Customer Reviews

When Pigs Fly!: Training Success with Impossible Dogs

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As the owner, partner and guardian of a 'difficult' breed I was enthralled as I read the great advice in this book. For those of us who are training-idea-challenged when working with one of the so called 'hard to train' breeds this book is jam packed with superb tips and explanations, many of which positive reinforcement / clicker trainers will recognize. I particularly liked the section on using breed tendencies to create the behaviours you want rather than always trying to suppress them or replace them with something less comfortable and natural for the dog. The step by step photos are excellent no, ... exceptional and the Piggy Pointers throughout sparkling gems some of which gave me 'duh, of course' moments. Loved it, would recommend it to other 'impossible dog' owners (pun intended).

Not sure if your dog might be an independent thinker? Then you may not have a dog from the terrier or hound group. :-) This would include a mixed breed dog with one or more of these in the mix.

Jane nicely brings in teachings from Jean Donaldson, Pamela Dennison, Karen Pryor and Morgan Spector, into a format that is easy to understand and implement with your 'pigs fly' dog(s). Jane explains why you want to start out with shaping rather than just lure your dog into a behavior. How to get your 'pigs fly' to do work with you rather than do their own thing.

Learn how to get those basic behaviors that may have made your 'pigs fly' dog a failure in class and help you both shine in the next dog class you both take.

Thought that agility looked like fun but you were afraid to trust your dog offleash?

Your dog is walking you rather than the other way around?

Get this book and have fun training your 'pigs fly' dog.

I've read about a thousand training books, some really good, but none good enough to inspire me to write a review. Until this one. I'm raising my first Pigs Fly dog, and even though I'd read a lot about positive training techniques and nothing in this book is really new to me, the focus on this KIND of dog is so helpful. Over and over again Killion would write "I bet your dog does this," or "I bet you've had a hard time training that," and I would think "Yes! That's totally my dog! Someone understands!" Killion leaves out the stuff that doesn't work on these dogs (any approach that relies on their desire to please you, since that's not a huge motivation for them), which helps to avoid the frustration of trying that stuff and failing. She really emphasizes how to figure out what does motivate them (and why) and work with that. The result is effective, but more than that, it's an attitude readjustment. Instead of having a dog who "just doesn't get it," I now have a dog who works differently from my previous ones, and the tools to figure out how he works, and the ability to appreciate his creativity and sense of humor and independence so much more fully now that I'm not fighting them all the time. This book brought a whole new level of harmony and enthusiasm to my relationship with my crazy new coonhound-mix puppy, and we can't thank Jane Killion enough for that.

First, I have to take issue with snarky reviewers complaining "same old clicker stuff". I have literally dozens of training and behavior books and yes, some cover clicker training but NONE of them address the detailed specifics of how to get my type of dogs to respond and KEEP their attention . Breaking down each step in pictures and detailed explanation eliminated the knowledge gaps from other books.

Even though I bought and studied those other books, eventually I just plain gave up. My dogs weren't motivated by food, praise, or toys and greyhounds care even less than your average cat about what you want. I figured I was lucky they had natural manners and were very easy to walk.

Then we added our first rescue bull terrier. Walking her was like trying to play soccer with a bowling ball so I cracked open the books only to once again be frustrated and unsuccessful. We simply stopped walking her with any of the other dogs, but when we added two more rescues, a bully-pit mix pup and later a pit bull, solo walks were just no longer possible. But we HAD to walk them, so when I saw this book with a picture of what could be my own LucyLiu soaring across the cover, I was elated.

Turns out there was nothing wrong with the other books except that they were written for collies, shepherds, retrievers...dogs bred to look to people all day, every day, just dying to be told what to do next and thrilled to repeat things endlessly. "Pigs Fly" dogs have been bred to think and act independently, as anyone who has one knows very well. No wonder we were so frustrated!

Now I can walk all four (over 250lbs of muscle) at once! This book broke everything down very thoroughly and explained the "why" and "when" of each step. It's suitable for beginners and offers plenty of information for standard necessities (sit, heel, lie down, etc) as well as some agility movements. Most importantly she teaches you HOW to adapt the techniques to whatever YOU want to do using what motivates YOUR dog, always using positive reinforcement methods. Aggressive, harsh techniques aren't appropriate for physically powerful yet emotionally sensitive breeds and it's wonderful to find an effective manual that understands that. It's also great to see photos of your type of dog doing things you never imagined possible.

My dogs and I loved the beginner box exercise and I really like how targeting was presented, neither of which ever explained in a practical way before. My greyhound is very large and enthusiastic greeter but won't sit for long because he misses out getting to say "hi". But allowing him to jump and aim his nose at an outstretched hand is a creative solution that's very satisfying for him and keeps guests safe.

Great book, whether or not you have a "Pigs Fly" dog. If you want to clicker train, the way it's presented here makes it very, very simple and clear.

Other reviewers have pretty much said it all-- there's a good and very approachable intro to clicker training in this book, and I loved the emphasis on fun games to play with your dog and teaching your dog to like playing with you. (That's been a key insight with my whippet.) What I especially liked was the contagious enthusiasm which the author obviously has for her "Pigs Fly" dogs. It's a book that makes you feel happy about having one, instead of mildly insane like the rest of the world might think. ;-)

Jane Killion knows about dogs. she lives with a houseful of Bull Terriers, she breeds them, she contributes to dog publications, and her home is the place where people gather together with their dogs for training sessions. Now in "When Pigs Fly!: Training Success With Impossible Dogs", Killion draws upon her many years of personal experience and sophisticated expertise to create a dog training manual that is particularly 'user friendly' and appropriate for the non-specialist general reader seeking to train their animal companion when that companion has a non-compliant mind of its own. Killion's key to training success with independent or seemingly incorrigible dogs is to figure out what they find rewarding and then use those rewards to establish and maintain the behavior desired. "When Pigs Fly!" will teach anyone how to make their dog to willing behave for a reward instead of trying to get away with mischief. Simply stated -- if you have a difficult dog who has heretofore resisted training, the you need your own copy of Jane Killion's "When Pigs Fly!: Training Success With Impossible Dogs".

Those who have not given up on their "difficult" dog will welcome this book with open arms, for at long last author Jane Killion teaches us that with the right methods even the most obstinate creature can be trained. Written in an engaging style, the book takes us through all the stages of training from the very basics to addressing even the most difficult problems. The book is extremely well illustrated and laid out, providing an excellent source of reference and is essential reading for those who want a more acceptable companion. An essential read!

It feels like a summer romp through highly amusing tales, inside tips, and fun exercises, but WHEN PIGS FLY has changed me, and my dogs.

I've shed some foolish notions and inconsiderate habits, and the dogs are glad about that. Now they are so sweetly eager when a training session is in the wind. New lines of communication are opening to us.

Well-written and indispensable. This book will surely be regarded as a classic.

As an active trainer, competitor and instructor I read virtually every training and behavior book that comes out. And as of right now this one is my #1 recommendadtion for ALL of my students - regardless of breed.

This is not just a book for owners of difficult dogs. It is a well written, very readable, and at times humorus overview of the entire process of training and living with a dog - any dog.

Jane does a masterful job of explaining operant conditioning and clicker training techniques in simple, understandable terms. She incorporates these techniques into training exercises and games and teaches the reader how to integrate training into day to day activites (which is essential for anyone working a difficult breed, as well as anyone training ther dogs to perform at the higest levels in Obedience, Agility, Rally or other dog activities).

She also provides much perspective into what the world looks like from the dogs point of view and offers real advice on how to address the problems that arise when the dog's view of the world doesn't match the handler's expectations. Wile reading this book I had several "ah ha!" moments where Jane's well communicated insight made me reconsider how I deal with some specific training challenges. I can honestly say that I learned more practical techniques and gained more insight into the trainig process than I have from teh last 30 training books I've read.

I'd put this right up there on my top 5 must read books for any dog owner and any serious competion trainer.

This book is aces! The author gives her own approach to training, which is solidly based on contemporary techniques. She goes into much detail about how to clicker-train, but even if you choose not to use a clicker, there is good information here.

Though the book is directed toward the author's preference in dogs--not easy ones!--the methods are also solid for easily-trained dogs. The fact is, few dogs are easily trained without a glitch now and then! She does a really good job of giving insights into how some of the "Impossible Dogs" think, and why they were bred to think that way.

She also gives insights into why more easily trained dogs are more easily trained. She says--and I strongly suspect she is right!--that easily trained dogs are not necessarily more intelligent. You just have to learn what motivates the "Impossible Dogs." And this book will tell you how, very clearly.