What All Good Dogs Should Know: The Sensible Way to Train [Paperback]

Jack Volhard (Author), Melissa Bartlett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2008

The bestselling dog training book is now completely updated, but still refreshingly uncomplicated. A practical guide to positive training techniques for your puppy or older dog, it covers basic commands, includes information about walking on a leash, housetraining, and other “good dog” behaviors, and covers ways to correct objectionable behaviors. It even addresses issues common to rescue and shelter dogs, including shyness and insecurity. A new chapter on the canine personality profile helps you understand your dog better.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While such recent entries into the dog obedience market as Linda Colflesh's Making Friends , Bashkim Dibra's Dog Training by Bash and the Monks of New Skete's The Art of Raising a Puppy wow the canine-happy with authorial charm and painstaking thoroughness, this volume aims to please by virtue of its succinct, pared-down approach. Volhard and Bartlett, the author and illustrator, respectively, of Teaching Dog Obedience Classes , march the reader through exercises designed to produce a ``good'' dog: i.e., one that is housetrained, comes when called, has no bad habits, stays when told and does not pull when walked. However, they may overestimate their audience. Only a novice owner who is endowed with unusual powers of deduction will be able to fruitfully apply directions like ``Distract and do something pleasant for the dog.'' Devotees of training manuals, on the other hand, may pick up some worthwhile tips: reinforce your status as leader by having the dog sit and stay when you need to open the door. Illustrations not seen by PW.

Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

The Bestselling dog training book—completely updated, but still refreshingly uncomplicated

Apractical guide to positive dog training, What All Good Dogs Should Know: The Sensible Way to Train forgoes philosophy and fluff and quickly gets to the how-tos. With a conversational, easy-to-understand approach, this expanded, revised second edition:

• Covers basic commands, including "Leave It"

• Includes information about walking on a leash, housetraining, and other "good dog" behaviors

• Features a new chapter on the canine personality profile to help you understand your dog better

• Addresses issues common to rescue and shelter dogs, including shyness and insecurity

• Covers ways to correct objectionable behaviors

Punctuated with original cartoon drawings and real-life examples, this book gives you proven techniques for training a puppy or an older dog. You will learn how to establish yourself as the leader of the pack and help your dog become a great companion.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House; 2 edition (February 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470146796
• ISBN-13: 978-0470146798
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #308,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for the Animal Training Impaired!, July 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What All Good Dogs Should Know: The Sensible Way to Train (Howell Reference Books) (Paperback)

I have never trained a dog before and know little to nothing about training puppies or dogs. My daughter (a real dog/animal lover) just got an impossible dog that my husband and I were considering ridding our house of, when my neighbor gave us this truly honest and complete book on how dogs think and the appropriate training for them to be good pets. We had no clue how to turn our nightmare around without devastating our child. The book is written so clearly and the procedures are so affective, Little Rosa is slowly becoming a part of our family and will probably stay with us for the long term. Unlike most training manuals, this book explains exactly what is happening in the dog's mind and what is expected. If the book is closely followed the dog enjoys the guiding and will be kept safe, and the owners will enjoy the dog. Highly recommended for anyone that hasn't got a clue how dogs should be treated to obtain likeable pets. Thank you to the Mantell family for giving us this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book should be required reading for all dog owners!, October 14, 1998

By 

K. Pattison "dog lady" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What All Good Dogs Should Know: The Sensible Way to Train (Howell Reference Books) (Paperback)

This book has been adopted as the manual for many obedience classes. I've been teaching dog obedience for years, and this book is my most useful tool. It expains most aspects of owning a dog, in easy to understand terms. I recommend it highly, and give it to all of my clients. The pictures are GREAT and very funny.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The absolute best book for a new dog owner., January 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: What All Good Dogs Should Know: The Sensible Way to Train (Howell Reference Books) (Paperback)

This book gives the new dog owner a humorous and commonsense way to train a new puppy. The authors take the dog's eye view of training and help the trainer to see what they are doing from the dog's perspective. The cartoons are excellent and as I have found out the Volhard method works like no other!