terrier (How To...(T.F.H. Publications)) (Hardcover)

When I bought this book I was looking for various training techniques that have been sucessful for pit bulls. I figured a book called "How to train your american pit bull terrier" would be a perfect match for what I was looking for. The only thing I did find was a thin reference geared towards pit bulls with a tiny section reserved for training. Most of the training information consited of how to find a good trainer, not specific techniques. This book is very basic and vague and I was quite disapointed.