Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 81-85 of 189
 Good philosophy and background July 8, 2005
Debbie the Book Devourer (Waltham, MA USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
We recently got a very active, headstrong, and mouthy puppy. She's also very bright and is on her way, I believe, to becoming a lovely dog. I've been reading a lot of dog training books recently, and they all have slightly different methods and angles. But they all seem to have some common ground: take time to bond with your pup; correct quickly and firmly and only when the pup is caught in the act; praise lavishly; know your pup's temperament; make it fun for the pup. What this book also does is remind us all why we get a dog in the first place, what the pup experiences early in life, and how much of a commitment it is to allow that dog to become what we want her to. What they might have said is that their methods work oh, maybe the 5000th time they're applied... Patience and understanding must rule the day. Whew. Anyway, read this and many other sources (as the monks themselves recommend) and then use your own powers of observation to learn what approach will work best for your pup. I'm still trying to figure that one out!
 Fantastic Book - A Must Read for Dog Owners June 2, 2005
Jay Parker (Dallas, Texas)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is wonderful. It is easy to read and contains wonderful insights on how dogs think and feel. It gives practical suggestions like how to calm down your puppy on the car ride back from the breeder's. I highly recommend it.
So gentle and effective January 27, 2005
Julie and Sparkler (Oakland, CA)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
My dog Sparkler and I have benefitted greatly from this wonderful book. No other training method has worked as well for both of us. If I were a dog, this is the book I'd want my owner to get. I think that says it all.
 Old and outdated, let's move onto new and improved January 26, 2005
CMH (California)
15 out of 21 found this review helpful
I remember reading this book years ago and thinking it was an awesome book. The section on the different growth periods of puppies is very good, however, much of the other information is outdated and incorrect. Many aspects such as the alpha roll and their concept of dominance theory has been proven not to work and there are better ways to get your point across to the puppy or dog. Many excellent dog behaviorists such as Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, Patricia McConnel have more recent methods you can use with raising your dog and are highly respected among dog trainers across the country and internationally.
Not just a training manual... January 13, 2005
Mr. T
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I bought this book because I thought it would be a good training manual for my new puppy.
It turned out to be a lot more, which is a mixed blessing. It's great in that it gives a lot of information about how dogs act when they are pregnant, the bond that mother dogs make with their babies, how dogs relate to one another (alpha males, dominance, etc) but as I was reading it, I kept wondering where the training exercises were. I finally found them on page 111.
The first cover things like finding a dog breeder, deciding if a puppy is right for you, preparing for a puppy, supplies you'll need, etc. was really impressed at the breadth of information, along with all of the insight and explanations for why dogs do certain things.
My only complaint, is that the book covers a lot more information than I was looking for. However, this is more my fault for not examining the book thoroughly, rather than anything I can pin on the structure and writing.
Bottom line: If you have plenty of time to read through the book and don't have to train one right away, this book is fantastic. However, if you're looking for a "meat and potatoes" book on dog training, you may want to look elsewhere.
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