What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Get Your Dog to Do What You Want: A Loving Approach to Unleashing Your Dog's Astonishing Potential
Why settle for anything less than a best friend? Every dog wants to perform -- and deservedly gain your love and affection. With Warren Eckstein's expert guidance, you can forget about frustration and disobedience, and enjoy years with a loyal, alert, and very happy dog! Here are wonderful insights, witty observations, and step-by-step advice
* Communicating with your dog
* Hassle-free housebreaking
*The training ABCs -- from sitting to heeling and beyond
* Diet, grooming, exercise and dentistry tips
* Coping with canine old age
* And much, much more!
"Too bad Warren isn't a marriage counselor! If only he could do for husbands what he does for dogs!" Kathie Lee Gifford
* Communicating with your dog
* Hassle-free housebreaking
*The training ABCs -- from sitting to heeling and beyond
* Diet, grooming, exercise and dentistry tips
* Coping with canine old age
* And much, much more!
"Too bad Warren isn't a marriage counselor! If only he could do for husbands what he does for dogs!" Kathie Lee Gifford
- GenresDogs
283 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 1994
10 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 4, 2020
[[EDIT]] One of the most important things I remember from this book that I forgot to add in my review is the importance of PRAISE. Many dog owners will tell their dogs "NO!" and jerk on the leash, but very few will say "Yes!" and pet/hug their dog. [[EDIT]]
Fantastic!
The man must be part dog.
One thing I do not recall reading in this book is the benefits of music to help guide your dog's emotional state and energy level. Yeah I'll bet it is boring being by yourself for a couple of hours while the master is away. Why not leave the radio on?
Luckily for me, my dog loves listening to Phil Lesh & Friends GOTV 2002.
One time I took him to the 'Realm with me because the weather was beautiful and he loves to ride in the car. It was at an MTG prerelease so I knew I'd be there a couple of hours. So I folded the back seat down and opened up the "trunk space" in my Toyota Matrix, opened the windows of course, and hooked up my iPod with some cheap passive speakers at a moderate volume.
Well...when I returned a few hours later (the 2 nights of music are several hours of music on end) I could tell that Max Clover was really listening to it because he usually hears my approach and this time he did not. In fact, I have reason to believe that he was so into that incredible creative music that when I called his name I startled him!
Long story short, I remember the days of study hall and doing nothing else but sitting there listening to music and "setting the old imagination aflight" so why should that be any different for dogs who must go long stretches of isolation?
This book, and sensitizing your dog or pet to music:
Highly recommended!
Fantastic!
The man must be part dog.
One thing I do not recall reading in this book is the benefits of music to help guide your dog's emotional state and energy level. Yeah I'll bet it is boring being by yourself for a couple of hours while the master is away. Why not leave the radio on?
Luckily for me, my dog loves listening to Phil Lesh & Friends GOTV 2002.
One time I took him to the 'Realm with me because the weather was beautiful and he loves to ride in the car. It was at an MTG prerelease so I knew I'd be there a couple of hours. So I folded the back seat down and opened up the "trunk space" in my Toyota Matrix, opened the windows of course, and hooked up my iPod with some cheap passive speakers at a moderate volume.
Well...when I returned a few hours later (the 2 nights of music are several hours of music on end) I could tell that Max Clover was really listening to it because he usually hears my approach and this time he did not. In fact, I have reason to believe that he was so into that incredible creative music that when I called his name I startled him!
Long story short, I remember the days of study hall and doing nothing else but sitting there listening to music and "setting the old imagination aflight" so why should that be any different for dogs who must go long stretches of isolation?
This book, and sensitizing your dog or pet to music:
Highly recommended!
April 6, 2021
This is a good choice for a novice dog owner with a puppy. Not so great for more advanced concerns with an older rescue. Well worth the read though.
August 4, 2012
I am so upset with this book. I was told it would help with my dog. I ordered it and waited for days for it to come I was so anticipating reading it. I got it today and started to read it in hopes it could help me with my dog's only problem. Fear aggression.
This is not that kind of book, "How To Get Your Dog To Do What You Want" is very deceiving, it is not a tell you how to do what I am looking for teaching tool. It does not mention one thing about how to stop my dog from barking and attacking other dogs.
First of all it is mostly for puppies, but he says you can teach old dogs new tricks but never quite delivers on that promise.
I was hoping to hear something like, as you approach the other dog and your dog starts to get excited etc. etc. and explain what to do, but no, it starts to tell you to follow the ABC's that are just some generic lessons.
The best suggestion is the coins in the can but I have read that that can backfire and get the dog all upset at hearing sudden noise that it is often discouraged.
This book is more of a philosophy book and how to understand how your dog may think, but I found that a bit boring, some titles in this book are, Do dogs cry emotional tears, Fido's mid life crisis, dogs self image and doggie dialogue. Give me a break it talks about how we should talk to our dogs and how to treat the Latch key dog.
Total nonsense for me.
This is not that kind of book, "How To Get Your Dog To Do What You Want" is very deceiving, it is not a tell you how to do what I am looking for teaching tool. It does not mention one thing about how to stop my dog from barking and attacking other dogs.
First of all it is mostly for puppies, but he says you can teach old dogs new tricks but never quite delivers on that promise.
I was hoping to hear something like, as you approach the other dog and your dog starts to get excited etc. etc. and explain what to do, but no, it starts to tell you to follow the ABC's that are just some generic lessons.
The best suggestion is the coins in the can but I have read that that can backfire and get the dog all upset at hearing sudden noise that it is often discouraged.
This book is more of a philosophy book and how to understand how your dog may think, but I found that a bit boring, some titles in this book are, Do dogs cry emotional tears, Fido's mid life crisis, dogs self image and doggie dialogue. Give me a break it talks about how we should talk to our dogs and how to treat the Latch key dog.
Total nonsense for me.
May 18, 2013
To become a good companion for humans, are dogs best treated like dogs, or like humans? Eckstein advocates for both. A dog owner needs to understand the psychology of dogs, especially their pack nature, need for positive reinforcement, and innate ability to understand non-verbal cues. Dogs also need to be treated with respect, the same type one would give any other family member. The book was a little too far toward the pampering side for me, but this is still a useful book that covers all of the basic behavioral areas. I finished thinking I knew more about why certain training tactics are needed.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews