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Good Owners, Great Dogs
Instead of Going Out of Your Mind, Get into His. The only American to study and work with the renowned Barbara Woodhouse, Brian Kilcommons solves all those "bad dog" problems that drive owners crazy-and shows you how to raise a puppy into a happy, perfectly behaved dog. The trick is to understand how dogs think, read their body language, and, with the secrets Kilcommons shares in this book, be "fun, fair, and firm." A dog-training guide that gives you immediate results even with an adult dog, this manual trains you, as it gives owners everything they need and everything dogs need to become... Good Owners, Great Dogs Includes specific tips on how to: * housebreak both puppies and adult dogs * teach your dog to come to you regardless of what he's doing * end annoying habits like jumping, food stealing, and barking * prevent aggression and, in many cases, stop it after it has become a problem * use games to teach your dog to obey ...and much more.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 1992
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351 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
December 31, 2020
What a terrific book. We have an almost 14 year old male miniature schnauzer who is well behaved, mostly, but is almost completely deaf, and appears to have a diminished sense of either sight or smell. A couple of months ago when my father-in-law passed away we inherited his three year old male miniature poodle and eleven year old female miniature poodle. This added to the recently acquired 8 chickens. So the funny farm was now up and running. The two poodles were never properly trained, so they are still a bit of a problem, but for the most part things have improved greatly from the time of their arrival.
Fast forward to now, three months later. Our internet is down for a few days, it is the holidays, we are in provincial lockdown, and the internet guy just left without doing anything because he won’t go on the roof in this weather.
So, for entertainment I decide to leaf through this book, that actually came with all of the poodles “stuff”.... although clearly, the book had been put to little use before now.
Anyway...I have read a few other books on training dogs (or their owners...LOL) or dealing with behavioral issues, at least a few times over our dog’s almost fourteen years. But, this book makes so much more sense than anything I have read on the topic.
This book is basic, yet it is complete and thorough. It is written in an easy to follow manner and gives explanations as to why things work or don’t work. It hits all the behavioral problems and explains how they have happened (usually through no fault of the dog), and how to correct them. And yes... you can teach old dogs new tricks. You just have to have good instructions! The author uses many positive reinforcement techniques, taking his cues and opportunities from the dogs. It really seems very logical and makes a great deal of sense.
Needless to say, I learned much reading this book, although I’ll admit I did not go cover to cover. I did read a great deal of it, although not necessarily from front to back. It was much more a sporadic review, jumping from topic to topic, or going where one instruction lead to another (see the chapter on... or go to page such and such for further explanation). However, I’d highly recommend this book if you are getting a dog, or even have one already. It would also make a great gift for that relative or friend with the annoying dog that incessantly licks you, humps your leg, or just doesn’t listen to anyone.
Not only can you teach old dogs new tricks... but old owners too!
Fast forward to now, three months later. Our internet is down for a few days, it is the holidays, we are in provincial lockdown, and the internet guy just left without doing anything because he won’t go on the roof in this weather.
So, for entertainment I decide to leaf through this book, that actually came with all of the poodles “stuff”.... although clearly, the book had been put to little use before now.
Anyway...I have read a few other books on training dogs (or their owners...LOL) or dealing with behavioral issues, at least a few times over our dog’s almost fourteen years. But, this book makes so much more sense than anything I have read on the topic.
This book is basic, yet it is complete and thorough. It is written in an easy to follow manner and gives explanations as to why things work or don’t work. It hits all the behavioral problems and explains how they have happened (usually through no fault of the dog), and how to correct them. And yes... you can teach old dogs new tricks. You just have to have good instructions! The author uses many positive reinforcement techniques, taking his cues and opportunities from the dogs. It really seems very logical and makes a great deal of sense.
Needless to say, I learned much reading this book, although I’ll admit I did not go cover to cover. I did read a great deal of it, although not necessarily from front to back. It was much more a sporadic review, jumping from topic to topic, or going where one instruction lead to another (see the chapter on... or go to page such and such for further explanation). However, I’d highly recommend this book if you are getting a dog, or even have one already. It would also make a great gift for that relative or friend with the annoying dog that incessantly licks you, humps your leg, or just doesn’t listen to anyone.
Not only can you teach old dogs new tricks... but old owners too!
November 27, 2018
3.5 stars
What I didn't like: Not the most User Friendly book. Reads like a Textbook. Some humor--but not nearly enough.
Layout was distracting--for example, all the photos should have been placed at the back (or beginning) of each chapter, rather than a photo every single page which interrupted the text. Also, the photos were black & white and not fun to look at. There were side-bars on every page which were distracting as well. Kind of a High School Yearbook feel to it.
How To Train Your Dog Chapters--what I understood from those is that Brian Kilcommons is a Very Good Trainer. I doubt I could follow his instructions and train my dog exactly as he says. I do think that, like dancing, most people need a live example to learn dog training.
What I liked: there was a TON of great info on dog psychology, which was tremendously helpful. Lots of examples. Also lots of good ideas on how to stop your dog doing problem behaviors--such as the dog who paws you for attention or sleeps on the couch while you are gone or growls over his food dish.
This is definitely a very decent reference book for dog lovers and dog owners.
What I didn't like: Not the most User Friendly book. Reads like a Textbook. Some humor--but not nearly enough.
Layout was distracting--for example, all the photos should have been placed at the back (or beginning) of each chapter, rather than a photo every single page which interrupted the text. Also, the photos were black & white and not fun to look at. There were side-bars on every page which were distracting as well. Kind of a High School Yearbook feel to it.
How To Train Your Dog Chapters--what I understood from those is that Brian Kilcommons is a Very Good Trainer. I doubt I could follow his instructions and train my dog exactly as he says. I do think that, like dancing, most people need a live example to learn dog training.
What I liked: there was a TON of great info on dog psychology, which was tremendously helpful. Lots of examples. Also lots of good ideas on how to stop your dog doing problem behaviors--such as the dog who paws you for attention or sleeps on the couch while you are gone or growls over his food dish.
This is definitely a very decent reference book for dog lovers and dog owners.
November 23, 2025
this book has been passed down as the dog bible for almost 20 years in my family. finally read it as i prepare for #motherhood :D thank you dad for letting me borrow!
January 6, 2014
I am not a dog trainer, so I’m no expert… but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was extremely helpful. I wish I had my dog near so I could put to use what I learned from this book immediately! The book is entertaining, full of advice and photos, and is inspiring for a dog owner. I never had any trouble understanding the author or doubted his methods (except once, which I detail below). Gotta love dogs! All potential dog owners or even experienced dog owners like myself should take a look at this book. It is a great resource.
One strategy that I am slightly hesitant about is the shake can idea. Basically, he recommended filling a soda can with material so it could be shaken to surprise/distract a dog that is doing a bad behavior. While I think this is a very good method and do think it would sufficiently distract a dog, the ol’ softie in me is concerned that the potentially heavy can might hit the dog as it distracted them. For example, to hide the soda can you might put the object they were not supposed to chew out (let’s say a shoe) where they can get it, but hide the can on a nearby table. The shake can and the shoe would be attached by a string, so when the dog grabbed the shoe they would incidentally pull down and rattle the ‘scary/surprising’ shake can and then let go of the shoe. Potentially, the shake can could fall on the dog. While this wouldn’t really matter for large or medium sized dogs, this could hurt a small more delicate toy breed! Needless to say, this is a picky point in the context of the entire book and does not apply to many readers.
January 30, 2011
I first heard of this book on a pet parenting site and figured I'd give it a try. I thought, "The book is old, it probably has a lot of training tips I don't agree with" but was curious to see what the hype was about from this particular website. Upon reading it, I was really quite pleasantly surprised that the Brian Kilcommons had the same philosophy with regards to dog training that I had. In Latin America, dogs are seen as animals and pet ownership isn't exactly a romanticized notion like it is here in the States, so I was really happy to read that his approach was part Cesar Millan and part positive training, which I could definitely see working. I am going to have to buy the book because my dog could stand to be more obedient, but I would absolutely recommend it. I was surprised how sensible Kilcommons' methods are and am going to begin to employ them myself.
January 10, 2016
This is the best of the dog training books. It could have better, more clear instructions, however, it's better than any of the others. And I credit it with my first great walk with Zeke, a high energy collie pup today. (Along with Deuce, 12 years old and blind.) Both love their training. I bought this book after reading it in the library and realizing what a "find" it was. If you have a dog, you'll love it.
June 21, 2008
After reading Karen Pryor's clicker training books, this early edition of Good Owners, Great Dogs seems almost antiquated: all correction, no positive reinforcement. As a general guide for people unfamiliar with having dogs in the house, it's one-stop shopping for expert advice. Otherwise, there's better, newer stuff out there.
June 10, 2021
Very dated in terms of new training techniques. Comprehensive book, laid out nicely.
February 1, 2019
Good Owners, Great Dogs, by Brian Kilcommons claims to teach four things: 1. how to think from your dog’s point of view, 2. how to be patient and kind with your dog, 3. how not to be abusive to your dog, and 4. how to speak the way a dog understands. All of those can be summarized by saying, “learn to understand your dog better, and you will train your dog better.” Or “Be a good owner, and you'll have a great dog.” I see what he did there--apropos title.
Who could object to that? A better question might be, is the book able to accomplish that worthy goal? In one way it does. In another way, it doesn't—but that may be a good thing.
After having read the entire book in a five-day period, I can say that it can do, and in my case has done, what it claims—in a way. I'm beginning to understand doghood. In fact, this book was downright revelatory and amazing, though the principles of dogginess weren't really a secret. The only way to describe the way a dog feels about its owners is trust—and with that understanding, it’s hard not to feel the crushing weight of responsibility to bear the trust dogs give us every day.
As a consequence, I’ll admit that I felt guilty reading this book. Primarily because I’ve done it wrong for so long. Three months prior to buying this book, I bought a shock collar and blundered about shocking my dog (not that often, I promise) when he did things I didn’t like—of course it didn’t really work, so I quit shocking him and started buying books (including this one), but now that I know why he didn’t understand me, and how my shocking him merely caused his unnecessary suffering, I felt like Michael Vick. I wrapped the collar around my forearm and shocked myself, partly to see what it would feel like. Unconsciously, I'm sure it was an attempt to assuage my own guilt. Unfortunately, two pains do not one pain undo.
The good news is that Kilcommons helped me to return my dog's love. So we’re all good. My three dogs, Pip, Gimli, and Tucker all still love me unreservedly. Thus, the best praise I can give this book is that not enough people are reading it and they should. Anything other than what this man suggests is animal cruelty, albeit unintentionally. I want to buy this book and pass it out on the street if I knew people would read it.
In short, this book delivers on what it claims, at least from the point of understanding your dog. As for as how well his methods will work on you, I believe the same will hold true, though there is no accounting for how well you'll be able to accomplish what he’s asking you to do—but that’s your problem, not the book’s.
On the other hand, this book may no go far enough. Organizationally, the book is divided into four parts. Part 1 provides background to his method and theoretical foundation. Part 2 deals with puppyhood (the name of that section, as it turns out). Part 3 discusses adult dogs, and Part 4 deals with identifying and dealing with specific problems. While this seems pretty straightforward, this organizational scheme is far from effective.
But first, let's look at the strengths of this book. The book excels, by far, in two areas. First, the reading is just fun. Kilcommons is both humorous and light-handed. The pictures are wonderful testaments to his claims. For example, one caption under the picture of a bright-eyed dog staring intently at the camera reads, “Here, Duncan is awaiting Sarah's next command. He is calm, eager and ready, totally focused on her. He thinks training is great fun.” You get the sense that Kilcommons is training you. He probably is.
Second, his training method just makes sense. Back when I had my first dog, I picked up the only book available at my local library. Get this: that book suggested, at one point, that I grab the scruff of my dog's neck, growl or snarl at him, then “combat roll” my dog onto his back. Keep in mind that my dog was a 90 lb. boxer and he could have easily made a snack of my arm if he wasn’t such an awfully nice and patient fella.
This book advocates nothing of the sort. Through patience, love, and understanding, your dog will do what you want him to do because he loves you. That's a better motivation in my opinion. Here's the bittersweet part: my dog still loves me unconditionally after all those years of snarling and combat rolls. Perhaps my dog is condescending enough not to have taken me seriously, but needless to say, he probably loves me a lot more now, since I've read this book.
Speaking of him still loving me, Kilcommons tells of a time that one owner, out of misunderstanding and frustration, downright screamed at his dog because he wasn't “getting it.” The dog trusted his owner so fully that rather than running or biting, he rolled over submissively. This struck the author as revealingly vulnerable for such a powerful animal—he had no idea what his owner wanted but he endured. Why? Because these dogs trust us owners with their lives and their existence. They forgive us for almost everything and totally accept us just by virtue of being in their lives. I hope that helps you see, as it did me, that they don’t deserve to be combat rolled just for getting distracted by a squirrel. I’ve learned my lesson.
You might think that this book is generally well organized, based on the sections I just listed, but I’m afraid I’ve misled you. So let me be clear: it’s not organized all that well. The layout of Parts 1-4 make sense, but the sections within each part are senseless. Glancing through the table of contents ought to give you a good idea of what I mean.
Don’t get me wrong, the organization isn’t inscrutable, but it certainly makes planning difficult. The strength of the book, or course, is its detail and comprehensiveness, but it does take some creative puzzle solving to fit them all together into a coherent whole. If I were being generous, I might say that this seeming disorganization is a pedagogical tool, meant to encourage real learning through consolidated thinking.
If I weren’t being generous, I might say that the editors and the author gave up trying to organize this stuff after deciding on the larger parts of the book. Either way, be prepared for a fun read, but a challenging beginning when you finally start actually training your dog. It doesn’t help you to organize a training schedule for a beginning trainer. You can easily create one yourself, but that will take some organizational skills, which some readers may not have. You’ll need to either get another dog training book that does this or learn to do so yourself. Feel free to ask me for some of my own practices as well, and I'll be glad to share.
The only other weakness of this book it's that it is largely more of a theoretical text, rather than a practical text. It might even be too strong to call it a weakness since some might find this more freeing. It isn’t that there isn’t a ton of practical tips and tricks. What I mean is that reading this books will immerse you into a dog trainer's worldview, rather than giving you a couple of tips to tack on to your attitude toward dog ownership. You’ll most definitely benefit from the book, but not necessarily for a carefully structured training plan. He leaves the application of most of his advice entirely up to you.
TL;DR?
Overall, this book is a good resource for the following kinds of people:
1. Those who have just gotten a puppy, and have never learned to train a dog in a kind and humane way.
2. Those who have adult dogs with behavioral problems and need to learn how to correct those problems while forming a stronger bond with your pet (though severe or dangerous behavioral problems should seek professional guidance).
3. Those who train dogs with the “traditional” punishment-based methods. Of course, the book may not change your mind, but you should at least hear what this method proposes. Having read this book, and been inducted into its worldview, I can only hope that your reason for becoming a trainer is for the benefit of the dogs. If that’s so, then you’ll undoubtedly want to do what’s most enjoyable, fun, and effective for your dogs. If that’s the case, you need to at least take a look at this book to see if this is true of your method and see how it compares to his. I’ll leave it to Kilcommons to convince you that you’ve been doing it wrong—even if you’re getting results doing it your way.
In sum, this book should be a primer for all dog owners, so much so that if anyone even considers getting a dog, pick up a copy of this first, read it, then buy the dog. You’ll be well on your road to happy and healthy dog ownership. While you're at it, buy a few more copies and give it to your friends for Christmas. If not for their sakes, at least for their dogs'.
Who could object to that? A better question might be, is the book able to accomplish that worthy goal? In one way it does. In another way, it doesn't—but that may be a good thing.
After having read the entire book in a five-day period, I can say that it can do, and in my case has done, what it claims—in a way. I'm beginning to understand doghood. In fact, this book was downright revelatory and amazing, though the principles of dogginess weren't really a secret. The only way to describe the way a dog feels about its owners is trust—and with that understanding, it’s hard not to feel the crushing weight of responsibility to bear the trust dogs give us every day.
As a consequence, I’ll admit that I felt guilty reading this book. Primarily because I’ve done it wrong for so long. Three months prior to buying this book, I bought a shock collar and blundered about shocking my dog (not that often, I promise) when he did things I didn’t like—of course it didn’t really work, so I quit shocking him and started buying books (including this one), but now that I know why he didn’t understand me, and how my shocking him merely caused his unnecessary suffering, I felt like Michael Vick. I wrapped the collar around my forearm and shocked myself, partly to see what it would feel like. Unconsciously, I'm sure it was an attempt to assuage my own guilt. Unfortunately, two pains do not one pain undo.
The good news is that Kilcommons helped me to return my dog's love. So we’re all good. My three dogs, Pip, Gimli, and Tucker all still love me unreservedly. Thus, the best praise I can give this book is that not enough people are reading it and they should. Anything other than what this man suggests is animal cruelty, albeit unintentionally. I want to buy this book and pass it out on the street if I knew people would read it.
In short, this book delivers on what it claims, at least from the point of understanding your dog. As for as how well his methods will work on you, I believe the same will hold true, though there is no accounting for how well you'll be able to accomplish what he’s asking you to do—but that’s your problem, not the book’s.
On the other hand, this book may no go far enough. Organizationally, the book is divided into four parts. Part 1 provides background to his method and theoretical foundation. Part 2 deals with puppyhood (the name of that section, as it turns out). Part 3 discusses adult dogs, and Part 4 deals with identifying and dealing with specific problems. While this seems pretty straightforward, this organizational scheme is far from effective.
But first, let's look at the strengths of this book. The book excels, by far, in two areas. First, the reading is just fun. Kilcommons is both humorous and light-handed. The pictures are wonderful testaments to his claims. For example, one caption under the picture of a bright-eyed dog staring intently at the camera reads, “Here, Duncan is awaiting Sarah's next command. He is calm, eager and ready, totally focused on her. He thinks training is great fun.” You get the sense that Kilcommons is training you. He probably is.
Second, his training method just makes sense. Back when I had my first dog, I picked up the only book available at my local library. Get this: that book suggested, at one point, that I grab the scruff of my dog's neck, growl or snarl at him, then “combat roll” my dog onto his back. Keep in mind that my dog was a 90 lb. boxer and he could have easily made a snack of my arm if he wasn’t such an awfully nice and patient fella.
This book advocates nothing of the sort. Through patience, love, and understanding, your dog will do what you want him to do because he loves you. That's a better motivation in my opinion. Here's the bittersweet part: my dog still loves me unconditionally after all those years of snarling and combat rolls. Perhaps my dog is condescending enough not to have taken me seriously, but needless to say, he probably loves me a lot more now, since I've read this book.
Speaking of him still loving me, Kilcommons tells of a time that one owner, out of misunderstanding and frustration, downright screamed at his dog because he wasn't “getting it.” The dog trusted his owner so fully that rather than running or biting, he rolled over submissively. This struck the author as revealingly vulnerable for such a powerful animal—he had no idea what his owner wanted but he endured. Why? Because these dogs trust us owners with their lives and their existence. They forgive us for almost everything and totally accept us just by virtue of being in their lives. I hope that helps you see, as it did me, that they don’t deserve to be combat rolled just for getting distracted by a squirrel. I’ve learned my lesson.
You might think that this book is generally well organized, based on the sections I just listed, but I’m afraid I’ve misled you. So let me be clear: it’s not organized all that well. The layout of Parts 1-4 make sense, but the sections within each part are senseless. Glancing through the table of contents ought to give you a good idea of what I mean.
Don’t get me wrong, the organization isn’t inscrutable, but it certainly makes planning difficult. The strength of the book, or course, is its detail and comprehensiveness, but it does take some creative puzzle solving to fit them all together into a coherent whole. If I were being generous, I might say that this seeming disorganization is a pedagogical tool, meant to encourage real learning through consolidated thinking.
If I weren’t being generous, I might say that the editors and the author gave up trying to organize this stuff after deciding on the larger parts of the book. Either way, be prepared for a fun read, but a challenging beginning when you finally start actually training your dog. It doesn’t help you to organize a training schedule for a beginning trainer. You can easily create one yourself, but that will take some organizational skills, which some readers may not have. You’ll need to either get another dog training book that does this or learn to do so yourself. Feel free to ask me for some of my own practices as well, and I'll be glad to share.
The only other weakness of this book it's that it is largely more of a theoretical text, rather than a practical text. It might even be too strong to call it a weakness since some might find this more freeing. It isn’t that there isn’t a ton of practical tips and tricks. What I mean is that reading this books will immerse you into a dog trainer's worldview, rather than giving you a couple of tips to tack on to your attitude toward dog ownership. You’ll most definitely benefit from the book, but not necessarily for a carefully structured training plan. He leaves the application of most of his advice entirely up to you.
TL;DR?
Overall, this book is a good resource for the following kinds of people:
1. Those who have just gotten a puppy, and have never learned to train a dog in a kind and humane way.
2. Those who have adult dogs with behavioral problems and need to learn how to correct those problems while forming a stronger bond with your pet (though severe or dangerous behavioral problems should seek professional guidance).
3. Those who train dogs with the “traditional” punishment-based methods. Of course, the book may not change your mind, but you should at least hear what this method proposes. Having read this book, and been inducted into its worldview, I can only hope that your reason for becoming a trainer is for the benefit of the dogs. If that’s so, then you’ll undoubtedly want to do what’s most enjoyable, fun, and effective for your dogs. If that’s the case, you need to at least take a look at this book to see if this is true of your method and see how it compares to his. I’ll leave it to Kilcommons to convince you that you’ve been doing it wrong—even if you’re getting results doing it your way.
In sum, this book should be a primer for all dog owners, so much so that if anyone even considers getting a dog, pick up a copy of this first, read it, then buy the dog. You’ll be well on your road to happy and healthy dog ownership. While you're at it, buy a few more copies and give it to your friends for Christmas. If not for their sakes, at least for their dogs'.
January 4, 2023
10/10 cover.
This was recommended to me from the rescue I adopted my pup from and I found a ton of the info invaluable. There were a couple of techniques recommended by the author that I wouldn’t feel comfortable using with my dog. For example, he recommends filling a can with coins to use to essentially scare the s*t out of your dog if they’re misbehaving (I’m oversimplifying but you get the drift). 99% of what he recommends though is rewards base and has been super helpful in terms of training. It’s also been a great resource to check in terms of weird puppy phases (whining, barking) and gives some great tips for mental and physical activities for your dog. Overall a super helpful book that I would recommend to any first time, or honestly, long time dog owners!
This was recommended to me from the rescue I adopted my pup from and I found a ton of the info invaluable. There were a couple of techniques recommended by the author that I wouldn’t feel comfortable using with my dog. For example, he recommends filling a can with coins to use to essentially scare the s*t out of your dog if they’re misbehaving (I’m oversimplifying but you get the drift). 99% of what he recommends though is rewards base and has been super helpful in terms of training. It’s also been a great resource to check in terms of weird puppy phases (whining, barking) and gives some great tips for mental and physical activities for your dog. Overall a super helpful book that I would recommend to any first time, or honestly, long time dog owners!
August 27, 2018
In a perfect world, every dog owner would read this book before ever taking possession of a dog. The book changed my life, eliminating so much frustration on my part and on my precious dog's. I became a much kinder person to my dog and to myself. She learned what it means to politely exist in a society with people and other dogs. I learned that most of the heavy handed tactics and noises I had been using weren't effective. Please keep in mind that owning a dog and forming that dog into a pleasant companion and citizen is WORK, and dogs shouldn't be acquired by people who aren't committed to that idea. Do read this book. And dispose of dog waste properly.
May 27, 2018
Excellent dog training manual. Focus is on training through praise, not correction. This book explains dog psychology well, helping you understand how to communicate with your dog. I would recommend it to anyone getting a new dog, even those who already have experience with dogs.
November 12, 2017
We brought home our first dog over a year ago. This has been an amazing resource as a first time pet owner. I highly recommend this guide.
September 3, 2018
This is an excellent book to read if you are getting a dog for the first time. It's good to re-read from time to time as your dog matures. It's a good companion to balance the Caesar Milan books.
December 3, 2019
this book single handly helped me train my dog to such a high level. Definite read for the dog owner
June 15, 2020
Training a puppy seems intuitive, especially when you're not a first time dog owner. Sadly, it isn't always. This is a good book for all the theory and basics you'll need.
January 18, 2021
Generic, good advice if a little outdated in some parts. Enjoyed the "problem-solving" section at the back that could be useful as a reference.
February 7, 2024
Some really great insights in here!
June 18, 2012
Maybe I need to check it out of library again...so many positive reviews, when it seemed to me the same old---lots of advice and then when you look closer, you see that the crux of training comes down to using a corrective leash. I forget the name for the very specific, British one he recommends but it is similar to a choke collar. The side correction he uses seems so specific to that collar, and when I first read this, I was disillusioned that I couldn't only use positive reinforcement.
At the same time, his opening chapters on preparing for a puppy were the best I read---I wouldn't have been so shocked if I had read this before our first weeks of sleeplessness.
At the same time, his opening chapters on preparing for a puppy were the best I read---I wouldn't have been so shocked if I had read this before our first weeks of sleeplessness.
January 27, 2011
Of all the dog books my brother sent me, this is my favorite. This guy employs the Woodhouse method, but his book is more complete than hers. She talked mostly of dog psychology and correction collars, but this guy goes through step-by-step dog training, care, and temperment considerations. I only hope to master the basic commands that will keep our dog safe and make her an enjoyable pet. No cone weaving tricks for Lily. At the moment, a housebroken puppy and a full night's sleep will be cause for celebration. This book is worth buying if you want a comprehensive guide.
May 10, 2016
Some parts of this book are obviously dated in the training methods, as they conflict with more current books and training theories. I also don't agree with the author's rule of only 10 minutes per hour of giving your dog attention. Why even get a dog if you're just going to ignore it?
However, most of this book is useful information for dog training. I've started teaching my dog 'leave it' with these methods and have seen great results so far. The author's suggestion of redirecting unwanted behaviors is also a wonderful method.
However, most of this book is useful information for dog training. I've started teaching my dog 'leave it' with these methods and have seen great results so far. The author's suggestion of redirecting unwanted behaviors is also a wonderful method.
August 8, 2007
It's hard to believe that the same authors who wrote My Smart Puppy penned this book as well. While I found that book to be scattered and gimmicky, this book had a clear organization and practical information (for the most part). Though it is an older book, the information seems to be on par with the other books I've checked out. There's also some good information on what to do before getting a dog or puppy.
April 8, 2011
My husband and I are preparing to become dog owners. It will be my first time having a dog, and we are planning on starting with a new puppy. This book, so far, is great about giving you ideas on what to expect from bringing a new puppy into your home. While I haven't had the opportunity to put his suggestions for training into action, Kilcommons seems to give clear cut instructions and reasons why techniques fail or are successful based on the dog's interpretations of human interaction.
May 17, 2007
The local Humane Society recommended that we read this book before we adopted our dog, Harley, and it was SOOOO informative. Harleyis only 7 months old, but she's very well trained for her age (thanks to this book!) and any time we have a new issue come up, we use the book to help us figure out why and how to fix the problem! Definitely a great read for NEW dog/puppy owners!
July 22, 2014
Brian Kilcommons has a multitude of ideas to help an owner shape their dog into a model citizen. He has many common sense pointers that really helped me realize many of the things I have done to make my dog the way he is. I'm not 100% satisfied with All of his training methods, but I would highly recommend his book as a fantastic starting place to dog training.
July 14, 2008
Excellent book on how to train your dog, how to understand them and what to expect. I made my son read this book before he was allowed to get a dog and it made him an excellent dog owner and Im sure it made the dog a happier and better adjusted creature.
March 1, 2016
It's all about the owner. People with dog problems have to look at their own behavior first. I have now trained three dogs using the methods in this book and continually get comments like, "What a well-behaved dog you have."
January 26, 2009
It's all about the owner. People with dog problems have to look at their own behavior first. I have now trained three dogs using the methods in this book and continually get comments like, "What a well-behaved dog you have."
August 25, 2009
A fun book to read, but the strong emphasis on correction is very different from what we've learned with our trainers (mostly positive reinforcement and ignoring). We have incorporated some elements of his advice, though.
August 25, 2010
Oh, Brian Kilcommons, you are so chock full of commonsense, down to earth advice for puppy owners! You make it seem, if not easy, then at least possible to deal with everything that might arise. I wish you lived next door to me!
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