Surviving Your Dog’s Adolescence: A Positive Training Program (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)
Amazon.com Review
As any parent knows, adolescence is the most challenging part of raising a child. However, as Carol Lea Benjamin proves in “Surviving Your Dog’s Adolescence,” illustrative cartoons, pertinent case studies, and good advice can certainly make that challenging age easier to handle.
As a professional dog trainer, Benjamin focuses her advice on positive training techniques designed to help both parent and teen through the tumultuous adolescent period. Many of her insights are portrayed through the eyes of a canine, and help to illustrate the types of thoughts entertained by the teen dog. These range from the dog who responds to his owner’s calls of “Come” with “When Pigs Fly,” to the dog who demonstrates his tenacity by staking out a mole hill with a flag that says “Never Say Die.” Also included are techniques for effective training, guidelines for appropriate dog-owner relationships, and tips for dealing with specific dog “problems.” Case studies of real-life dogs offer substantial evidence to back up Benjamin’s recommendations.
A must-read for any owner of an adolescent dog, “Surviving Your Dog’s Adolescence” can help any parent understand the teen dog and help to provide guidelines that result in a rewarding relationship for both dog and owner. –Jennifer Pugh
From Publishers Weekly
Lest any dog owner think thorough puppy-training sufficient to ensure happily-ever-after canine camaraderie, the author of the puppy-training classic Mother Knows Best pinpoints a trouble spot in doggie development. At anywhere between five and 10 months of age, warns Benjamin, the typically “underemployed” family dog will hit adolescence, and even a previously obedient dog may become “bratty,” “moody” and easily distracted. The language here may be anthropomorphic, but Benjamin quickly goes on to offer sensible solutions to a legitimate set of canine behavior problems. She bases her training on the well-known model whereby the owner assumes the so-called Alpha role in the “pack”; while she has explained her theories and methods in previous books, and while most of her strategies for “winning your dog’s respect” are more explicitly discussed in her colleague Job Michael Evans’s People, Pooches and Problems , her focus on the adolescent dog is unique and her insights about general training are stimulating. The tone is chatty and the pace leisurely–which may reassure those in need of sympathy and aggravate others who want to get down to business. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too long
This is a really good book, although I think it is too long and wordy. I like things to be straight and to the point.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still good info after 15 years
I purchased this book when my first Golden Retriever, Bailey, reached adolescent in 1994 and found it invaluable.
5.0 out of 5 stars
very educational
I found this quite helpful we have used a number of training techniques from this book.
4.0 out of 5 stars
If you have a teenage dog, get this book
This is an excellent book that discourages treat training and encourages understanding and praise. It covers the differences between puppies and adolescents, winning your dog’s…
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not just bad advice — *dangerous* advice!
I picked up this book looking to learn more about the adolescent stage of dogs. What I found instead was bad information, some of it downright dangerous.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I’m a Survivor!
I survived my dog’s adolescence thanks to this book. Aside from good training tips and practical information on dealing with adolescent dogs, this book also gave me encouragement…
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book was a life-saver
12 years ago, I remember sitting on my bed in tears. My adorable Golden Retriever puppy had hit a point where she was really hard to handle, and I felt overwhelmed– like a…
5.0 out of 5 stars
An informative, intelligent and entertaining book
I have read about a dozen books on training and caring for dogs, and while some were pretty good none of them alerted me to the fact that dogs go through an adolescence phase just…
4.0 out of 5 stars
Important tho not Perfect
This book is important for two very strong reasons: 1) it alerts dog owners everywhere that their dogs have a teenage stage; and 2) it counters the newly-prevelant ideas that…
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT BOOK!
I recommend this book to all of my clients with young dogs. Not only does Ms. Benjamin offer excellent ifnormation on obedience training, she also provides insights on canine…