Playtime for Your Dog: Keep Him Busy Throughout the Day Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a creative, fun resource with lots of unusual, adaptable ideas for playing with your dog. It's completely clicker-based and the training steps are clear and detailed, with good photos to illustrate. I recommend this book routinely to my behavior modification clients and to people who need to occupy a convalescent dog or who are trying to keep a young, energetic dog from going batty in bad weather. But anybody who wants to add more fun to their relationship with their dog, or who has the Deeply Serious aim of increasing their dog's focus on them, will love "Playtime for Your Dog."
The translation from the German is a little wonky at times, which for my money only adds to the book's charm. I'm amazed that the English-language edition has been out for over a year and yet I'm the first reviewer here. Dog people! Get this book!

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Part of the pleasure of owning a dog is the mutual fun that results from the playing of games. However these games also have a role in the development and well-being of dogs, not least of which is building up a dog's self confidence and boosting dog/ownerrelationships. The purpose of this book is to help pet owners discover and employ games and activities on an everyday basis that bothowners and dogs will enjoy, and that will contribute towardsthe animal'sfitness and training. Marvel at the super-abilities of your dog's sense of smell. Make his daily walks an exciting adventure. Find enough inspiration in your living room to exercise his basic play instincts. Take the opportunity when appropriate to turn your garden into a dog's adventure playground.

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Kathy Santo's Dog Sense Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is fabulous. As the first-time owner of a dog (a big, energetic lab at that), I was looking for help, and Kathy Santo's advice is right on. Her technique is based on the premise that each dog is an individual, and is motivated to learn in a very specific way. Her explanations are quite clear and very entertaining. Some of the examples and turns of phrase were so funny, I laughed out loud.
I've been worried about being able to keep our dog safe from cars and other animals, and to keep her from jumping on kids and older people, all without stifling her enthusiasm and happy lab personality. Kathy's suggestions have already begun working a miracle of obedience. Buy this book if you have a dog. Run to buy it if you have a dog behavior problem. Now if I could only use these methods on my husband...

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Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, a home- or sleep-wrecker (or both), whether your dog has ingrained bad manners or simply hasn't learned any good ones yet–Kathy Santo shines a light into the dark bedlam of life with an unruly dog. The secret of her ebullient and innovative guide to training: dogs are individuals, and any dog's nature depends far less on his breed or pedigree than most training methods suppose. In easy steps, you can quickly determine your dog's "personality"–the interplay of prime motivations, energy level, work ethic, and emotional profile–to tailor a regimen optimally suited to his learning needs. Where "one-size" programs typically founder in canine chaos and human frustration, the Santo method carries you past failure: even when your dog doesn't respond, your understanding of him deepens and leads you to a better strategy. This unique interactive approach–based on the author's twenty years of experience–not only speeds canine learning but also lifts training from a temporary chore to an increasingly relaxed way of life. The result is a lifetime of improving obedience–an ever more confident and happy dog, and an ever more gratifying relationship for you both.

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Adoptable Dog: Teaching Your Adopted Pet to Obey, Trust, and Love You Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was recommended to me by some fellow rescue workers. I'm an experienced rescue worker and dog breeder.
I fully recommend this book to those who:
1. Are new to rescue dogs.
2. Need to know some of the typical behaviors a rescue dog may exhibit.
3. Need a refresher course on foundational basics of rehabilitating rescue dogs.
4. Need affirmation about good methods used in modifying negative dog behaviors.
5. Want to rehabilitate any dog that exhibits negative or undesired behavior(s).

To the experienced dog rescue workers like me, this book offers nothing new. It may be obvious to some readers that this author has spent many years in dog training but not indepth actual shelter work. However,I was happy to see that, although the author lacked a lot of personal shelter experience, he had invested and employed a good amount of homework and research worthy of a useful book. Through his writing, I could read the experienced views of shelter workers he'd interviewed prior to writing this book.
This book is written fairly simply. The author wrote very much as if he were standing next to you talking with you. His verbiage is simple and easy to understand. He uses case-in-point examples that are helpful in clarifying his point and method.
Occasionally, the author would title a paragraph where I expected to get much more out of the following text than what was present. On these instances, I felt like I was left hanging and looking for more.
On the whole, I was delighted to find the author's approach to be factual, experienced, compassionate, common sense and fairly comprehensive.
I really enjoyed reading the author's common sense views when he addressed some of the dog world's trendy idealisms. I'm certain that many idealists will disagree with his views because he is common sense yet not abusive. His 'middle-of-the-road views' don't pander to either of the extremes in dog training (harsh discipline versus no discipline). I felt the author's views to be well balanced and obviously experienced.
Overall, this book is a good type of manual for foundational dog training with an emphasis on how that relates to an adopted rescue dog.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. And I hope people who either have adopted or plan to adopt a dog will read this book and keep it on hand for reference. I plan to keep my copy, too.
To someone preparing to adopt, two other books you may enjoy are:
-The Other End Of The Leash
-The Adoption Option: choosing & raising the shelter dog for you

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Open and Utility Training: The Motivational Method Review

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(More customer reviews)Absolutely the Best book on proofing for all exercises in these two classes. Methodical and logical with its basis in the basic drives that are found in all dogs, but to differing extents. Interesting and It works!

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You and Your Puppy: Training and Health Care For Puppy's First Year (Howell Reference Books) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's easy to read, and has a few good tips, but overall I found this book very poor. The training section is broken down into stages for different-aged pups, which sounds like a good idea until you realise that training principles are the same at any age, and therefore each chapter is exasperatingly repetitive. Along with the wide spacing, big headings, short paragraphs and abundant meaningless pictures, that makes for a remarkably uninformative book. There is no discussion of major controversies such as positive versus force-based training or natural versus dry feeding; the author's preferred technique is presented as the only option and areas of huge disagreement among trainers are not even flagged. Evidently Hodgson's style appeals to some; I found it irritatingly condescending, bubbly and saccharine. Finally, the book is dangerously poorly edited: on p. 128 Hodgson says: "Don't give him free access to water yet, or he'll turn into a fountain"... then on p. 155 DeBitetto says: "Puppies need a lot of water, and restricting it can put your puppy at risk of dehydration. The only time water can be safely witheld is at night." The health section was better-written and much more informative, but you'd still be much better off buying one good training book and one good health book.

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You & Your Puppy combines the talents of both a professional dog trainer and a veterinarian to produce one inclusive book on raising a happy, healthy puppy. Here, owners will learn: how to housetrain their puppies, training for different growth stages, the right amount of work and play to make training effective and enjoyable, new ways to work with puppies on special teaching lead.

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