Doggy Details
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Posted on December 25, 2009
* I’m still in Germany, so this doggy wisdom post might have to last you for this and next friday. Get the book and you won’t need a post from me next week 
*
What was your reason for getting a dog?
Deep down I think I always wanted that loyal companion who sticks by my side everywhere I go. The one who listens to all my commands and looks cute when he sleeps.
Now Mac looks plenty cute when he sleeps. Listening to every command? Well, I’m not sure if there is such a dog. Although I was really lucky with him (had no clue what I was getting the when I found him at a pound in Texas) and I must have done some things right, because he listens quite well for his age, we still have a long way ahead of us.
We take obedience and agility classes, I read books on dog training and watched all the dog whisperer shows you can find on TV nowadays and then learned that the dog whisperer is not the way to go. But nothing has caught my eye like this book, when I saw a review flipping through a magazine at the vet.
Trainers of all sorts of schools can help you train your dog to sit, stay and come. In Victoria Schade’s eyes, however, 
there is not one but two factors responsible for a truly loyal dog. Obedience training is one. But how many dog owners have problems despite of that class they took back when they brought their puppy home? The second factor is a strong bond. That invisible string keeping you and your dog together, the bond that becomes very well visible when your dog reacts to your recall instead of running of with all the other dogs in the dog park.
I very much enjoyed her not so common ways of dealing with problems and the games she suggests. And although she covers some basic obedience subjects I was not bored in the least, every chapter seemed to contain something that I found inspiring, worth trying or simply something I have not heard, yet. I say it is very worth a read, no matter what stage you are at with your dog!
What are your favorite dog books, dvd’s or tv shows? Who inspires you to never give up on training your best friend?
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2 Comments so far
A few years ago I bought the book ‘Unlocking the Animal Mind’ by Dr. Franklin D. McMillan. I cried through the whole book because it really made me examine the happiness of my dogs and if I help them lead happy lives. Examine if I provide them with enough stimulation, socialization, excitement, and work to enrich their lives. Understand that if they do something wrong, it might be because they are not challenged enough and they are bored. It is one of the main reasons I do my best to walk my dogs every day. I know their lives revolve around me, and therefore I have the responsibility to try and make them as happy and challenged as possible. I would suggest this book if you really care about the happiness of your dogs.
Thanks! I’m going to order it right now!