Natural Dog Training
by Kevin Behan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Kevin BehanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-10-08
ISBN: 1401041353
Number of pages: 324
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Book Reviews of Natural Dog Training
Book Review: Be your dog's best friend
Summary: 5 Stars
While I have my quibbles about Kevin Behan's style of prose ('Natural Dog Training' is a little difficult to wade through at times), I simply can't praise this book highly enough. Behan's central point of 'Natural Dog Training' is that your dog, being descended from wolves, has an irresistible call of the wild - the need to hunt, to chase, bite and kill prey - and that you can train your dog naturally, without relying on treats or 'domination' methods, by satisfying this 'prey drive'. In a natural wolf pack, the need to hunt large prey requires harmony and cooperation between the pack members, not domination and submission, and it is this desire to reach harmony with the pack that you can tap into simply by allowing your dog to be a dog, to satisfy his need to hunt together as a pack. You do this by playing hunting games - fetch, tug, chase, hide 'n seek and others - and channeling your dogs resultant attention to you into obedience behaviors.
The 'Natural Dog Training' method is very unique when compared to today's trend towards food-based 'positive reinforcement' methods. First, there is no emphasis on 'early' puppy obedience training. 8 week old puppies don't need to learn obedience - they need to learn how to live harmoniously with humans and how to be attentive to their human masters. With 'Natural Dog Training' you concentrate on patient housetraining, re-direction techniques and, most importantly, confidence and attention building through robust play with your pup. While mainstream dog training is essentially split between the dominance-based (think Cesar Millan) and 'positive reinforcement'-based (Karen Pryor, Ian Dunbar) camps, both of these approaches essentially focus on the same thing - the supression of natural, instinctive behaviors of dogs. With natural dog training, the natural and instinctive behaviors of all dogs (jumping up, chasing and biting things) are actually stimulated and channeled into pure, enthusiastic obedience. This method teaches your dog to be highly attentive and highly enthusiatic to obey a command because his ultimate desire, the need to chase and bite something, is fulfilled through attention and obedience to his master.
When I abandoned the 'positive reinforcement' methods of treat-based early obedience training in favor of natural dog training, a funny thing happened with my puppy - she became attentive to me. I became the center of her universe simply by making myself her source of fun and play. We took long walks together, where we played numerous 'chase', 'hide and seek' and 'tug o' war' games. As illogical as this sounds at first, teaching her to jump on me and to 'dance' with me, strengthening that natural instinctive desire to make contact with me, became the key to teaching her to walk nicely on leash, to 'heel' and to 'come' when called. At 9 months, she took off after another dog that had wandered into our cul-de-sac, but instantly recalled back to me at top speed. She continues to recall like this. Her usual reward? Some hardy wrestling and a 'tug o' war' session.
My puppy is now a year and a half old, and I can walk with her around the neighborhood off-leash, with all the distractions that that entails. I can leave her alone in the home while I'm away at work, and I don't have to worry that she will be destructive or bark incessantly for hours. I credit Kevin Behan's book for showing me the way to raise a puppy properly and to satisfy her instinctive doggy needs in a manner that channels her natural desire for harmony and obedience. Additionally, I would recommend reading any of Lee Charles Kelleys' novels (see his review of 'Natural Dog Training') and his insightful Amazon blog for dog training tips and to further refine your understanding of the natural dog training method.
Be your dog's best friend and buy 'Natural Dog Training'!
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