|
How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners (Revised & Updated Edition) (精装)
by Monks of New Skete
| Category:
Dog, Pet, Animals, Home |
| Market price: ¥ 278.00
MSL price:
¥ 258.00
[ Shop incentives ]
|
| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
This outstanding reference book is a must -read for all dog-owners despite those who disagree with the monks in their physical discipline approach. |
| If you want us to help you with the right titles you're looking for, or to make reading recommendations based on your needs, please contact our consultants. |
|
| |
AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 9 items |
|
|
Publishers Weekly (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
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. |
|
|
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
I am astounded at the number of negative reviews of this book that blithely ignore what's actually in it. As others have stated, the recommendations to hit a dog come with plenty of warnings and caveats that it only be done in extreme situations and only if you're comfortable doing it and only if that's how you chose to deal with some specific, serious problem your dog may have. They never, ever recommend hitting a dog for say, simply refusing to come, the way some of these reviews make it seem.
Also, many people keep harping on the Alpha Dog Roll. Here's what the 2002 edition states, verbatim: "(in italics) We no longer recommend this technique and strongly discourage its use to our clients. Though it can be argued that it has a natural basis in pack life, in a dog-human context it is potentially very dangerous and can set up the owner for a serious bite on the face (or worse), particularly with a dominant dog. The conditions in which it might be used effectively are simply too risky and demanding for the average dog owner; there are other ways of dealing with problem behavior that are much safer and, in the long run, just as effective.
Let us repeat: the disciplinary techniques explained in this section should not be applied haphazardly and for a slight misbehavior. There is always the chance that autocratic dog ownders, having learned discipline techniques, will misuse them. Watch yourself - owners whe are physically or verbally domineering wind up with cringing, neurotic dogs. Discipline, like praise, must be meaningful. It must communicate the owner's displeasure clearly, and on the dog's level of understanding and perception, for unacceptable behavior."
|
|
|
A reader (MSL quote), New Zealand
<2007-01-11 00:00>
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. |
|
|
Eugene Mah (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete was a book that one of the dog park people recommended to us. Thanks to the wife's aunt, we got a copy of it for Christmas, and dove right in. After getting through a few chapters, my first thought was "This is the book we should have read before getting Nala".
The Monks of New Skete have apparently been breeding German Shepherd Dogs for quite some time now and also run a boarding/training program for other dogs, so they have a good amount of experience with breeding, raising and training dogs and dog psychology/sociology. Much of this collected wisdom (along with plenty of anectodes) is encapsulated very nicely in this book. The book offers a lot of good training tips and insights into the canine mind, which is something I think all dog owners would benefit from to help understand their dogs better. Apart from the training advice and techniques given in the book, I think the most valuable thing this book has to offer are the monks' insights into the canine mind, and how dogs think and behave. A lot of topics are covered in the book, so at 321 pages some of the coverage is necessarily a little cursory. A sizable reading list at the back provides pointers to other books that cover specific topics in more detail though.
For dog owners, this is one that's definitely worth adding to the bookshelf.
BTW, pay no attention to the bad or 1 star reviews at Amazon.com. All of those people seem to have gotten the wrong idea that the monks are trying to get across about disciplining your dog. They give the false impression that the monks advocate beating your dog into submission, which is totally way off base and suggests these people just didn't get what the monks are trying to say about discipline. While a couple of physical punishment methods are provided, the monks qualify their use by saying:
- "physical discipline or correction is never an arbitrary training technique to be applied to each and every dog for all offenses"
- "In considering their use, you should follow the rule of always using the least amount of force necessary to change the behavior. Don't go overboard. Build on your corrections, making them progressively tougher until your dog responds appropriately. Above all, watch your dog: his response will tell you whether the correction is too soft or too stern."
- "physical discipline should be reserved for the heinous canine crimes mentioned earlier, not meted out for every episode of bad behavior"
The reviewers that give the book a poor review seem to have missed all this. The chapter on discipline ends with a section on making up with your dog afterwards, which is a very important thing to do. |
|
|
Cathleen Feduke (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
I wouldn't recommend this book alone to the novice dog owner but it is a good start. I think a lot of the criticism here is in the same trendy misbelief that you should never hit a child. Sometimes you must for their own good - like if a dog is trying to swallow tacks or a child is reaching for a pan of boiling water. If they won't listen to "No!" you cannot allow them to learn from a potentially life altering mistake. A single hit will show them to pay attention and listen to you. The monks are not saying abuse your dog; they're saying teach the dog to listen to and trust you as they would their alpha (which you are). I have had to grab one of my dogs by the scruff of his neck to get him out of the street once. A single time. From that point forward he listens when I call him. This keeps him near me and safe whenever we go out. That one moment of surprise when he learned I could pick him up like a mother dog caused a yelp but he has listened ever since. This is a dog who pouts when I cut his favorite game short and sometimes smacks me awake so I can pet him in the morning (or middle of the night). He doesn't fear me in any way, he just knows to come when I call.
As many readers have suggested, more recent books promote a much healthier way of training. The Dog Whisperer, Don't Shoot the Dog, and many others promote positive reinforcement instead of punishment. If I remember correctly they do mention punishment when absolutely necessary.
How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend teaches not only how to effectively train but how to select or be a responsible breeder. This book helped me convince my husband that we were in no way prepared to breed our ill-tempered, devil spawn of a cocker spaniel with her aloof, sometimes agressive mate.
|
|
|
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
In this revised version of their previous book, the Monks of New Skete offer practical and philosophical advice about how to train your dog. The ideas are based on being respectful of your pet, while teaching him/her to be respectful of you. The Monks use a combination of correction and positive reinforcement for dog training. They repeatedly remind readers that use of physical correction is only for very extreme situations, and that the temperment of each dog should be considered while training. Having read the original, the changes in this version (including removal of recommendation regarding an alpha roll) clearly reflect the Monks ongoing process of learning about dogs and dog training, as well as the feedback they have received from readers. Because their methods are not heavily food based (i.e. treats for everything) they are appropriate for training situations where food cannot be used (for example, seeing eye dogs). I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a dog. |
|
|
Susan Scott (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
This book is immensely appealing to those with little experience with dogs and little knowledge about them. It makes everything so simple. All the dog needs is some really hard cracks under her chin, enough to make her scream and later cower and tremble at the sight of you. And best of all, one method fits all dogs! You never have to think about a thing. What works for an aggressive, hardheaded dog that barely notices a solid whack is exactly what you use for a sensitive, confused, frightened dog. The monks are not bothered by fine distinctions. Nor do they feel obligated to waste their time by studying and understanding different breeds and different dogs, or by carefully adapting their training methods to the dog. By throwing in a dash of smarmy psychobabble about the joy of relationships with dogs, they even manage to get credit for being "sensitive." People who understand dogs know better. Different dogs require different methods, and no dog should be brutalized into cowering and trembling at the sight of her "best friend." But many dog owners desperately want a quick fix to the problems they have created through their ignorance, neglect, or outright mistreatment of their dogs. If the dog gets hurt in the process, so much the better. Revenge is sweet. Therein lies the enduring popularity of this grotesque piece of garbage. However, before you begin to sample the pleasures of smacking your dog around and hurling her to the floor, be forewarned: Plastic surgeons have made a bundle from this book. Alpha rolls and chin bashing are an excellent way to have a sizable chunk of your face removed, which does rather take the fun out of it...
(A negative review. MSL remarks.) |
|
|
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
This book was written with utmost respect and understanding for dogs. The monks understand the pack dynamic and have devised a training manual no dog owner should be without. Many people bash this book claiming it teaches you to hit your dog, but this is untrue. First and foremost the monks emphasize the importance of praise and patience when training your dog. Only when all else fails, and only for exttreme behavior (agression/biting), do the monks recommend physical punishment. The monks are not big on treats, but not because it spoils the dog. Rather, they prefer verbal and physical praise because it creates a closer bond between owner and dog. I would recommend both How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend and The Art of Raising A Puppy to any current or will be dog owner. An investment well worth the money and time to read. |
|
|
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
I wonder if people who talk about this book advocating beating of dogs actually READ the text of this book. If you want a book that teaches you how to be a part of the pack, have dogs that love and respect you, and have impecably behaved dogs this is a great book. We have THREE large dogs, all raised (in general) under similar principles. The book teaching that "training" a dog is not 30 min at the park 3 times a week, but how we interact with them on a day to day basis. This includes being consistant at all times and INCLUDING the dogs as part of the family (NOT just tossed in a kennel in the back yard). Because they are well behaved, our dogs can do with us anywhere, lay down and stay outside a bookstore, hike in the woods without splitting and be wonderful companions to be around. We are able to have people over to the house who are afraid of dogs (since the dogs will LISTEN and go lay down, not jump on people) and they really are part of the family. Yes, the "roll over" can definately be abused and should only be used for MAJOR disiplinary actions. Since we have three dogs, we get to watch "pack" behavior on a regular basis. I challenge someone who says natural dog behavior does not include "roll over" to watch a group of dogs at liberty. New dogs, young dogs and dogs that step out of line end up with a mouth at their neck. The bottom line is there are certain behaviors that can lead to problems that are dangerous for people but more importantly the dog. Somehow they HAVE to learn that behaviors like biting or raising a lip are NEVER the answer. |
|
|
|
1 Total 1 pages 9 items |
|
|
|
|
|
|
