Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
refreshing in this pc world, April 15, 2008
I basically like this book...basically. It's definitely a four star volume, but I have a problem with words like "never." For example, Duno says that to be the pack leader, never let your dogs sleep on your bed because height is associated with a dog's position in the pack. That's true...but...if everything you do places you at he head of the pack, then sleeping at the same height as your dog is perfectly ok. Same is true of feeding table scraps (which is a whole separate discussion involving nutrition). My dogs sleep on my bed and they have no doubts as to who is lead dog. On the other hand if your dog sleeps on your bed even if you don't want it to, then you have a problem. What all of this comes down to is whether or not you are in charge or your dog. My suggestion is to read the book with the intent of understanding why he is telling you what to do rather than following his rules without thinking about them. Sadly, the dogs that really need to be "put in their place" won't be because Muffy or Buffy or Cutsy won't be corrected for bad behavior, because "I love my dog and I could never do that." So the dogs growl at visitors, are out of control and are spoiled little brats.
One of the best sections of the book is on people who gently caress their dogs or coo at them with quiet admonitions while the dog is growling at a visitor, another dog, a cat or whatever. Duno correctly points out that you are praising bad behavior. I see this all the time at the vet's waiting room. When he begins his discussion on obedience is where we differ,and, at the risk of being dismissed as a Neanderthal, I still feel that for obedience training the best book ever written is The Koehler Method of Dog Training. It may be out of print, but it should be readily available used.
Some minor faults. With all the "call it what it is" that Duno writes about, he wooses out on choke chains. He calls them slip collars and tries to defend them as not hurting the dog, not cutting off their air supply and so on. They are choke chains and sometimes their use will hurt and they are the dog's hearing aid so that you can effectively communicate with the dog. I love dogs, I rescue dogs and I train dogs. Big dogs, abused dogs, dogs with big teeth. Often the choice is some "firm" clear direction or euthanasia. Then there is the mention of head collars. I don't like them and they are dangerous. Just google them and read the negative articles. Obviously, a dog that doesn't pull or doesn't pull hard will be ok with any form of collar, but a dog that makes strong, abrupt moves can hurt their necks. These dog "bridles" obviously are derived from horse bridles. Look at a horse's neck and then look at a dog's neck...Finally, the book doesn't stress that all techniques are not appropriate for all dogs. He does, to be fair, mention that tug-of-war toys should not be used for aggressive dogs, but are ok for submissive or fearful dogs. But more should be said about the other techniques - when to use them when not to. I would not train my daughter's toy poodle the way I would work with a 110-pound abused German Shepherd or a 30 pound Siberian Husky puppy. Of course, most books don't differentiate either so Duno's is no worse on this account. But all in all this gets four stars because it's clear Duno knows what he is talking about, he gets high marks for telling you why he is telling you to do what to do and he tells you what your probably doing wrong and he writes very well. Should be part of a dog lover's library.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dog lovers, save your money!, June 13, 2008
I am a dog lover so I do a lot of reading on everything related to dogs, just for my own enjoyment and to learn different viewpoints. And I have learned that they are merely "viewpoints" and that's all.
This book had some interesting nuggets of information but unfortunately they were delivered with a lot of derisiveness and a frustrating judgemental attitude.
Right away, dog owners are separated into good owners ("natural dog owners" that follow all his advice) and bad dog owners (which he labels "coddlers"). The author feels that dogs of coddlers supposedly are not living the lifestyle they really desire and deep down are very unhappy, which is manifested with rude manners and destructive behavior.
First of all, I hate labels. People can't all be judged as one way or another. I really disagree with this. According to his analysis, I fall more into the category of a coddler. Why? Because I show my dog LOTS of affection, let her sleep on my lap or on my bed, comfort her during thunderstorms when she gets scared, buy her special toys, take her everywhere I go including vacations, put a sweater on her when it gets cold, etc. etc. He makes it seem that all of that is bad. And what does my dog do back for me? She helped ease my empty nest syndrome when my only child went off to college 5 hours away, she keeps me active, she gives me focus, she lavishes me with unconditional love, she makes me laugh, she keeps me happy. I cannot disagree more that she is deep down unhappy. She radiates happiness and joy. We went through obedience classes and also do agility classes together and I know she recognizes me as the leader.
I do not believe in choke collars and other methods that cause pain, discomfort, and fear. For us, a good obedience class, lots of socialization as a young pup, lots of togetherness, and kind gentle methods of training have developed into an excellent human/canine relationship and mutual respect.
Anothing thing that bothered me was that he recommends the crate as a punishment. If the dog does something wrong we're supposed to put them into their crate and ignore them for 15 minutes. Doesn't it seem that this technique would only make them dislike their crate? I feel that the crate is a secure cozy "den" for a dog - not something to be used as a punishment!!! And what happens when you have to have your dog in a crate during grooming, boarding, sickness, etc.? The dog will think he/she is being punished!
One paragraph in the book is particularly disturbing - when he advises owners of geriatric dogs with incontinence issues that they should be moved to an outside pen with concrete floor. Although he says this may be hard on dogs in areas with cold winters. YA THINK??????
Advice like this makes me bristle. What kind of heartless "expert" recommends putting an old dog outside to live in a concrete pen? Old dogs need lots of special care after giving us a lifetime of love, NOT be paid back by making them live out their days alone outside in a cold, hard, concrete pen.
In fact, in several areas of the book he gives advice for owners of "penned" or "outside" dogs. Not a word is said about discouraging this sort of uncaring way to keep a dog. And it has been my observation that folks who keep their dogs penned outside are not usually buying books to improve their dogs' lives.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book for dog owners, March 20, 2008
Steve Duno has always been my hero when it comes to dogs and dog training. His book with Nancy Baer, Choosing A Dog, is my bible on breeds, their postitives and their negatives. His second book, again with Nancy Baer, Leader of the Pack, is my bible for living with my six dogs. Now Be The Dog goes further and gives me even more important knowledge of how a dog thinks, reacts, and shares a home with humans. A must for any dog owner or someone contemplating getting their first dog.
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