Amazon.com Review

Carol Lea Benjamin, dog trainer extraordinaire and author of five books devoted to dog behavior, shares her expertise in managing unruly canines in Dog Problems. One quarter of America’s 55 million pooches suffer from some form of serious behavioral problem, and for all those frustrated owners, Benjamin’s down-to- earth, humane approach provides practical steps toward owning a healthy, happy pet. Dog Problems outlines every conceivable canine problem, from petty larceny to chronic leg lifting and fear of random objects. Benjamin offers easily executable training methods for each predicament. Cited are many encouraging examples of cured dogs, such as Cybil, the timid German shepherd who, thanks to Benjamin’s training techniques, overcame her shyness by learning to take walks with strangers. Dog Problems entertains with lighthearted language and hilarious drawings of dogs in compromising situations, all without detracting from the solid, humane training techniques certain to help most problem dogs.

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Praise for Dog Problems, Winner, Best Book on Care and Training, Dog Writers’ Association of America

“Delightfully written and abounds with common sense.” —Deborah Lawson, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“A must-have for every dog owner in America.” —Mordecai Siegal, House Beautiful

“Not only the pet but the owner can benefit from this sensible, humane treatment.” —Publishers Weekly
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

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“…this book should be on every animal trainer’s bookshelf for future reference. How Dogs Learn covers the content of an undergraduate course in learning and behavior, but the examples are taken from dog training?it is practical and very useful without sacrificing scientific and technical accuracy.” —Jack Michael, PhD, Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University

How Dogs Learn explore the fascinating science of operant conditioning, where science and dog training meet. How Dogs Learn explains the basic principles of behavior and how they can be used to teach your dog new skills, diagnose problems and eliminate unwanted behaviors. It’s for anyone who wants to better understand the learning process in dogs. Every concept is laid out clearly and precisely, and its relevance to your dog and how you train is explained.
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

From the Inside Flap
How Dogs Learn explains the fascinating science of operant conditioning. The authors, recognized experts in this field, are also experienced dog trainers, and they explain each operant conditioning principle using dog training examples. For the first time, behavioral procedures that are used with humans, such as Behavioral Diagnostics and Functional Analysis, have been translated for applications with dogs. How Dogs Learn will help all dog owners solve canine behavior problems and improve their proficiency as trainers.

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An astute observer once described the scene at a typical dog show as “organized confusion.” While the action may seem more confusion than organization, the reverse is actually true. It just takes a little while to learn this. Dog Showing for Beginners is the ideal means for the budding exhibitor to grasp the essentials and understand what is unfolding before her or him in this unique recreation. Every chapter has something important to tell the reader. Opening with a candid overview of what to expect from being a part of the sport, Dog Showing for Beginners goes on to help find that first show dog and explain how to get started in showing and hands-on learning. Here are simple explanations of how dog shows are structured and how dogs become champions. Excellent guidance on getting the equipment needed and entering shows is included along with how to approach your first show. This book also helps the reader find a place in dog showing and how to deal with the up and the down sides of the game. From beginning to end, Dog Showing for Beginners is touched with an insider’s sometimes irreverent whimsy; as the author points out, if you’re going to do dog shows, a sense of humor is a definite plus!
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

About the Author
Lynn Hall is the author of numerous books for young people, including Kids and Dog Shows and Careers for Dog Lovers> She has been active in a number of breeds and is deeply involve in dog club activities and educational initiatives for the sport.

From Publishers Weekly

While such recent entries into the dog obedience market as Linda Colflesh’s Making Friends , Bashkim Dibra’s Dog Training by Bash and the Monks of New Skete’s The Art of Raising a Puppy wow the canine-happy with authorial charm and painstaking thoroughness, this volume aims to please by virtue of its succinct, pared-down approach. Volhard and Bartlett, the author and illustrator, respectively, of Teaching Dog Obedience Classes , march the reader through exercises designed to produce a “good” dog: i.e., one that is housetrained, comes when called, has no bad habits, stays when told and does not pull when walked. However, they may overestimate their audience. Only a novice owner who is endowed with unusual powers of deduction will be able to fruitfully apply directions like “Distract and do something pleasant for the dog.” Devotees of training manuals, on the other hand, may pick up some worthwhile tips: reinforce your status as leader by having the dog sit and stay when you need to open the door. Illustrations not seen by PW.

Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Those who love their dogs will find a wealth of clear, precise and sensible instructions here for teaching their canine companions to be the ideal pet. In the ultimate guide for teaching your dog good manners, two award-winning authors take the reader through a short course in dog behavior, highlighted by original cartoon art. Humorous yet practical suggestions are presented for preventing bad habits, dealing with a dog’s basic needs, growth stages and why things happen and when. What All Good Dogs Should Know abounds with practical information on a motivational, humane and highly effective approach to dog training. This book is essential for anyone who values a dog as a friend, pet and companion.
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

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The Howell Book of Dogs is a hardcover, four-color book that will serve as a timeless and authoritative reference for dog owners and those who are considering getting a dog. Approximately 300 breeds and varieties are covered, encompassing AKC breeds, UKC breeds, and many rare breeds, such as the Eurasier, Jagd Terrier, Mi Ki, and Thai Ridgeback. One or more color photos of each breed will supplement text that describes the breed’s origins, physical characteristics, and personality traits. In addition, the book includes an informative section about dog care and training, making it the only reference book dog owners will ever need.

From the Back Cover

This comprehensive resource profiles approximately 300 dog breeds and varieties, describing their origins, physical characteristics, and personality traits. Authoritative yet easy to understand, The Howell Book of Dogs:

• Covers AKC breeds, UKC breeds, and rare breeds

• Includes designer dogs such as Labradoodles and Puggles

• Features a color photo of each breed

• Contains detailed, breed-specific information on grooming and exercise requirements, common health concerns, average life span, and more

Complete with up-to-date information on dog care and training, this is the ideal reference for dog owners and prospective dog owners.

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An outstanding analysis of why and how protection, Obedience, and Tracking all play an integral part in Schutzhund training, with emphasis on selecting and raising a dog to suit the owner’s needs.

From the Back Cover

Schutzhund is one of the fastest-growing forms of canine competition in the United States. The desire to have a reliable protector and steady family companion all in the same dog has encouraged interest in the Schutzhund philosophy. Schutzhund began in nineteenth-century Europe as a test of a dog’s ability to work for humans. In the early 1900s. Max von Stephanitz refined and redesigned the tests to include obedience, protection and tracking. Schutzhund: Theory and Training Methods, a superb explanation of Schutzhund and its components, shows how obedience, protection and tracking all play an integral part in training a Schutzhund dog.

Authors Barwig and Hilliard emphasize selection and raising of the dog to suit the owner’s needs as well as crystallizing the goals and techniques in training for each phase of the process. A unique format guides the reader first through an overview of each component and then into the philosophy and training techniques for all activities.

Beautifully organized and abundantly illustrated, this book will allow the reader to tailor these training systems to suit individual needs, producing a dog of value to many. Schutzhund: Theory and Training Methods is a volume essential to any obedience or Schutzhund fan’s library.

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Eight carefully planned lessons teach you to apply canine/human learning patterns to train your dog simply, effectively, and permanently.

From the Back Cover

New Successful Techniques for Dog Training!

Take eight private lessons from two of America’s foremost obedience instructors and enjoy the same success achieved by the thousands of students who have attended the authors’ classes and clinics. These training techniques incorporate the latest findings on canine behavior, and their instructions are based on scientific research on how people learn a new skill. Both are models of simplicity and clarity. The approach to dog training in this book differs radically from other training methods. It was developed for people who are starting out with their first dog, and for those who do not have the aptitudes of an expert trainer. It is designed to work successfully with small dogs, larger dogs, mixed breeds, purebreads, young dogs and old dogs.

The book is enhanced by 132 illustrations and detailed explanations of how dogs learn, what dogs can learn, and the best time to start training. Common sense tips on dog ownership such as housetraining, feeding, exercise and traveling with your dog are included as well as explicit and effective instructions on dealing with such annoying habits as barking, chewing, digging and jumping. It’s all here?the hows and whys. Named Best Care and Training Book for 1983 by the Dog Writers’ Association of America!
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

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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.

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