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It's also in a very enjoyable easy style of reading. If so, read this book which helps the owner to understand what to do so their dog thinks that they have the best owner in the world. It's one of the first books in a long time that I kept reading until the end without putting it down. If you've every wanted to have a loving, respectful, willing dog, you've got to read this book. Have you longed for that relationship that 'others' seem to have with their dogs.
We have 2 Great Danes, a 3 yr old and a puppy. My small son and I can walk in no problem. This book is amazing.
I noticed a difference after one day of the methods in this book. The dogs are also relaxed the majority of the day. And after a week, the dogs no longer are at the door when I get home.
I realize there are already a ton of reviews on this book, just thought I'd share my opinion. Which made it hard to get in the house. I never thought a training method without some kind of force worked.
My dog trainer actually recommended it to me. The puppy chewed alot while I was gone and they both would always be waiting for me at the door when I got home.
Her thesis is that problem dogs think they're alpha in the household, and the humans need to establish themselves as dominant. I didn't get that from The Dog Listener. The goal of this method is to be the dog's leader, not its friend. British dog trainer Jan Fennell's work is endorsed by Monty Roberts, the famous "Horse Whisperer" and the author of the excellent book The Man Who Listens to Horses: The Story of a Real-Life Horse Whisperer. I found The Dog Listener interesting enough that I would attend one of Jan Fennell's seminars on the few occasions that she comes to the USA, but not useful enough to change my relationship with my dog. In order for a normal person to be able to train their dog from a book, the book needs to not only explain the method in detail, but also explain how to handle the variations in lifestyle, owner physical ability, and dog response that will occur.
Her method, which she calls "Amichien Bonding", is interesting. It's based on the French words "friend" and "dog". I also felt that the "Amichien Bonding" method was misnamed. It involves ignoring the dog for at least five minutes after any time of separation (coming home, mornings, etc)., provide basic training using food as a reward, and most interestingly "gestural eating", eating a small piece of human food before giving the dog his food. I would like to read a dog training book based on research with feral or wild dog social groups.
After reading her book, Fennell seems like a one-trick pony to me. Based on recent research on the origin of the domestic dog, I wonder whether observing wolf packs is the best way to observe "natural" dog behavior. There's way too little detail on the actual training part, and way too much information about the greatness of her method. So far this is not groundbreaking to most dog lovers. I am sure that Fennell is a gifted trainer and lecturer, but that doesn't come through in this book.
Applying her guidelines in training not only works, the resulting relationship between dog and companion is comfortable and stable for both. The Dog Listener: Learn How to Communicate with Your Dog for Willing Cooperation A friend in England recommended Jan to me and I found this book to far exceed my highest expectations. But even folks who don't use it, will find the knowledge they acquire in reading the book will help them better understand the dogs in their lives. She is, however, very stern in admonishing the reader to realize her training method requires serious commitment and constancy from the human in the equation. Ms. Fennell presents both scientific and practical information/advice in an easy to read/understand style.
It arrived without delay, and she is as delighted with the book as we are. We, and everyone else in our neighborhood, have a copy of this book. This purchase was to give our daughter a copy.
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