Does your dog:
- Jump on people?
- Pull you down the street while on leash?
- Have separation anxiety?
- Show aggressive behavior?
- Dig holes everywhere?
Well, I found a great book called SitStayFetch that presents an unusually detailed and thorough look at how to both prevent and deal with the more common problem behaviors exhibited by dogs. As the owner of a moderately troublesome pit bull, I’ve spent a fair amount of time searching the Net for reliable resources on this topic, and I have to say that the level of knowledge and detail contained within the pages of this manual is unusually exacting for an online book. Not only that, but the information at hand is actually reliable. Written by a seasoned dog trainer, you can relax in the knowledge that all the tips and advice included are tried and true, and come from real-life experiences as a professional dog trainer.
There’s a pretty impressive range of information packed into this guide. It’s not just the problem behaviors that are covered: the book starts off with new-owner advice (how to choose a puppy/dog, the best places to get one from, breed information, puppy/dog-proofing your home, the first vet visit, housetraining, etc) and then moves on to the more advanced stuff: behavioral problems (such as aggression, dominance, chewing, digging, excessive barking, separation anxiety, to name a few), intermediate-level obedience commands, health-related dog problems (allergies, cat/dog coexistence, fleas, heatstroke, and so on), and advanced commands and tricks.
In addition to the contents listed above, there’s also a pretty impressive section on dog whispering, which – in case you haven’t heard of it already – is a method of dog training based on a philosophy of clear communication and mutual respect. It’s been popularized in recent years by Cesar Millan (“The Dog Whisperer”), and is becoming increasingly well known as an alternative and humane method for disciplining and training your dog. SitStayFetch has dedicated an entire section to dog whispering: explaining the background of the technique, how to utilize voice and body language to your best advantage, and how to use the technique to calmly, assertively, and effectively correct and train your dog. Step-by-set instructions are included for the common commands (sit, down, come, stay, quiet, etc).
You also get a handful of practical freebies: four bonus books, dealing respectively with advanced housetraining how-to’s and troubleshooting (including both the crate- and paper-training methods); a detailed study on resolving canine aggression; how to effectively groom your dog (including information on coat care for specific breeds, dental care, and nail-clipping how-to’s); and finally, how to begin training your dog for security work.
Another particularly useful freebie: a personalized consultation with a member of the Kingdom of Pets team. If you’ve got an issue with your dog that you’d like some individual attention on, you can flick them a quick email and receive a personalized, thorough reply packed with expert advice and practical tips.
Since reading this book, I think my pre-SitStayFetch self was more complacent than knowledgeable - I’ve learned more since reading this manual than I’ve picked up in a near-lifetime’s worth of contact with dogs (i.e., how to stop your dog from tugging on the leash without using a choke-chain).
Several of the training techniques present a refreshingly common sense, down-to-earth approach to dog training; others require a little more effort (take dog whispering as an example) but yield some pretty dramatic results. I liked the way that more than one training technique is detailed, to allow the reader to pick and choose the techniques that best suit themselves and their individual dogs.
I have no qualms in recommending this package to anyone who owns, or is thinking about owning, a dog. You don’t need to have a “problem pet” for the manual to be of assistance: there’s information included that’ll be useful to any and all dog owners.
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