The Everything Dog Training and Tricks Book

by Gerilyn J. Bielakiewicz

Describes basic methods of training a dog, covering such topics as using a clicker, housebreaking, and controlling unwanted behavior, and includes instructions on how to train a dog to do tricks.

Genres: Dogs, Reference, Nonfiction, Animals

286 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Bill Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audio book was a gift from God.. It is so easy to use.. I just put the cd in and went to the track i needed..It gives you all the basics on training your dog in a very easy format.. just go to the Sit command , heal, or whatever you want and its just that easy.... I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who has just got a dog or even someone who has had a dog for sometime.. Im sold so great job Dion Cozamanis... Mr. Hughes... you get 5 stars !

[Brent Ecenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

After our two rescue dogs both passed away earlier this year of old age, my wife and I have recently decided to get another dog. Now that we have two very small children, we decided a puppy would be a good way to reintroduce a canine to our home and our boys. Now, the hard part is getting this new, young dog to be anywhere near as good of a pet as our recently departed. I had this book sitting in our home library and figured it would be a good refresher on training a puppy (the last time I was around one was probably 20 years ago at this point).

The basis of Bielakiewicz's training theories is positive reinforcement and conditioning training. Instead of ever punishing a dog or using devices or force to train a dog, it's about rewarding positive behaviors and eliminating the causes of bad behaviors. I agreed with a lot of what I read here, and really enjoyed the step by step training methods for anything you could want to teach your dog to do. I'm anxious to try the clicker techniques with our new puppy, but I'm not sure how well they would have worked with our stubborn old hound dog who was single minded when she got a scent of something.

Towards the end of the book there are also several chapters on breaking bad habits (leash pulling, excessive barking, digging, etc.) and basic training (leash walking, potty training, socializing) for puppies. The order of the chapters is a bit out of whack, with you learning how to train a dog to retrieve water bottles from the fridge or have multiple dogs execute cookie passing before teaching "heel" or potty training. I imagine the new age beliefs of the author may turn some Cesar Milar fans off, as the author recommends things like dog acupuncture, massage, and holding off on vaccinations if possible and never using a choker collar.

[Sharla Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of information, but a lot of it I already knew. I like how the chapters are set up with the ones you'll use most often, or first, at the beginning of the book, followed by chapters discussing further training and dog behavior toward the back.

The author is a little opinionated and expresses it at times. The book made me feel like I was a bad pet owner because one of my dogs isn't socialized very well with other dogs. It even went so far as to tell me it was a form of pet abuse. I thought that was a little dramatic and harsh.

It's a better book to borrow from the library when you first get a dog, but not one you'll need to refer to very often once you've read it.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT book on dog training. Uses positive reinforcement, explains How and Why it works, and gives great examples of how to attain an obedient, clever dog.

Highly reccommend to anybody with a dog, and even without one!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get my own dog until i was about 31. Actually, I never planned to get a dog...he kind of got me and I'll never look back. He's my baby I adore! This was a great resource.

[Derek Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good training book

[Deena Scintilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still trying to get Dona my out-of-control Lab to finish this book but she just won't focus.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good information, but some of it unclear or unrealistic.

[Tricia (McAllister) Houseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy book to help you learn to train pups or to assist with what you already know. My boys should have read this one, it would have helped them a bit more.

[Cynthia L Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great resource for tricks.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was quite informative.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a good outline of positive training methods.