How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves (Hardcover)
Review
…I find this book so uniquely valuable, it will be front and center in my bookcase. — Dr. Marty Becker, Veterinary contributor to ABC TV’s Good Morning America, Knight Ridder Tribune Pet Columnist, Coauthor Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, 2002 Veterinarian of the Year
Dr. Yin knows how—and why—to train, and how to convey the finer points to the average dog owner… — Leslie Larson Cooper, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
Dr. Yin’s book includes just about all you need to know to get the most enjoyment from your pet… — Edward Price, Professor Emeritus of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, author of Animal Domestication and Behavior
Sophia Yin’s approach to dog training is a perfect meshing of the scientific theory and practical application. — Raymond Coppinger, PhD, Professor of Biology, Hampshire College
Product Description
Dr. Sophia Yin’s How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves will not only teach you how to get the best behavior you can can from your dog, but help you forge a deeper relationship with your canine companion. This instructional guide provides:
-a positive, scientifically sound approach to behavior modification with clear, straightforward explanations;
-an in-depth guide to not only understanding dogs, but also understanding how to efectively communicate with them;
-friendly, instructional drawings that enhance training concepts;
-problem solving exercises and spot quizzes that reinforce learning.
Dog owners and trainers alike will benefit from a clearer understanding of how changing their own behavior will result in a well-behaved dog.
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This book is great. If you’ve ever read a training book that bored you to death, you need this book. Dr. Yin’s writing is easy to read. I never got lost in technical talk; whenever she talks about science she makes sure to define the terms or give the background so that anyone can understand it. If she wrote fiction books, she’d have best sellers, she’s so funny. I never felt like reading this book was a chore. The illustrations will make you laugh, and you’ll never forget what they’re trying to teach you. The content of this book is right-on. You learn the basics of animal behavior, how to train, why it isn’t working for you and how to fix it. I’ve read other books on dog behavior, and this one answered the questions those left me with. She lists resources when you need them so you don’t have to flip back and forth searching for them (though flipping the pages is fun and worth another laugh). And if the book isn’t enough, you can download exercises and videos from her website. Get this book, and a second one too, to loan to all your friends.
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to behave so your dog behaves
Excellent book, based on sound behavioral psychology principles. The best part, however, it is very practical and WORKS!
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-have for your library.
I’m a veterinarian whose practice is limited to behavior. I also do quite a bit of speaking about behavioral issues.
5.0 out of 5 stars
How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves
Well written book. Easy to follow. I would recommend this book for all dog owners as well as trainers and veterinary staff.
I could not disagree with the previous review more. Dr. Yin has written a clear, accessible and useful “manual” for dog owners that is grounded in proven science and backed by experience. It is wonderfully well-organized, informative and entertaining without being cloyingly cute. How to Behave has become my preferred gift to new puppy-owner friends, and I think it is among the best introductions into dog training and behavior that I have read. If you have a new puppy or dog, and are uncertain what to do next, this book will give you just about all the information you will ever need to have a happy, well-adapted pet/companion who is a joy to have around. I think the sections on how dogs learn are worth the price of the book alone, and her suggestions for dealing with problem behaviors could save your sanity. (Not to mention Dr. Yin has a wonderful website with training “movies” that clearly demonstrate much of what she has written in How to Behave - a great resource for those of us who need to “see” how things are done to understand.) I highly recommend How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves. It won’t gather dust on your shelf.
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to behave so your Dog Behaves
This is truly an excellent book. It was recommended by our Veterinary Healing Arts doctor as we have a highly aggressive dog who we will NEVER be put to sleep at 6 years old and…
How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves–A practical and intelligent guide for dog owners
by E. Kathryn Meyer, VMD
President, American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
The first thing that engaged me in Sophia Yin’s How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves was its title. As a veterinarian who treats behavioral problems in dogs and cats exclusively, I strive to teach my clients that we can’t use a magic wand to eradicate unwanted behavior in dogs. We have to first understand the behavior and then devise methods of changing the behavior in a positive way–usually by giving the dog a good reason to engage in an acceptable alternative behavior. If we read our dogs correctly, we can teach them what is desired and then use motivators specific to our individual dog and situation to reinforce the right stuff. Dr. Yin’s book is aptly titled and provides a wealth of science-based information translated into witty and easily understood language, accompanied by helpful and charming illustrations.
To build a foundation of basic dog knowledge, Dr. Yin first educates the reader about the origin of dogs, their social behavior, and body language. Then, she introduces and explains the science of learning, its potential and its limitations. But the real gold mine for dog owners lies in the Five-Minute Guides covered in the last two sections of the book on Basic Good Dog Behavior and Solving Common Canine Problems. The first section gives the reader explicit instructions on how to teach very specific behaviors that are incredibly important to having a well-behaved, well-adjusted dog. The recommendations for “Say Please by Sitting” and “Walk Nicely on Leash” are the most effective tools I’ve encountered for creating a well-mannered dog–substituting specific and acceptable behaviors for unruly behaviors that are often unknowingly reinforced by owners. (Do you look at, speak to, and/or touch your dog when he jumps up on you? Bingo–you’re rewarding that behavior!) Methods to train other very important basic behaviors, such as learning to focus on the owner with “Watch Me,” coming when called, staying, and going to “your place” are also thoroughly described.
In addition to covering the prevention of problems, Dr. Yin also devotes a section to solving some common behavioral issues encountered by dog owners. The problems are briefly described and recommendations are outlined for such topics as Housetraining, Chew Training, Food Possessiveness, Aggression Toward Non-Family Members, and Barking.
For the intellectually curious, this book provides the reader with a goldmine of information about the natural behavior of dogs, learning theory, and applied animal behavior. Of particular note is the inclusion of two landmark scientific papers on animal learning by Keller and Marian Breland (1951, 1961), in their entirety, in an Appendix. Dr. Yin prefaces these articles by giving a brief historical perspective of “How the Science of Learning Made it to Animal Trainers” and then whets the reader’s appetite by providing an interview with Marian and her second husband, Bob Bailey. I would encourage anyone with even a flicker of curiosity about animals and how they interface with their environment to read this section–paying particular attention to how the 10 years of experience training thousands of animals changed the outlook of the authors in terms of the role of instinct and limitations to learning.
If you are more utilitarian in your approach to reading this book, it will still be of great use to you. The reader can simply consult the “Five-Minute Guide” section on common behavioral problems to learn about a specific issue. A glossary is also provided, which will help the reader understand terms that may be unfamiliar. However, I would strongly urge the reader to review the entire Guide to Basic Good Dog Behavior section prior to addressing specific problems for best results.
“How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves” is a fabulous resource for every dog owner. All of the tools you need to allow your dog to be the best dog (and best behaved dog) he can be are at your fingertips. These approaches are truly a “win/win” for dog and owner alike.
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent book
I am a practicing veterinarian who has done many behavior specialty rotations and this is one of the best books I’ve read. I reccommend it to my clients regularly.
3.0 out of 5 stars
not a bad purchase
this was sort of helpful- I read it in the hall when I’m waiting for dog to be “quiet” for certain amount of time before treating.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Dog Training Lite, B+ : Understanding Your Dog’s Instincts, D-
I’d been hearing good things about Sophia Yin for a while, and since I like to keep up with new trainers who’ve got innovative ideas, I thought I’d give this book a look-see.
5.0 out of 5 stars
best dog training book in my library
This is hands down the best book on training dogs I have read. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 6.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clear, Concise and Intelligent
I found this book extremely useful in training dogs. The emphasis is on understanding dog behavior so that you can effectively communicate with them.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book on dog behavior and training!
Sophia Yin has one of the best approaches I have read to explaining how dog’s learn and then applying this to effective, humane training techniques.