How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend: A Training Manual for Dog Owners (Hardcover)
Amazon.com Review
The Monks of New Skete share their invaluable training techniques and philosophy in their bestselling book, How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend. First and foremost, the Monks–who themselves breed and raise German shepherds in Upstate New York–emphasize that “understanding is the key to communication, compassion, and communion” with your dog. Outlined in seven highly readable and informative chapters, the training principles offer a better knowledge of your pet’s psyche and personality–ultimately deepening the bond between human and animal. Striving to educate and sensitize new and potential owners to dog kind, the book explores different breeds and temperaments, and assesses the best places from which to obtain a dog. Thanks to a succession of neatly ordered chapters and subsections on everything from crates and leash training to dog treats and massage, training is made accessible and even fun. The Monks lay particular emphasis on the importance of training with “spirit, humor, and most of all, physical and verbal praise!” Whether you’re a new owner or an old-timer, How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend is one of the best training guides available, written with compassion, empathy, and humor. –Naomi Gesinger
From Publishers Weekly
The Monks of New Skete have been raising and training dogs for over 30 years at their Cambridge, New York, monastery, and this volume-updated from the 1978 version-offers solid insights on dog training, behavior, grooming, feeding and a host of other topics. Whether discussing country, city or suburban dogs, the monks dispense good advice on humane care, such as admonishing owners to avoid “canine incarceration,” i.e., leaving a dog confined alone for long periods of time. While the book does contain many useful, tried-and-true techniques for obedience-stay, heel, down-stay, recall and the like-its unique value lies in the monks’ insights and thoughts about the human-canine bond. Concepts such as discipline and praise are more than merely a means to an end, the monks maintain: they are extensions of a caring attitude and real communication with a canine companion. Without devolving into New Age psychobabble, the monks make philosophical and spiritual observations that no dog lover could resist, and which just might make a convert of the uninitiated. 87 b&w photos.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
–This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Classical Training for your Dog
I would highly recommend any book by The Monks of New Skete. These men absolutely know what they are doing and they REALLY KNOW dogs.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
I’ve read both of the Monk’s books and they provide great insight on how to raise a dog. Highly recommended for new puppy owners and especially for German shepherd owners.
“How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend” is an excellent reference book for the first time dog owner and trainer. As well as the normal chapters on how to choose, socialise, feed, groom and train a puppy, the Monks cover topics as varied as how to read a puppy’s pedigree, how to massage your dog, and how your dog’s living environment will impact upon his training needs.
Unlike many training manuals, the Monks of New Skete strike a nice balance between “dominance” based training methods and formal training. The Monks stress the importance of earning your dog’s trust and respect and the importance of being a strong pack leader for your dog; they also recognise the need for formal training, and spend several chapters explaining how this is best accomplished. Most training books are heavily biased towards one or other method, so it is nice to read a book which realises that both are ingredients in successful dog training.
The training methods discussed are fairly traditional, with the Monks either luring or gently moulding the dog into shape, then praising. However they also advocate classically conditioning a positive reinforcer (keys jingling), which can then be used at strategic times to help a dog relax; and they do discuss and recommend clicker methods for “sensitive” dogs.
Contrary to some reviews posted below, the Monks of New Skete do in fact advocate using plenty of positive reinforcement in their training. Confusion on this issue probably stems from the fact that the Monks do not advocate constantly using food treats while training. However, food treats are not the only positive reinforcement method available to a trainer. As the Monks point out “Food treats are an extremely effective motivator to help dogs learn…however, they are not meant to replace sincere verbal and physical praise.” The Monks advocate that puppies are regularly praised, petted and played with during training. Punishment only ever comes after a dog has been shown an exercise multiple times and fully understands what is required of it, and far from being harsh or abusive, is normally limited to stern eye contact or a verbal growl. Scruff shakes and chin cuffs are reserved for the worst transgressions. The Monks take care to emphasise that any punishment used should be immediate, fair and consistent.
There are certainly gaps in this book. The “Problem Solving” section is rudimentary at best (for example, the section on interdog aggression only recommends limiting the dog’s opportunity to mark territory, desexing him and muzzling him!). Readers with a problem dog would be well advised to get some more indepth resources regarding their dog’s particular problem. The obedience exercises covered are quite limited, covering only the sit, down, stay, heel and recall. Owners wishing to teach their dogs more advanced exercises will need to seek additional resources. It is also disappointing that the Monks only discuss one method of teaching each exercise. With the plethora of options available today to teach even something as simple as a sit - for example, shaping, luring, capturing - it is a pity the Monks did not discuss several options for training each behaviour.
Despite such flaws, “How to be your Dog’s Best Friend” is one of the three training books I generally recommend to new dog owners (the other two are “The Other End of the Leash” by Patricia McConnell and “The Culture Clash” by Jean Donaldson). These three books complement each other very well. “The Other End of the Leash” is a great primer on canine-human communication, whereas “The Culture Clash” is an excellent manual on operant conditioning-based positive training. “How to Be your Dog’s Best Friend” both fills in important gaps left by the other two books, and puts the case for kind and fair “traditional” style training.
5.0 out of 5 stars
dog training for a blind dog
I found that this book stood out from the others of it’s kind by the simple gentleness that the authors use in their training methods.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful!!
The Monks really know what they are doing and deliver their methods in an easy to follow manner. Buy it and share it with others!!
I have had German Shepherds all my life, but that is not why I recommend this wonderful book from The Monks of New Skete. This is a fabulous book about dogs and having a great one–it’s not by accident! Over the years I have given this book to many friends who were getting puppies.
The Monks are quite insightfull. Their techniquies and more importantly their approach to dogs is the best. If you want more than just a dog–you want a companion (man’s best friend), then follow their advice and you will have just that.
If I were to buy only 1 book on selecting, training, having a dog companion, this would certainly be that book!
5.0 out of 5 stars
a great place to train the Master
I read this book years ago when we got a Puppy and found it train me, not so much the dog. The advice clearly addresses the “how to” aspects of training and the advice learned…
2.0 out of 5 stars
The trouble with dominance…
Although they have a lot of good things to say, their whole idea of absolute dominance over your dog is unnecessary and potentially incredibly dangerous.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good ideas about how to interact with and train your dog
I can see how this book might not work for aggressive dogs or potentially aggressive breeds, but my wandering, neurotic, gentle shepherd-mix dog has become very loyal and mellow…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good seller!
The seller is so informative and fast. He/she actually shipped my product at a price that is more than what I have paid. The package was nicely wrapped.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Understanding your dog
I read this in the late 80’s. It changed my world and my relationship with my dogs ever since. A must have for your library
2.0 out of 5 stars
outdated, wrong, harsh
This book presents the state of the art in dog training dating back to about 1975. The techniques are based on punishment, not building a positive relationship with your dog…