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Dog Whisperer
Owens, founder of Raise with Praise, Inc. and a certified evaluator for the Delta Society's Animal Assisted Therapy Program, has written a good, basic, reasonably priced introduction to dog training based upon rewarding "successive approximations" of correct behavior. Gone are the leash "pop" and harsher corrections of earlier obedience methods. Nonviolent dog training shapes appropriate behavior with rewards such as food and games. Incorrect behavior is punished by ignoring the dog and by verbal cues such as "oh-oh." There are chapters on clicker training, target stick training, and training gear such as collars and leashes; the nine ingredients of canine optimum health (high-quality diet, play, socialization, quiet time, exercise, employment, rest, training, and healthcare); and human-canine communication. How to teach "sit," "stay," "down," "stand," "come," "heel," "take it," and "drop it" are explained step-by-step and illustrated with photographs. For public libraries.AFlorence Scarinci, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 1999
94 people are currently reading
355 people want to read
About the author
Paul Owens
33 books6 followersPaul is an official member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and is endorsed by The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI). He is the author of the 1999 best-selling book The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
February 1, 2011
I really wanted to like this more than I did, because it came to me highly recommended, but I found myself wanting to shake Owens rather a lot.
The good: the training methods described herein, when Owens finally gets around to describing them in detail about 150 pages in, would probably work pretty well with just about any dog, and seem like they would be particularly good for dogs who are sensitive and food-motivated. I think you could probably eventually obtain relatively consistent behavior from even the most dumb dog on the planet, if you worked long enough using these methods. They also have the benefit of being pretty difficult to screw up: sure, you might end up with a dog who's poorly trained or who's been inadvertently trained into bad behaviors, but there is pretty much zero danger of actually hurting the dog (except possibly by making it obese through over-use of food rewards), and eventually you will probably see results. This also had one of the better explanations of the clicker method that I've come across, which is helpful.
The not-so-good, and also annoying: A lot of dogs are going to get really bored if the individual doing the training doesn't realize that the dog's capable of making cognitive leaps and might not need all the steps detailed. I personally felt that Owens acts as though both the dogs and the humans involved in the training are incredibly dumb. This might not be such a bad assumption to make, as a baseline when one is explaining things, but from someone who is supposedly writing about a more respectful method of training, I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of respect involved when it comes to trusting the intelligence of the dog and its person.
And speaking of intelligence... Ok, can someone recommend a book on positive training methods that doesn't, for example, have a whole chapter on how I need to do yoga breathing exercises before I work with my dog so that I'm in the right mindset? Or one that doesn't go off at length about psychic animals, acupuncture for dogs, and/or holistic everything-under-the-sun? I don't mean to be a jerk, but the woo-woo factor in this book annoyed the ever-loving p*ss out of me. I accept a certain woo-woo factor in pretty much every dog book, and even think that a certain amount of discussion of seeing things from the dog's POV is necessary, but still...
In all, I'm glad I read this, since I think it's good to get a lot of perspectives on dog training, and I would be very open to other suggestions.
The good: the training methods described herein, when Owens finally gets around to describing them in detail about 150 pages in, would probably work pretty well with just about any dog, and seem like they would be particularly good for dogs who are sensitive and food-motivated. I think you could probably eventually obtain relatively consistent behavior from even the most dumb dog on the planet, if you worked long enough using these methods. They also have the benefit of being pretty difficult to screw up: sure, you might end up with a dog who's poorly trained or who's been inadvertently trained into bad behaviors, but there is pretty much zero danger of actually hurting the dog (except possibly by making it obese through over-use of food rewards), and eventually you will probably see results. This also had one of the better explanations of the clicker method that I've come across, which is helpful.
The not-so-good, and also annoying: A lot of dogs are going to get really bored if the individual doing the training doesn't realize that the dog's capable of making cognitive leaps and might not need all the steps detailed. I personally felt that Owens acts as though both the dogs and the humans involved in the training are incredibly dumb. This might not be such a bad assumption to make, as a baseline when one is explaining things, but from someone who is supposedly writing about a more respectful method of training, I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of respect involved when it comes to trusting the intelligence of the dog and its person.
And speaking of intelligence... Ok, can someone recommend a book on positive training methods that doesn't, for example, have a whole chapter on how I need to do yoga breathing exercises before I work with my dog so that I'm in the right mindset? Or one that doesn't go off at length about psychic animals, acupuncture for dogs, and/or holistic everything-under-the-sun? I don't mean to be a jerk, but the woo-woo factor in this book annoyed the ever-loving p*ss out of me. I accept a certain woo-woo factor in pretty much every dog book, and even think that a certain amount of discussion of seeing things from the dog's POV is necessary, but still...
In all, I'm glad I read this, since I think it's good to get a lot of perspectives on dog training, and I would be very open to other suggestions.
January 31, 2008
I like this approach much better than Cesar Milan's - this guy allows dogs to have more personality than does Cesar, who I feel kind of expects dogs to behave like robots.
August 26, 2010
This is an excellent non-violent, compassionate approach to dog training book. If you have a dog, I highly recommend it. I read this book to better understand how to respond to the behaviors of a friend's dog, and it was extremely helpful. I liked how Owens talked about focusing not on "I want my dog to stop jumping" but on "What do I want my dog to do instead of jumping?" In that way, we're not just asking dogs (or people, students, children, whatever) to stop doing what is natural for them, but we're asking them to substitute a more appropriate or productive behavior in place of the behavior that irks us. Owens gives step-by-step instructions for how to train your dog, and he also addresses all kinds of problem behaviors. I found this book helpful on so many levels.
September 12, 2011
The first self-proclaimed "dog whisperer" and the better one! Read Owens for a holistic, eastern approach to dog training. I enjoyed his emphasis on a fresh, natural diet for a happy, healthy dog. My full review here: http://thedoggerel.wordpress.com/2011...
July 5, 2016
There's some great advice in this book and my dog has been responding positively (mostly) to the training exercises outlined here. However, much like when reading Melville's Moby-Dick, you have to wade through a lot of slush to get to the gems.
July 23, 2019
More like a 3.5.
My rating varies depending upon whether I base the review on myself or another potential reader who may not have already read what I consider the pre-eminent book on clicker training, Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog."
Don't misunderstand, this is actually a good book on positive reinforcement training. But it's such an entry-level book on clicker training that the repetition about drove me mad. Was it really necessary to repeat how many times you must repeat at 80% success rate after EVERY section? It was as if the author didn't expect the reader to read the book cover to cover but to randomly pick one behavior 2/3 of the way through the book, read about it then put the book down.
It could have been 100 vs 283 pages long by coming up with an abbreviation for the repetitive steps in 95% of the behaviors.
My rating varies depending upon whether I base the review on myself or another potential reader who may not have already read what I consider the pre-eminent book on clicker training, Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog."
Don't misunderstand, this is actually a good book on positive reinforcement training. But it's such an entry-level book on clicker training that the repetition about drove me mad. Was it really necessary to repeat how many times you must repeat at 80% success rate after EVERY section? It was as if the author didn't expect the reader to read the book cover to cover but to randomly pick one behavior 2/3 of the way through the book, read about it then put the book down.
It could have been 100 vs 283 pages long by coming up with an abbreviation for the repetitive steps in 95% of the behaviors.
November 18, 2018
DNF. I think at this book because I thought it was written by Cesar Chavez, the man who is commonly known as the dog whisperer. It is not. I tried a number of times to read this book and never finished it. I just didn’t find it interesting even though I love my dogs and I love the show that Cesar Chavez star soon. The book just was too dry and move too slowly.
July 26, 2017
Great dog training book! The advice is spot on and helpful. I have started using his recommendations and my dogs are responding well. Only thing I think is too much is feeding raw food to the dog. Not sure I can support that.
July 12, 2018
it took me a very long time to finish this book, because there were too many fiction books to distract me. Howver. it had a lot of good information about how to train a dog in a CV compassionate way. Hopefully I can train our new puppy better than I trained our first one.
August 26, 2022
Very intuitive and helpful insight into dog care and training. Training tips took my 10 month old pup from pulling on leash to healing at my side in one session. !
Food and other topics so very important too.
Lots of “dog-eared” pages in this book AKA resource.
Food and other topics so very important too.
Lots of “dog-eared” pages in this book AKA resource.
June 8, 2023
Great for a beginner
Read this in anticipation of adopting a dog after an adulthood of caring only for a cat. Loved how everything was broken down into simple steps with levels of intensity
Read this in anticipation of adopting a dog after an adulthood of caring only for a cat. Loved how everything was broken down into simple steps with levels of intensity
February 29, 2024
A good reference for positive training. Appreciated the “elementary, high school and college” level breakdown of specific training skills. Personally, I didn’t need the extra pages of why you shouldn’t beat your dog…
I’ll come back to this one!
I’ll come back to this one!
March 7, 2018
There are a few "out there" moments in this book, but overall, I think it's a solid training method using positive reinforcement.
October 26, 2018
Good, nice, compassionate and commonsense approach to dog training. I'm glad I read this to learn some "tricks" about "dog language" that I would have had no clue about without the book.
January 17, 2019
SO HELPFUL!
November 19, 2019
Great ideas, much better way to train a dog and it works. Easy to read but rooted in knowledge.
Read
April 9, 2022This has been my favorite of the dog training books I've read
May 1, 2022
Helpful pointers. Not super easy to read . Quite repetitive, but very good ideas that work.
February 10, 2025
couldn’t finish
May 10, 2025
a quick, principled read on nonviolent training basics - a lot more “woo woo” metaphysical philosophy than i anticipated, but for me that’s not unwelcome!
June 22, 2025
Helpful practical advice
May 13, 2021
Paul was very calming, telling me to visualize the behavior I am asking my dog to perform and take breaths to be sure I am relaxed. I appreciate this gentle approach.
October 1, 2012
The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training opens the door to a whole new world of K9 training. This might just be Paul Owens best work yet.
This book can be used to train all dogs, from sensitive and shy, to headstrong and stubborn. It will explain to you what training "really" is. The book will start you off from the time that you first get your puppy, to the mature years of your dog’s life. Paul Owens starts you off with simple commands and takes you all the ways through behavior problems that you might encounter later in life. Never in this book will you be confused with what Paul Owens is trying to tell you, because of the illustrations and examples he includes in this work of art. This book is strictly dog TRAINING; he does not talk about choosing a dog, or health issues that you might see throughout your dog’s life. Even though, he does not miss a beat while talking about teaching your dog or puppy. This book will have you with a dog that not only listens, but communicates with you.
I would highly recommend this book to any one that wants to have a truly intriguing read that will show you how to have a well trained best friend that will never disobey your commands.
This book can be used to train all dogs, from sensitive and shy, to headstrong and stubborn. It will explain to you what training "really" is. The book will start you off from the time that you first get your puppy, to the mature years of your dog’s life. Paul Owens starts you off with simple commands and takes you all the ways through behavior problems that you might encounter later in life. Never in this book will you be confused with what Paul Owens is trying to tell you, because of the illustrations and examples he includes in this work of art. This book is strictly dog TRAINING; he does not talk about choosing a dog, or health issues that you might see throughout your dog’s life. Even though, he does not miss a beat while talking about teaching your dog or puppy. This book will have you with a dog that not only listens, but communicates with you.
I would highly recommend this book to any one that wants to have a truly intriguing read that will show you how to have a well trained best friend that will never disobey your commands.
January 14, 2015
Most of the information shared in this book I already knew. Perhaps i was made more aware of some elements of common sense, compassion, or my own sensitivity to my dog's behavior.
For example:
When my precious companion dog of nearly 14 years suddenly became ill I felt I was able to watch her behaviors more closely and "listen" to her needs during the final days of her life. I asked Hero if she wanted me to help her along (put her to sleep) and I feel she told me no, so we just loved her and took care of her for another day when she peacefully passed away. It was far less stress on my family to be with her and take care of her at the end because she had done such a wonderful job of taking care of us.
Whether a pet is part of your family or a service dog, I feel it is important to pay attention to their attempts to communicate and this book does offer good advice and successful methods.
Not only that, it works on PEOPLE, too!
After reading this book, not only did I become more aware of my pets' behaviors, I began to notice more nonverbal forms of communications with people.
For example:
When my precious companion dog of nearly 14 years suddenly became ill I felt I was able to watch her behaviors more closely and "listen" to her needs during the final days of her life. I asked Hero if she wanted me to help her along (put her to sleep) and I feel she told me no, so we just loved her and took care of her for another day when she peacefully passed away. It was far less stress on my family to be with her and take care of her at the end because she had done such a wonderful job of taking care of us.
Whether a pet is part of your family or a service dog, I feel it is important to pay attention to their attempts to communicate and this book does offer good advice and successful methods.
Not only that, it works on PEOPLE, too!
After reading this book, not only did I become more aware of my pets' behaviors, I began to notice more nonverbal forms of communications with people.
November 2, 2010
This book is a great book. Completely out marketed by Cesar Milan and others, Paul Owens helps you get your doggie on the up and up step by step.
I think Cesar Milan and his stupid human show are great for the big, bad obvious, but there are some things that I really don't agree with, particularly with rehabbing sensitive dogs. Paul isn't as photogenic, but his POSITIVE reinforcement style of training absolutely works.
I read the entire book, cover to cover and then started working on some of our problem spots.
From the moment I began I saw immediate improvement. I wasn't entirely sure about clicker training, but am now a fan. One of my dogs is extremely sensitive and just phases out with negative reinforcement, but with this method, she's doing exactly what I need her to do most of the time (we are still working!).
I think Cesar Milan and his stupid human show are great for the big, bad obvious, but there are some things that I really don't agree with, particularly with rehabbing sensitive dogs. Paul isn't as photogenic, but his POSITIVE reinforcement style of training absolutely works.
I read the entire book, cover to cover and then started working on some of our problem spots.
From the moment I began I saw immediate improvement. I wasn't entirely sure about clicker training, but am now a fan. One of my dogs is extremely sensitive and just phases out with negative reinforcement, but with this method, she's doing exactly what I need her to do most of the time (we are still working!).
August 23, 2012
Excellent book on gentle dog training and dog health. He promotes the idea that a healthy & happy life can be attained by providing 9 things: Excellent Food (diet), Play, Socialization, Quiet Time, Exercise, Employment, Rest, Training (discipline and education), and Health Care. His web site (http://raisewithpraise.com ) and DVD explains more. Gee, what if we treated human beings as well?
Seriously though, I've started working on new commands, and refining older ones, and the advice is working like a charm.
Seriously though, I've started working on new commands, and refining older ones, and the advice is working like a charm.
July 12, 2007
This is the first book I've read on clicker training, so I don't really know how it compares to the others. I'm cautiously optimistic about the method, but I'll have to try it out with my dog before I can make any real judgements. The book was well-written and easy to read.
July 15, 2007
I liked this book - it really helped me to understand dogs better. I especially liked the info on helping a dog overcome fear and agression. The only negative for me is that Cesar says that it's important to see your dog as just an animal and treat it as such. That just doesn't work for me.
February 17, 2008
I liked reading the first part about how he started out but then I never finished because I got bored when he started talking about the techniques since it is rehashing the show that I have watched a million times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2012
Good ideas. Fair organization of ideas but not great. He could be more clear about certain ideas that I wanted more info on like why you would want a "martingale leash". He just says that you should buy one but not why.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews