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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
Solid, relationship-based training advice
McMains is a dog lover, first and foremost. He takes great pains to emphasize that dogs are friends and comrades, not employees or slaves, and should be treated with the respect and love they deserve. In the heat of training, many people (even many trainers) seem to forget that the reason they originally got a dog was not to do a straight sit or a snappy recall, but...
Published on June 5, 1997
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15 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Don't let the title fool you
The sub-title of this book, "Rapport-Based Training," made me give it a try, even though I do not employ force-based training methods. I do, however, try to give everyone a fair shake.
However, there were some things in this book -- which is full of hypocrisy, BTW -- that turned my blood cold. His inclusion in puppy testing of checking for pain sensitivity...
Published on March 10, 2005 by citywulf
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
Solid, relationship-based training advice, June 5, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
McMains is a dog lover, first and foremost. He takes great pains to emphasize that dogs are friends and comrades, not employees or slaves, and should be treated with the respect and love they deserve. In the heat of training, many people (even many trainers) seem to forget that the reason they originally got a dog was not to do a straight sit or a snappy recall, but rather to fill out their world with a new friend. I don't know a friend in existence who would tolerate what some trainers advocate in the name of "training."
His method is not compulsion-free, but it is centered around the dog VOLUNTEERING behaviors, rather that being yanked/forced into them repeatedly. He discusses how to use the dog's natural compulsions/drives to encourage the behaviors the team is shooting for, as well as ways of solidifying those responses under REALISTIC distraction conditions.
The most telling point about the book's organization is that it doesn't adhere slavishly to the standard AKC Novice routines, but rather focuses on skills and attitudes that the non-competitor will find most necessary/useful around the home, which is where all dogs, competitor or not, spend most of their time. Make no mistake, a McMains-trained dog will reach its full competitive potential, but McMains' focus is where it should be, on the 99.9% of the dog's life spent outside the ring.
In a world where millions of dogs are put to sleep in shelters each year, primarily for "temperament problems" (which can be interpreted as the owner crying "I don't know how to deal with this dog!"), a book with this much compassion and intelligent information on how to understand and relate to your own dog is invaluable. The problem is not that there are too many dogs in this country, it's that there are too many OUT OF CONTROL dogs in this country.
If McMains has his way, that won't be the case forever.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
TOPS!!!, February 6, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
***** Outstanding! Dog Logic provides readers with an excellent guide on obedience training for practical purposes. McMains' rapport-based methods are based on mutual respect between owner and dog, and his love for our best friend is evident throughout the book. Author McMains explains how to appeal to your dog's drives and instincts in order to become the animal's pack leader. He encourages readers to train "at the dog's level of understanding," and reminds that "rapport is critical." Anyone can force a dog to be obedient, but McMains shows you how to have your dog respond out of a desire to please you. This is where McMains' insights help you to think like your dog and understand canine logic.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Great Book, August 23, 1999
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
Dog Logic: This is a book clearly created for easy to follow instructions in dog training! Your dog will come away trained and still want to keep company with you. It has all the instructions needed to train your home pet. I applaud, Joe M. McMains for his guildence and understanding of mans best friend.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Dog Logic, August 7, 2000
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
I train owners to train their dogs as a supplament to my income. I also do it as a way to improve the quality of life for both the canine and the owner. Dog Logic is like a required "Text Book" for my classes. Yes I am partial to Joel's style and techniques. I am also proof that they work. My experiece with Joe's training methods were personal and resulted in a dog that was a Champion in Two states for 4-H; Also one that was the envy of anyone that met him. Dog Logic is a realistic approach to training and understanding your K9 compainion. With this book and individual comes away with a new insight and understanding of their best friend. This book also helps the owner of a dog develop a better relationship with their pet as a result of love, understanding and training.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
This book is amazing!, May 13, 2001
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
I love Joel McMain's books. The training technique is great, and just as important, his attitude towards the dogs is superb! Throughout the book he reminds you not to get caught up in training for training's sake and forget about who's on the other end of the leash. I especially like how he explains how and why this particular technique works, and how he mentions that this technique isn't the only one that works. The anecdotes at the end of the book also help with understanding the way dogs think. And alternate ways to train are given throughout the book, for those few dogs that don't respond to this method. Get this one, you won't be sorry!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
An Outstanding Approach to Canine/Human interaction, April 13, 1999
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
Dog Logic is the book I'd recommend if you were going to get only one dog training book. McMains teaches the reader to see the world from a dog's eye view and learn to communicate and build a relationship based on mutual respect. It is practical, down to earth, and enjoyable reading.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
PROBABLY THE FINEST BOOK OF ITS TYPE, April 3, 2003
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
"Dog Logic" was a brilliant piece of work, penned by a master dog handler in hopes of bettering the lot of his canine buddies. Far too many people own dogs who shouldn't, either due to ignorance, laziness, or just plain nastiness. Mister McMains realizes this, and knows that the answer to the problem can be summed up in a single word: RAPPORT. If you objectify an animal, as (unfortunately) does the overwhelming majority of dog trainers, you may be able to get your dog to perform tricks and obey commands, but that deeper connection will not be present. If, like most owners, you simply think of your dog(s) as nothing more than a "pet for the kids," "something to bark at a doorknob rattler," or even "a creature that lives to eat, shed, and mess," then your dog is far more likely to be ignored and otherwise neglected than if he were instead viewed as a member of your family entitled to your respect. Contrary to what pseudo-intellectuals like Desmond Morris would have us believe, dogs ARE capable of higher thought processes, and DO express actual emotions. Neglect is psychological abuse, and will have negative effects on your animal's personality. As the U.S.A.F. K-9 school says, "Every handler will end up with the dog he deserves." The "Ten Commandments" after the Postscript is well worth the cost of this book in itself. Highly recommended.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
GET THIS ONE!!, June 6, 2003
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
My only complaint about this book is that I couldn't put it down! Without a doubt the best single book (I still recommend buying several different training books for scope) on dog training ever. This is written for all of us average folks who just want a very stable and well behaved pet that responds to our leadership role in the family. Joel is one of the few authors I've read who seems to really UNDERSTAND dogs and the dog/human relationship as it should be--not as politics or fads would have them be...a must read for the first timer, as well as those of us with years of dog experience. I would also recommend "Manstopper" for a genuine insight into how dogs learn by association. Even if you have no desire or interest in protection training, it will prove invaluable for problem solving (and prevention) in your basic obedience training at home....it teaches you how to think associatively like a dog does. Dog Logic is not a book for the wishy-washy or those of us who don't have time to invest in a regular training routine...it's for people who are serious about having a well mannered dog and want to train in such a way as to INCREASE the trust and love between you and your pet. Happy Training!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Worth every cent you pay for it!!!, April 25, 1998
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
This book is by far and away the best dog training manuel I have ever read. Unlike many trainers who simply give you their meathods and leave it at that, McMains takes the time to explain the whys behind his meathods. The author also emphsizes that bonding, not training, is most important: the former should not be sacrificed for the sake of the latter. I recommend this book to every dog owner I meet that is having trouble training their dogs, and many who are not. Once you have read this I am sure you will be able to say the same. It is worth every cent you pay for it!!!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
A simple book, a simple review, April 14, 2003
This review is from: Dog Logic: Companion Obedience, Rapport-Based Training (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
I bought this book when I got my first dog of my own. My family have always had dogs but had always been content to get as far as "sit" and then let them do what they wanted. I wanted something more from my dog and suspected what was confirmed by the book: that a trained dog is a happier dog. I've recommended the book to countless others and am about to order it as a gift for someone who recently got their first dog. I hope that it will provide him with as much insight as it gave me and I can assure you that you'll gain plenty of tools, both practical and thoughtful, from this book. More than just giving you a series of instructions, this book will help you to have a little more of an idea of what's going on inside the canine head. And McMain manages, in spite of the obvious love that he feels for dogs, to strip away some of the sentimentality that often clouds our relationships with our dogs. I offer him my thanks, and if he could, I'm sure that my dog would too.
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