Showing posts with label animal training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animal training. Show all posts

5/19/2012

The Koehler Method of Open Obedience for Ring, Home and Field, Review

The Koehler Method of Open Obedience for Ring, Home and Field,
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Although Koehler seems cruel to the novice, it is apparent on deeper inspection that he is, in fact, a great lover and respecter of dogs. (He was the Disney trainer for years.) One of his most famous arguements about training a dog with a firm hand is that if you LOVE your dog, how could you stand BUT to have complete and firm control over it at all times? Especially if it's about to dart in front of a speeding car? The dog should respond---every time---on your very first command because there will be times when its very life depends on that. To not have a well-trained dog is to put it in danger every minute it's outside its kennel.
To use the Koehler method is to allow your dog to learn by making mistakes, so that it discovers on its own that to be an attentive and obedient dog is the easiest path.
I recommend first reading The Koeler Method---which outlines the logic behind his forceful and no-nonsense corrections---and THEN working into the other volumes after you have an understanding of the logic behind the discipline.
To train using Koehler's methods requires that the trainer train him/herself more than the dog. Many people find this difficult. (And many people have horrible, uncontrollable dogs who run the household while the humans say, "oh, he's just excitable," or "she's just nervous," or "he never acts this way when we're alone.") To learn Koehler is to have a harmonious dog/master relationship based on mutual trust and respect.
Many believe that Koehler does not take individual humans or dogs into consideration, but again, he answers that criticism in The Koehler Method and says that all dogs, being dogs, have certain things in common which can be depended on to aid in training. Read Koehler carefully and you will discover a man who dedicated his entire life to the care of dogs! He is not cruel. Read without bias and learn from an expert what you do not know---it is a truly eye opening experience.
This book is the best book for learning how to train yourself and your dog for "remote" commands. I recommend it highly to anyone truly interested not in being a softie and having a partially trained dog, but to those who wish to offer their beloved pet the most fulfilling and balanced life they can possibly offer it.

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3/07/2012

The Koehler Method of Dog Training: Certified Techniques by Movieland's Most Experienced Dog Trainer Review

The Koehler Method of Dog Training: Certified Techniques by Movieland's Most Experienced Dog Trainer
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No training method works for all dogs, but the Koehler method comes close. I read this book thoroughly before using it to train my dog, an American Pit Bull Terrier. I recommend it on the basis of the results I achieved with my own dog. My Pit Bull is a happy, calm, sweet animal who is well behaved and trustworthy even in crowded, distracting public places. Please note the notarized statement in this book attesting to the author's success in training thousands of dogs. A well-trained dog is a joyful companion and something to be proud of. As for the "brutality" ascribed to this training method by its detractors, I "corrected" my dog with the choke collar only three or four times - always for something potentially dangerous (with a big and strong dog like a pit bull) such as running wildly on the long training lead. Most of the time, during the routine exercises, the dog corrects himself. Essentially he is given a choice between discomfort and comfort. If he makes the right choice he avoids discomfort. This does not assume the dog is human - it respects the dog's intelligence and ability to make choices. This book helps you to train a dog to be obedient off leash under highly distracting conditions. I knew my pit bull had graduated the day I was allowing her to run around on a 30' lead and another, loose pit bull appeared out of nowhere. This animal ran up on my dog, she surged after it, and the worn lead parted company with her collar! I called my dog to me, and she came and stood in front of me. I told her to sit, and she did so, allowing me to tie the broken ends of the leash together - with this maniac nuisance dog running circles around us all the while.
I tried using food to motivate my dog but she became intensely focussed on the food rewards in my pocket. In Koehler training, the dog is supposed to be attentive towards you, not your pocket! With the firm foundation of obedience training, I am now able to teach my dog all kinds of tricks. Trick training is FUN training so I have no problem using food rewards to teach tricks. My dog can jump through a hoop, etc. However, obedience training is serious business that can one day save your dog's life. I feel the Koehler method is particularly valuable with big, strong breeds such as pits and rottweilers that can cause so much trouble when they are NOT properly trained. I thank this book for the wonderful, reliable pit bull friend I have today.

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The book that pioneered a uniquely effective dog training method–back in print at last
First published in 1962, The Koehler Method of Dog Training is one of the most influential dog training books of all time. Now, Howell Book House is pleased to reissue this book for a new generation of trainers and dog lovers. Featuring a new cover design and new introduction, the book shows how to use both positive and negative reinforcement to form a strong, joyful bond between dog and handler.The Koehler method remains unmatched in its reliability, especially when applied to difficult dogs and intractable behavior problems.
William Koehler was a dog training innovator who worked as the chief animal trainer for Walt Disney Studios and the training director for one of the world's largest dog clubs.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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11/29/2011

The Koehler Method of Guard Dog Training; An Effective & Authoritative Guide for Selecting, Training & Maintaining Dogs in Home Protection, Plant Security, Police, & Military Work Review

The Koehler Method of Guard Dog Training; An Effective and Authoritative Guide for Selecting, Training and Maintaining Dogs in Home Protection, Plant Security, Police, and Military Work
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neither are big dogs. It's important to remember that this particular book is aimed at training large aggressive breeds. Yes, you can get your poodle to sit and stay and fetch using other methods. But this is a method for making sure your hundred pound Rottweiler obeys you when failure can mean tragedy. I've trained every one of my dogs using this book's methods. I've had German Sheperds, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls and Filas. Every one of them has responded perfectly to the training. I'm not a breeder or a professional trainer, but my dogs' obedience has been equal to or better than any of the trained dogs that I've encountered. Some of the methods aren't pleasant; training soldiers for combat isn't usually a pleasant process, either. But the point of effective training isn't the trainer's assuaging his or her Inner Child; it's about developing RELIABLE control over a potentially lethal animal. The huggy-wuggy here's-a-puppy treat methods don't work when the animal is under strong external stimulation. Not a week goes by that I don't see the failure of the "kindhearted" methods, just in the course of walking my dog in the local parks.
The main thing with the Koehler method is to follow it exactly!
Some of the detractors here have deliberately lied about the contents of the book. For example, he doesn't advocate beating a dog"for 30 minutes". He advocates hitting the dog sharply on the muzzle if it turns on the trainer. Anyone who thinks that you can correct that kind of misplaced aggression with hugs, treats and "bad-doggies" should reconsider owning a large breed.
It's important to note that Koehler devotes a good bit of time early in the book on selecting dogs with suitable temperament.
In short, I recommend this book without reservation to those with ANY breed of dog who are willing to trade a bit of unpleasantness for a well adjusted dog with rock solid obedience.

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10/25/2011

The Koehler Method of Training Tracking Dogs Review

The Koehler Method of Training Tracking Dogs
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I can't speak to the usefulness of this book for training dogs for tracking competition, and will leave it for those who have experience in that sport.
I urge those who are interested in training for search and rescue to look elsewhere. The techniques in this book will not produce a dog who can do the job of SAR. Airscent work is not covered, and the foundational skill of a real trailing dog -- individual scent discrimination -- is not covered.
This would be fine -- it's perfectly okay to write a book on the stylized form of tracking done in competion -- but the author explicitly claims otherwise, and the cover photos and an entire chapter dramatize "the real thing" in a very unreal manner.
I am not one of those people who get together to burn Koehler's obedience training books every Saturday night. But this one is not for search and rescue responders or police canine officers.
I recommend the American Rescue Dog Association's book Search and Rescue Dogs: Training Methods for beginners. For those specifically interested in SAR trailing, consider Lue Button's Practical Scent Dog Training. Note that Amazon has her listed as "Lou" Button, but her name is LUE.

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