Thursday, February 16, 2012
Book Review
Clever dog
By Sarah Whitehead
Sarah Whitehead brags on the blurb of this book that she is able to teach you how to 'think dog' and therefore, improve your training approach. She claims that by reading the case studies within the book and taking action with the tips she's offered, she'll be able to improve your relationship with your beloved pet because your dog will breathe a sigh of relief that you finally 'get him.'
My thoughts on the book:
Reading through the book I took in many of the interesting case studies Whitehead has written about and picked up a couple of ideas on how to make my canine family members happier (such as teaching them scent work games and working with the breed's natural instincts), but I wouldn't say my training routines or opinions have dramatically changed because of anything Whitehead has taught within her book. In fact, a lot of it I've read before in books written by other trainers. In my opinion, if you are a novice dog owner or trainer, whilst you might find this text interesting, you might also be left a little bit frustrated by the lack of step by step instruction shared.
There isn't a lot to dislike about this book however and if you're not addicted to dog training manuals like I am, this is probably a good one to start with if you want to gain an understanding of dogs and gain a different perspective on your training techniques. This book wont teach you to potty train or teach a decent recall but it will teach you how to ensure your dog is as happy and well rounded as possible and quite often when it comes to avoiding unwanted behaviour problems, this is the stuff you need to know.
Overall, this is a good read with useful information within which will help you become a responsible dog owner. I'd give this a 6/10. Some step by step basic training instruction would have upped the score!
By Sarah Whitehead
Sarah Whitehead brags on the blurb of this book that she is able to teach you how to 'think dog' and therefore, improve your training approach. She claims that by reading the case studies within the book and taking action with the tips she's offered, she'll be able to improve your relationship with your beloved pet because your dog will breathe a sigh of relief that you finally 'get him.'
My thoughts on the book:
Reading through the book I took in many of the interesting case studies Whitehead has written about and picked up a couple of ideas on how to make my canine family members happier (such as teaching them scent work games and working with the breed's natural instincts), but I wouldn't say my training routines or opinions have dramatically changed because of anything Whitehead has taught within her book. In fact, a lot of it I've read before in books written by other trainers. In my opinion, if you are a novice dog owner or trainer, whilst you might find this text interesting, you might also be left a little bit frustrated by the lack of step by step instruction shared.
There isn't a lot to dislike about this book however and if you're not addicted to dog training manuals like I am, this is probably a good one to start with if you want to gain an understanding of dogs and gain a different perspective on your training techniques. This book wont teach you to potty train or teach a decent recall but it will teach you how to ensure your dog is as happy and well rounded as possible and quite often when it comes to avoiding unwanted behaviour problems, this is the stuff you need to know.
Overall, this is a good read with useful information within which will help you become a responsible dog owner. I'd give this a 6/10. Some step by step basic training instruction would have upped the score!
Monday, February 13, 2012
TV for dogs
Next time your dog stares at the TV as though really taking in the content he might well be doing just that! Bakers have come up with a 'dog friendly' advert which will be shown on TV from this week and includes high pitched sounds only dogs can hear. This is supposed to encourage owners into thinking their dog 'likes' the product! (How clever!)
Will we now spot an influx of dogs in the pet isle of Sainsburys purchasing their weekly feeds I wonder?!
View the link and video here
2 pounts though - The frequency might be too high for your speakers so if your dog doesn't react, that's why. Also, do your research before buying dog food. Is Bakers the best kibble for your dog? ;-)
Will we now spot an influx of dogs in the pet isle of Sainsburys purchasing their weekly feeds I wonder?!
View the link and video here
2 pounts though - The frequency might be too high for your speakers so if your dog doesn't react, that's why. Also, do your research before buying dog food. Is Bakers the best kibble for your dog? ;-)
