READING REFLECTIONS

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Positive Dog Training (2nd Edition)
A book by Pamela Dennison
2005; Alpha Publishing; 314 page

By Marcia Barkley

Title notwithstanding – because who among us thinks we need an Idiot’s Guide to anything? – this is a Great Book for dog lovers.  I wish I could afford to give a copy to every dog owner I know, whether they are experienced with dogs or first-timers.  I wish I had found this book, or something like it, ten years ago when my husband and I acquired our first dog.

Some of you may be familiar with Pamela Dennison’s name and reputation.  Based in New Jersey, Dennison has been training both dogs and horses, and writing books about training, for about twenty years.  This book is all about positive methods of training, but it’s much, much more than that.  There are insights into how dogs learn and communicate, and a great deal of explanation about learning theory concepts as they apply to dogs – but thankfully presented in non-scientific vocabulary that will make sense to any of us.  Much of the book is dedicated to basic “how to live with your dog in harmony” concepts and processes (e.g. crate training, bringing home a second dog) that will apply to any dog owner, and clearly illustrated with examples from real life (Dennison’s own dogs or those she has trained).  There’s so much good information here, it’s hard to pick anything to focus on, but some chapter and topic titles will give you an idea of the scope of what’s here:

Positive Training Fundamentals
Reinforcing What You Like … Ignoring What You Don’t Like … Breaking Down Each Behavior into Tiny Pieces … Keeping Sessions Short and Successful

Side Effects of Punishment
The Negative Spiral of Punishment … I’m Not Deaf, I’m Ignoring You

Lassie in the Classroom: How Dogs Learn and Communicate
Are You Listening to What Your Dog is Telling You?

The Most Important Things You and Your Dog Need to Know

What to Do if Your Dog Makes a Mistake

Incorporate Training into Your Life
Consistent Training and Variable Reinforcements Are the Key

Many, many, MANY good pieces of information, ideas, bits of wisdom, such as …

• “Just for the heck of it, I decided to train my dog Shadow to move to the right, left and back away from me, using my eyes only (with no head turns) as a cue.  That’s how small our signals can be and how extremely sensitive dogs are to our body language.”
• “If you’re inconsistent in your training and cues, you can’t blame your dog when he doesn’t do what you want.”
• “Great trainers are good at reinforcing … plan their sessions carefully … recognize small approximations and reward them.”

I suppose one of the reasons I like this book so much is that, as someone who has worked with her dog in three different competitive dog sports, I know what it looks like to have a dog working with joy – and while you can achieve obedience with punishment, you cannot achieve joy unless the relationship is based on complete trust.  Everything about this book reinforces the notion that dog training should and absolutely can be positive, productive and enriching to the lives of dogs and their owners.  I love what Dennison says on her website home page and in this book: “If you don’t have time to train your dog, get a stuffed animal instead.”