Good Owners, Great Dogs Author: Visit Amazon's Brian Kilcommons Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0446516759 | Format: PDF
Good Owners, Great Dogs Description
About the Author
Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson have written several books on pets and live in Bedford, NY.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
- Hardcover: 276 pages
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; English Language edition (August 28, 1992)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0446516759
- ISBN-13: 978-0446516754
- Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
This book is an awesome training book for owners of puppies and adult dogs alike. Brian writes in a conversational style, he provides plenty of examples and personal narratives, and his many black and white photographs are excellent for driving his verbal point across (after all, isn't it much easier if you see how you are supposed to put a dog into a down or sit position than reading about it in a lengthy paragraph only?) The book covers how to train dogs to sit, stay, down, heel and have door manners, what games to play with your dog (and which to avoid), how to use positive and negative reinforcement, how to make it safe for you to approach the food bowl, how to use a training collar correctly, and many other useful daily commands/activities. We like this book also, because it does not only address training, but also basic dog care (from puppy to adulthood to old age), dog development, and he addresses common problems that each dog owner faces when teaching each command or facing daily life with a dog. We read THE ART OF RAISING A PUPPY, HOW TO RAISE A PUPPY YOU CAN LIVE WITH, and PUPPIES FOR DUMMIES, but NONE of the books live up to GOOD OWNERS, GREAT DOGS. Brian knows what he is talking about and he opens your eyes to things that you do that give your dog the wrong message (dog barks, you look - Bam! YOu just taught your dog how to get your attention; dog stops and peeps down the street during a walk, you stop, BAM! You just taught your dog how to get you to stop and give up your leadership). Simple, when you think about it, but many times you don't, and so Brian really gets you thinking about all these little things your dog does and how to interpret them. We got an 8 week old Mini Schnauzer, never had a dog before.
I truly believe that it's a sin to get a dog and not give it any obedience training. Dogs are of a pack nature and someone must always be the leader of the pack. If you aren't designated, they will designate themselves.Dogs need to know who's in charge. They're happier that way when they know their boundaries and what they can and cannot do. They become true friends, yet with you being the friend in charge. This book is very informative. Brian Kilcommons was taught by Barbara Woodhouse. One of the greatest dog trainers of all times. He shows you how to teach you dog obediance in a very firm, yet sensible, humane,(no hitting)way, yet not a"namby's pansy" and ineffective way, that I've seen with some other dog training programs. We brought home a big untrained dog from the SPCA who, while we were away for the day, literally ripped our home to pieces. He wouldn't do one thing we told him and I thought we had made a big mistake with this HUGE dog and would never be able to control him.I wanted to bring him back. My daughter suggested this book. Within ONE WEEK this dog was doing almost everything we told him to and he was happy doing it! He never touches ANYTHING of ours now. He waits politely at the door when he wants to go out. He used to knock me over trying to be the first one to reach the door. He won't cross the threshold of the open door unless you say it's okay. (Comes in handy if the police ever show up at your door), because they will shoot any dog that runs at them. In play or in aggressiveness. He used to run all over the house to avoid a bath, tearing it up in the process. Now, when I say 'It's bathtime he walks down the hall, into the bathroom and climbs into the tub, all by himself! He used to snatch his dog toys out of our hand biting us accidently in the process.
Good Owners, Great Dogs Preview
Link
Please Wait...