Price: Paperback $15.99; hard cover $22.95
Publisher: Warner Books
OBEDIENCE training is a must for all dogs whether they are pets, working dogs or showdogs and this book is a very good guide for owners. Dogs need to know who is the boss in their pack, and to be effective the boss must be you, its owner, acting as its best friend and protector.
Brian Kilcommons was a student of Barbara Woodhouse, who will be well known to especially British dog owners as one of the best dog trainers of all times. The author recommends obediance be taught in a way that is firm, but also humane ... never hit or frighten the dog - you must be in control but in a friendly way.
A dog who is uncontrollable is often frightened and needs only a firm, unthreatening demonstration that the desired activity (having a bath, going for a walk, eating a meal only in a specified area) will not harm it, and there will be no more trouble.
Some people purposefully teach their dogs aggressiveness and in so doing are responsible for the dog's bad behaviour towards visitors or other animals. Many will encourage bad behaviour, mistakenly thinking they have a guard dog to look after their family. But nothing is further from the truth and such owners are not in control - they could do nothing to stop an attack by their dog.
Brian Kilcommons tells how to correct disobedient behaviour in all dogs - young ones are easier to train but even older dogs are among the many success stories.
Many veterinarians and trainers recommend this book to clients as sometimes the owner is in as much need of training as the dog is. Brian is an energetic trainer and positive reinforcement is his training method. The dogs love him for taking command, and they love the training because it makes them feel they are pleasing their owner (or trainer) and are earning rewards for getting it right.
I found that there are areas in this book that seem a little dated - the Woodhouse method goes back a large number of years - but most of the information is still relevant and certainly must have revolutionised dog training at its peak.
The book is well written and has some very detailed illustrations. It is a guide foremost for owners, to show them how to act appropriately towards their dog rather than repeat actions that the dog is unable to interpret, and continue the physical struggle to control.
I would recommend this book to anyone in need of some timely training assistance. It is available on the Amazon website. - EP
