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saaraa96's review
3.0
This was suggested for trading dogs by some of my friends. It was good but I've read better ones.
drillvoice's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book and while it's too soon to say if it 'works' (my dog is as yet untrained) I feel that it has made me much more confident as a dog owner. Miller does a great job of explaining operant conditioning, including negative punishment (ie, the withdrawing of something the dog likes) and the risks of inadvertent reward (such as by giving the dog attention when it behaves badly). The book is a great blend of background and context and then specific guidance on a training program for the first four weeks. It also has detailed chapters on specific issues like toilet training, although I think these would be better if closer to the start of the book, instead of hanging out at the end.
Anyone interested in getting a dog should give this a read, it may help you to decide if you are up for it, and it will also help you to interact with other dogs in your life.
Anyone interested in getting a dog should give this a read, it may help you to decide if you are up for it, and it will also help you to interact with other dogs in your life.
alisonharmon's review
4.0
Very helpful and informative. Not a ton of puppy specific content which I was hoping for but thorough review of fundamentals that left me feeling confident.
barbtrek's review
5.0
A lot of this was familiar to me because my dogs had the benefit of a “positive” trainer. This book not only told you how to train your dogs without punishment but why you should. It was a lot of “preaching to the choir” for me, but I did learn some new things and discovered some things I’m doing wrong. The narration was good but this is a book I wish I had a paper or kindle copy of so I could refer back to it more easily.
smbcoffee's review against another edition
5.0
Listened to it on audio, but also bought the paper copy for future reference and training.
igotkittypryde's review
5.0
Wonderful practical advice and sanity-saving encouragement--I would recommend this book to anyone with a dog in their life.
enelvee's review
4.0
Mostly common sense. I'd never done clicker training, and am trying it now. I'm on the fence about constant treats, however.
crysania's review
5.0
I think this really is the go-to book for learning about positive training and how to implement it with your dog. I've never beat around the bush with indicating that I'm very pro-positive training and I think Pat Miller is one of the best.
The book begins with a little bit about Pat's history of training, namely that she was a "traditional" trainer at one point, which many were. Traditional trainers focus more on aversives and punishments: leash pops, choke chains, and the like. It tells briefly of her discovery and switch to positive methods. I think this is important: it says that anyone can do it, no matter how they trained beforehand.
From there, the book is divided into three main sections.
The first outlines the ins and outs of positive training: how it works, why it works, why it builds a better bond with your dog. It explains a little bit about how dogs think and learn and outlines some basic training tools you'll need with your dog.
The second gives instructions on how to get your dog to do some basic obedience: sit, down, stay, come, etc. She breaks each of them down into easy steps to achieve them and gives suggestions on common problems people might encounter when trying to teach their dog the particular command. At the end of each section, she gives "bonus games" which are basic tricks you can teach your dog. She stresses, time and time again, that this should be fun: both for the human and the dog.
The third addresses common behavioral problems, such as housetraining, separation anxiety, aggression, socialization, and what to do when there's a baby on the way. Each of these sections can (and are) books on their own, so in the context of a fairly short book they're somewhat glossed over. Miller is, at every turn, careful to note that if your dog has some more serious issues that finding a good positive trainer who can work with you and your dog in person is most important.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get started in obedience training with their dog. They'll end up with a really well-behaved dog who loves to work for them.
The book begins with a little bit about Pat's history of training, namely that she was a "traditional" trainer at one point, which many were. Traditional trainers focus more on aversives and punishments: leash pops, choke chains, and the like. It tells briefly of her discovery and switch to positive methods. I think this is important: it says that anyone can do it, no matter how they trained beforehand.
From there, the book is divided into three main sections.
The first outlines the ins and outs of positive training: how it works, why it works, why it builds a better bond with your dog. It explains a little bit about how dogs think and learn and outlines some basic training tools you'll need with your dog.
The second gives instructions on how to get your dog to do some basic obedience: sit, down, stay, come, etc. She breaks each of them down into easy steps to achieve them and gives suggestions on common problems people might encounter when trying to teach their dog the particular command. At the end of each section, she gives "bonus games" which are basic tricks you can teach your dog. She stresses, time and time again, that this should be fun: both for the human and the dog.
The third addresses common behavioral problems, such as housetraining, separation anxiety, aggression, socialization, and what to do when there's a baby on the way. Each of these sections can (and are) books on their own, so in the context of a fairly short book they're somewhat glossed over. Miller is, at every turn, careful to note that if your dog has some more serious issues that finding a good positive trainer who can work with you and your dog in person is most important.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get started in obedience training with their dog. They'll end up with a really well-behaved dog who loves to work for them.
alaramie's review
4.0
Definitely a good read! Some points are a bit outdated, but that's to be expected. A wonderful starter for the absolute basic and fundamentals of positive reinforcement training.