Be the Dog: Secrets of the Natural Dog Owner Paperback – February 5, 2008

Rottie owner here. Bought this on the recommendation of my dog trainer to supplement the homework he has me do. Training a dog is more about training the human. This book is written on a middle school level but packed w/ pearls of wisdom. I highlighted specific passages related to my breed for quick referrence. I have been tested for Alpha a couple of times, my Rottie is now practically my shadow & never leaves my side. The only time she barks is when I am away. And yes, I treat my Rottie like my daughter, but she knows her place w/in the pack & gets disciplined when she violates the rules. Behavior issues only really happen when there are inconsistencies or when humans are not fulfilling their role as the pack leader.To the "Dog Coddlers" out there that rated this book 1 star; I get it, embracing the canine mentality is not for everyone. Just the other day I was in the vets lobby. The vet tech cleared the path & warned certain people to back up citing a "demon dog" was coming out of the exam room. I saw the handlers & immediately knew how that dog got that way. No discipline - no control. It was not the dog's fault, I blame the owners... So establishing pecking order w/in the pack is important. Get a solid foundation of training during puppy-hood before your dog goes into adolescences.

I basically like this book...basically. It's definitely a four star volume, but I have a problem with words like "never." For example, Duno says that to be the pack leader, never let your dogs sleep on your bed because height is associated with a dog's position in the pack. That's true...but...if everything you do places you at he head of the pack, then sleeping at the same height as your dog is perfectly ok. Same is true of feeding table scraps (which is a whole separate discussion involving nutrition). My dogs sleep on my bed and they have no doubts as to who is lead dog. On the other hand if your dog sleeps on your bed even if you don't want it to, then you have a problem. What all of this comes down to is whether or not you are in charge or your dog. My suggestion is to read the book with the intent of understanding why he is telling you what to do rather than following his rules without thinking about them. Sadly, the dogs that really need to be "put in their place" won't be because Muffy or Buffy or Cutsy won't be corrected for bad behavior, because "I love my dog and I could never do that." So the dogs growl at visitors, are out of control and are spoiled little brats.One of the best sections of the book is on people who gently caress their dogs or coo at them with quiet admonitions while the dog is growling at a visitor, another dog, a cat or whatever. Duno correctly points out that you are praising bad behavior. I see this all the time at the vet's waiting room. When he begins his discussion on obedience is where we differ,and, at the risk of being dismissed as a Neanderthal, I still feel that for obedience training the best book ever written is The Koehler Method of Dog Training. It may be out of print, but it should be readily available used.Some minor faults. With all the "call it what it is" that Duno writes about, he wooses out on choke chains. He calls them slip collars and tries to defend them as not hurting the dog, not cutting off their air supply and so on. They are choke chains and sometimes their use will hurt and they are the dog's hearing aid so that you can effectively communicate with the dog. I love dogs, I rescue dogs and I train dogs. Big dogs, abused dogs, dogs with big teeth. Often the choice is some "firm" clear direction or euthanasia. Then there is the mention of head collars. I don't like them and they are dangerous. Just google them and read the negative articles. Obviously, a dog that doesn't pull or doesn't pull hard will be ok with any form of collar, but a dog that makes strong, abrupt moves can hurt their necks. These dog "bridles" obviously are derived from horse bridles. Look at a horse's neck and then look at a dog's neck...Finally, the book doesn't stress that all techniques are not appropriate for all dogs. He does, to be fair, mention that tug-of-war toys should not be used for aggressive dogs, but are ok for submissive or fearful dogs. But more should be said about the other techniques - when to use them when not to. I would not train my daughter's toy poodle the way I would work with a 110-pound abused German Shepherd or a 30 pound Siberian Husky puppy. Of course, most books don't differentiate either so Duno's is no worse on this account. But all in all this gets four stars because it's clear Duno knows what he is talking about, he gets high marks for telling you why he is telling you to do what to do and he tells you what your probably doing wrong and he writes very well. Should be part of a dog lover's library.

Best dog training book out! Really!If this review was helpful please let me know by clicking the “Helpful” button below the review.

Still in the reading process...exciting things ready to give you the tools for a well and happy "PACK". If you don't pick up these shrt books as a tool - Good luck for a happy pack and who will be alpha running your home.

Steve really knows his stuff. This is both an excellent instruction book, and a very good read

Excellent for any dog owner, even if trained well in obedience instruction, to acquire better skills in handling difficult dogs.

Great book and really explains in simple terms what a dog does and why and what the best thing you as a handler can do and why.

Great dog training book.