Dog Training for Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)I thought the parts of this book that talked about training were, for the most part, quite good. The authors give clear instructions and reasons for their practices. For example, don't say "no" to your dog; tell him what you want him to do instead. If he's jumping, say sit, for example. Be consistent. Reinforce commands. Say commands only once. I could give more examples, but you get the idea: sound, sane, and humane advice. The advanced training sections started to lose me a bit. I found them tedious after a while.
Although the authors are very experienced with all aspects of caring for dogs, I thought they were reaching a bit with their nutritional and medical advice. They talked about homeopathic remedies as though they're proven treatments. They're not. Anecdotal evidence is not the same as statistically significant results from controlled studies. Their opinion on vaccines seemed dangerous and unbalanced. They have too much confidence in their alternative nutrition and treatment methods -- maybe they have some effect, but they're not perfect. A well-fed dog could still get fleas and infections and communicable diseases. After a while, they sounded like shills for the company that makes the supplements they use. Finally -- and I hope you'll excuse the e-shouting, but I cannot emphasize this enough -- DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG RAISINS, EVEN FOR A TREAT! Scientists haven't yet identified what it is about grapes and raisins, but they've been implicated in acute toxicity and even death in some dogs.
And as someone who makes a living from the written word, I have to say it seemed to me that the copy editor gave up on this book around Page 200. The text in the last half of the book is full of typos, errors, and repetitive writing -- not repetitive as in emphasizing a point, but repetitive as in restating the content of one paragraph in the next. Ugh.
The training advice was sound. Read this book for that, and disregard the rest.

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A well-trained dog is the result of education – actually, more yours than your dog's. You need to know what makes a dog a dog: how he thinks, reacts, grows, and expresses himself; what his needs are; and most important, why he does what he does. When you understand your dog, you will achieve a mutually rewarding relationship. Dogs aren't homogeneous. Each one is unique, and in their differences lie the challenge.
Dog Training For Dummies can help anyone who has just brought home a puppy or is thinking of getting one. Even if you have experience with dog training, you'll find useful information for a wide variety of dog breeds and personalities. This book is also for you if
You want your dog to be well behaved – for his sake as well as yours.
You have little or no knowledge of proper dog training techniques
You have done some reading on the subject, but have had limited success with your dog.
Your dog is partially trained but needs to learn a few more things

Find out what it takes to have a well-behaved pooch by recognizing your dog's instinctive behaviors and determining its personality profile. Understand what your expectations are and know how your attitude affects your dog's training. This handy reference guide also covers the following and more:
Dealing with barking and chewing
Coping with separation anxiety
Housetraining a puppy
Walking and heeling
Retrieving on command
Training for competitive dog titles
Teaching your dog to be a Companion Dog
Dealing with aggression
Understanding your dog's health
Going to obedience school

The important thing about dog training is to get started today. The sooner you train your dog to behave the way you want him to, the sooner the two of you can live in peace together, and the more problems you can prevent down the road. So get going! Your dog will thank you for it.

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