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The Power of Positive Dog Training
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The Power of Positive Dog Training is the best book yet on explaining how and why purely positive training works. Inside, you'll find easy to read discussion of the philosophy of positive training followed by training tips and exercises. This book is geared toward the dog owner who wants to develop a relationship with their dog based on friendship and positive
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Paperback, 230 pages
Published
August 29th 2001
by Howell Book House
(first published January 1st 2001)
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Start your review of The Power of Positive Dog Training
If anything, this book has convinced me that Positive Dog Training is the method to employ. It provides a very detailed look at the reasoning and effectiveness of positive reinforcement training. This is helpful for someone who wants to know more than the method of training but wants to know why they are doing what they are doing. It also give some very detailed information on teaching specific commands and a suggested order.
In my case, I was reading this on my Kindle. While I love my ereader, I ...more
In my case, I was reading this on my Kindle. While I love my ereader, I ...more
I think this really is the go-to book for learning about positive training and how to implement it with your dog. I've never beat around the bush with indicating that I'm very pro-positive training and I think Pat Miller is one of the best.
The book begins with a little bit about Pat's history of training, namely that she was a "traditional" trainer at one point, which many were. Traditional trainers focus more on aversives and punishments: leash pops, choke chains, and the like. It tells briefly ...more
The book begins with a little bit about Pat's history of training, namely that she was a "traditional" trainer at one point, which many were. Traditional trainers focus more on aversives and punishments: leash pops, choke chains, and the like. It tells briefly ...more
This book was recommended to me many years ago when I asked for advice on a dog forum for training my corgi mix myself (without a dog trainer). I was told that Pat Miller really is one of the best in the field, and when I purchased the book I was not disappointed. I found it at a used bookstore for a dollar or so, and was told I was really lucky to find it there and so cheaply, too. Upon reading it, I understood why. This book guided me through my early years with my corgi mix, and because of it
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I thought this book was quite good. I have always been opposed to (and appalled by) the use of punishment in teaching and training; so, I am a natural sympathizer of the 'positive' school of thought. The training methods and ideas in this book are specific, and solid, and seem to be proven in the field too. My only question about the behaviourist framework, which I am going back and forth about, is, to what extent does behaviourist training, even the positive kind, waste the innate potentials of
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A lot of this was familiar to me because my dogs had the benefit of a “positive” trainer. This book not only told you how to train your dogs without punishment but why you should. It was a lot of “preaching to the choir” for me, but I did learn some new things and discovered some things I’m doing wrong. The narration was good but this is a book I wish I had a paper or kindle copy of so I could refer back to it more easily.
My new baby, Harriet, will be coming home from the breeder in two weeks. As a result, I’m reading five books on positive reinforcement-based puppy training and comparing them for anyone trying to decide which of the most popular puppy books to read. Links are below.
The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
Before and After Getting Your Pupppy by Ian Dunbar
How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days by Shirlee Kalstone
Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution by Zak George
***
Pat Miller is a classic ...more
The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
Before and After Getting Your Pupppy by Ian Dunbar
How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days by Shirlee Kalstone
Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution by Zak George
***
Pat Miller is a classic ...more
This was suggested for trading dogs by some of my friends. It was good but I've read better ones.
This book has excellent insight into how dog brains work and how they process things, which I have found extremely useful in training my second dog, who was far more difficult than my first. It has a premise, that positive training is more effective than other methods, which exploit fear and pain avoidance behavior to achieve the same result. This premise makes sense to me, since pleasure seeking is complex and involves more of the brain than pain avoidance. But some of the suggested methods are
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Nov 14, 2015
Sander
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Every (potential or current) dog owner in the world
I think every dog owner in the world needs to read this book.
My family has had dogs for pretty much all my life. None of the dogs have been well trained, and as a result, we've had many problematic behaviors in our dogs. We've had:
1) A big mutt who lived in the yard and never listened to anybody
2) A dachshund who would pee a little whenever he got attention and was afraid to go on walks
3) A medium sized mutt who would pull really hard on walks and occasionally get aggressive towards strangers
4) ...more
My family has had dogs for pretty much all my life. None of the dogs have been well trained, and as a result, we've had many problematic behaviors in our dogs. We've had:
1) A big mutt who lived in the yard and never listened to anybody
2) A dachshund who would pee a little whenever he got attention and was afraid to go on walks
3) A medium sized mutt who would pull really hard on walks and occasionally get aggressive towards strangers
4) ...more
I really liked this book and am sure I will refer back to it many times. I think the way she discusses both shaping and luring with the clicker as a marker is very useful because it both gives the distinction between the two clearly and gives you options for which one you'd like to use.
I liked how the exercises were laid out and made into games, I think that would make things more accessible to people who may be less experienced with training. I will probably recommend it to people for that ...more
I liked how the exercises were laid out and made into games, I think that would make things more accessible to people who may be less experienced with training. I will probably recommend it to people for that ...more
I am 100% convinced that positive dog training is not only effective, but fun for you and your dog!
This is a great book for people who are not familiar with positive training, as well as for people who have some experience with it but need/want more guidance.
I can't wait for the second edition to come out!
This is a great book for people who are not familiar with positive training, as well as for people who have some experience with it but need/want more guidance.
I can't wait for the second edition to come out!
If I had to recommend a book to someone on how to better train their dog, and I could only recommend one, this is it. In fact, I give this book to my clients. Clear, concise, easy-to-follow and the most powerful methods for truly-dog-friend, positive reinforcement training.
Very informative and really helped me with my dog. There is a new edition published 2008
Excellent book on training you to be a good dog owner. Unfortunately buying a pet doesn't require a license (it should), but if it did this would be a requirement of that license. Some major takeaways:
1) Your dog lives in the moment and does not remember what it did before that you're screaming about.
2) Negative reinforcement - crying out in anger at your dog, yelling or kicking, a slap on the nose - does almost nothing to stop bad behavior as the dog is never certain what exactly it did wrong. ...more
1) Your dog lives in the moment and does not remember what it did before that you're screaming about.
2) Negative reinforcement - crying out in anger at your dog, yelling or kicking, a slap on the nose - does almost nothing to stop bad behavior as the dog is never certain what exactly it did wrong. ...more
More like a 4.5.
This book is awesome, I just wish it went into a little more depth on certain things. For example, I would have liked to know more about the different titles your dogs can earn and the different types of competitions they can enter. I would have also been interested in learning how to teach more tricks than the few that she went over. Overall though, it did a really good job of covering a huge variety of things, everything from housebreaking to aggression to clicker training. I ...more
This book is awesome, I just wish it went into a little more depth on certain things. For example, I would have liked to know more about the different titles your dogs can earn and the different types of competitions they can enter. I would have also been interested in learning how to teach more tricks than the few that she went over. Overall though, it did a really good job of covering a huge variety of things, everything from housebreaking to aggression to clicker training. I ...more
I’ve never trained a puppy by myself, so I was looking for some good resources to help me with my new Bernese puppy. This book advocates for positive reinforcement training, which uses praise and treats to reward dogs for doing well, not punish them for doing unwanted behaviors. Positive training is crucial for training a companion, not a submissive, fearful dog—especially Bernese, who are very people-motivated. This book is an excellent resource for what I needed, and I’ll be using a lot of the
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A good all round book for basic info and training... I just found a lot of the information was not new to be so kind of a slog to get through. Would be a great book for a new dog owner or prospective dog owner.
Solid, but not amazing
Lots of stuff I'd read or seen in videos elsewhere, but nice to have it all in one place, with a clear progression to follow. The specific training skills section will be a handy future resource.
Lots of stuff I'd read or seen in videos elsewhere, but nice to have it all in one place, with a clear progression to follow. The specific training skills section will be a handy future resource.
It was informative, but I listened to it on an audiobook while I’ve been driving for work and the narrator was so dull!
Lays out the theory of clicker training.
Must read for all serious professional dog trainers.
I thought I knew and loved dogs pretty well. Turns out I had much to learn. This book gave me a wealth of information and I feel empowered to train my dog the positive way.
Pretty clear and easy to follow.
Excellent resource. Not certain one is ever really "finished" with it.
Wonderful practical advice and sanity-saving encouragement--I would recommend this book to anyone with a dog in their life.
As a veterinarian, it continues to alarm me how many trainers feel qualified in their books to give nutrition advice as if they were veterinarians or had advanced degrees in animal nutrition. In this case it was recommending raw bones and meat without any allusion to the possible significant health risks to people in the house from secondary exposure which is echoed by the CDC. This kind of advice is probably the #1 that disqualifies me from being about to recommend good training books without
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Apr 27, 2011
Kerry
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
dog owners
This was a really great book on dog training using behavioral conditioning (I think that's what it's called. I read this a while ago.)
Don't Shoot the Dog is a better book (if we're going to compare the two) but this one is specifically geared towards dog training, and is quite valuable. You should read (and own) both.
The first third (if I recall correctly) describes the concepts involved. It was useful, but man, this lady is SO into positive training that it is a little crazy. Like, she beats ...more
Don't Shoot the Dog is a better book (if we're going to compare the two) but this one is specifically geared towards dog training, and is quite valuable. You should read (and own) both.
The first third (if I recall correctly) describes the concepts involved. It was useful, but man, this lady is SO into positive training that it is a little crazy. Like, she beats ...more
If I could only recommend one dog training book, this would be it. The first part of the book is organized into a 6-week training program (appropriate for any age dog), with each chapter representing one week of training. Pat Miller suggests "Core Exercises" and "Bonus Games" for each week, and she explains how to avoid or deal with common problems. The rest of the book is divided into common "problem" scenarios, such as Housebreaking, Aggression, Socialization, etc. If you want a fuller
...more
This is a wonderful book if you want to get results and get them quickly. I use all of the methods in this book and I have 4 great dogs. There is some negative reviews on Amazon regarding giving treats and not giving negative reprimands. I feel like these are from people that are still using the old ways of training they grew up on that only result in fear.
This book not only talks about positive methods but explains why negative methods don't work or work poorly. She also demonstrates all the ...more
This book not only talks about positive methods but explains why negative methods don't work or work poorly. She also demonstrates all the ...more
Aug 28, 2011
Lily
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who wants to learn about positive reinforcement training.
Shelves:
ebooks
Excellent book explaining the concept behind positive reinforcement based training. It is written clearly and simply without any unnecessary information that makes you want to nod off. The author also explains a bit about other training styles and how they differ, and includes a 6 week program that just about anyone can follow to teach their dogs several useful things via positive reinforcement. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn this method of training, and it's even good
...more
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“I would rather have cookies in my jacket pockets than a chain around my dog's neck.”
—
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“Even the submissive grin is misunderstood. Sadly, it can be mistaken for a snarl, and a dog may be labeled as aggressive who is actually anything but. It’s also often perceived as a doggy version of a happy smile—a less damaging interpretation, but still a misperception of a clearly subordinate display. Interestingly, the submissive grin is believed to be an imitation of the human smile, since dogs don’t normally display this behavior to each other, only to humans. While some behaviorists consider the grin to be an attention-seeking appeasement gesture, others consider it more of a threat-averting deference signal. In any case, it’s important to understand that the dog who grins is making a status statement—your rank is higher than hers—exhibiting neither an aggressive threat nor a relaxed, contented smile.”
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