The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

~ Pamela S. Dennison (Author) "Positive training is precise manipulation of favorable consequences (good stuff, like food and toys) in order to get your dog to perform the behaviors you..." (more)
Key Phrases: door etiquette, opposition reflex, next time level, Canine Caveats, Doggie Data, Pooch Pointers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Spare the punishment and raise a happy, well-behaved dog …

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Positive Dog Training, Second Edition, replaces the standard punishment-based training methods that have potential consequences for puppies and limited effectiveness with older dogs. This guide demonstrates positive training methods, based on a system of rewards and encouragement, to teach basic commands and housetraining, and correct a host of problem behaviors. Readers will also learn loose-leash walking games and how to train for the American Kennel Club’s increasingly popular Canine Good Citizen test.

• Dog owners number more than 40 million in the United States, and more and more of them are giving up on punitive training methods
• One of the few dog training books that exclusively adheres to positive training methods

About the Author

Pamela Dennison, owner of Positive Motivation Dog Training, has been training dogs since 1992. After switching methods from traditional punishment-based training methods to positive training, Pam has become an expert on working with dogs with various behavioral issues. She has written a monthly column, "The Barking Lot," and authored Bringing Light to Shadow: A Story of Recovering an Aggressive Dog.

Product Details

• Paperback: 314 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 2 edition (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592574831
• ISBN-13: 978-1592574834
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #134,581 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best - Applause, Applause to the Author!, May 26, 2003

By	PARKER B BLACKWELL "I'm my own lawn man" (Grapevine, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Paperback)

I bought this book and the book called "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommons. The Kilcommons book is very good. It is probably the best "traditional" training book there is available. Very thorough and insightful. I've raised a number of dogs in my life - well, let's say they grew up with me - the training part was more the dog training me than me training the dog.

HOWEVER... This 'Idiots guide' on 'Positive Dog Training' is a breakthrough book for me. There are likely others that teach this similar method, but the organization of the book and the practical advice for "real life" won me over. The sheer logic of the book will make you question your earlier 'wisdom' especially when the author successfully identifies the results of some of your earlier training efforts. The "idiots" book is my clear winner. I bought it with skepticism, and now I'm an absolute convert. In one day, with a 9 week old puppy, day two away from mom, using cheese, lots of praise, ignoring her when she wouldn't walk, she was walking steadily beside me - no pulling forward or back. Scents and distractions aside, I was in shock. When I first put the collar and the leash on her, she acted like she was being led to slaughter. Yelping, screaming, doing flips to get away. I ignored the behavior and her, waited until she stopped. When she stopped, I praised her immediately. One more "partial episode" and that behavior stopped. After one day, she responds to my call to "come" almost every single time. In the first day - this is not normal for me...

Anyway, buy three copies of this book, one for you, one for your family, and one for the neighbor that knows all the answers about training a dog.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Dog Owner Should Read This Book!!!, January 23, 2005

By	Piper (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Paperback)

Her technique is rooted in proven psychological theories. Not only does this book introduce training that works - it also strengthens your bond with your dog in the process! Instead of fearing what will happen if they do something wrong your dog will WANT to please you! If you enjoyed this book consider subscribing to The Whole Dog Journal or read Pat Miller's books. Your dog will thank you!

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but opinionated and somewhat lacking, June 13, 2004

By	Susan L. Wyse "slwyse" (Snohomish, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Paperback)

These "positive training methods" say to NEVER reprimand your dog, even a "No!" or, "Enough!" or a leash tug is BAD, and you are being a abusive. I must disagree, when your mother told you "No!" for doing something inappropriate, did you feel abused? I didn't, a child, just like dog, needs boundaries. And one of the only ways to do that is to effectively discipline without being overbearing.

Though you should always praise your dogs for being good, using treats for EVERYTHING can not only make them fat, but can cause them to expect treats and not respond when you don't have them. The author is also rather opinionated, and feels the need to bash any kind of training method that "restricts" the dog and trains it using force, as if positive training is THE ONLY way to EVER train your dog. Which it isn't.

The author feels the need to explain why positive training is the only way for the first half of the book. The positives to this kind of training could easily be put into a much smaller space.

And what about when a dog is performing a self rewarding behavior? Like chasing the cat. You obviously cat keep the cat penned up all day, and telling the dog "No!" is abusive, and chasing a cat is a very rewarding behavior. Just ignoring it will not make it go away. Same with dumpster diving. Though you should set the dog up for success, you can't be sure 100% of the time the dog can't get into the garbage. And any kind of reprimand or correction for eating trash is deemed "abusive" and therefor wrong. And what about hierarchy? If you simply fawn all over your dogs they will think you belong to them. You should not simply reward a dog for every good deed. The author does not even touch on how to passively dominate your dog(such as eating before the dog, not giving him anything for free, etc.), when this book is simply setting up a dominate dog to feel more dominant over it's human companion. Which can lead to very troublesome issues.

Proffesionally trained dogs that act almost perfect have been taught with both reprimands and rewards. Such as seeing eye dogs, police dogs, and hearing dogs. I have never met a perfectly well trained dog using JUST positive training methods, there have been some sort of reprimand, whether physical or verbal.

Though this book does have some good information, the author is highly opinionated and at some points blatantly wrong. It's a good read, but I'd advise doing more extensive research.