Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog

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Amazon rating of 4.5 out of 5, Amazon sales rank: 6519

Carol Benjamin makes dog training sound like more fun than a barrel of puppies.... Mother Knows Best is a thoroughly enjoyable book whose pages may become a bit worn from constant re-reading. But it's too good to read just once." andmdash; Dogs in Canada "[The] author is someone who really loves and understands dogs, and that comes through on every page.... Every aspect of training is covered, from the basics of puppy training to structured obedience exercises, in sufficient detail and sufficient examples to show you how you can apply the advice to your own situation." andmdash; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Health Newsletter "Carol Benjamin has written a breakthrough book that exposes the fallacy of humanizing dogs and calls for an intelligent, reasoned, and painstaking re-evaluation of just how dogs are originally educated." andmdash;Job Michael Evans, Dog Fancy "This book is full of excellent information and innovative ideas for turning that cute puppy into a true companion...an excellent book to give or recommend." andmdash; AKC Gazette A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

Reader Reviews:

I love Carol Lea Benjamin's books. Check out Secondhand Dog and Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence, too. :)
I read "Mother Knows Best" for the first time 14 years ago after bringing home a puppy from the local humane society. I followed the advice in the book to the letter and wound up with the most wonderful, well trained dog you could imagine. I'm now preparing for another puppy and this book has become required reading for my hubby and anyone else who plans to puppy sit!

Carol Lea Benjamin is a great dog trainer and a great writer. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a four legged family member that minds better than most kids do!I first read this 15 years ago, when raising an unruly 1 yr. old rescue Dalmatian who'd been let to run wild. Next came along a difficult coonhound, again out came Carol Lea Benjamin's book. Then a sweet but independent spaniel. Again, Benjamin's book to the rescue. Her theme resonates with me year after year.... Mother Knows Best.

Not only do I use this book when training my own pups, but I've given it to many friends. I've taught puppy kindergarten in the past, and I always recommend this book along with HOW TO RAISE A PUPPY YOU CAN LIVE WITH by Claire Rutherford.

I've read dozens of books on dog behavior and training, Carol Benjamin's is BY FAR the very best of these in it's down-to-earth attitude with a little humor about those crazy situations puppies & owners get themselves into. I am a dog trainer/psychologist. I started out training dogs by just forcing them to do what I wanted. This was how most trainers did it. Condition responce/Skinner method. Then I read William Koehler in the 1960s. Now we are taking about more of a training method though understanding the dog.
Vicki Hearne 1980s and Barbara Woodhouse in the 1980s opened my eyes futher. And I love the book by The Monks of New Skete of the 1990s. But, the two books that enlighten me the most: Patricia Gail Burnham (Playtraining Your Dog 1986) and this book Carol Lea Benjamin (Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog 1985). Natural is the key. Dog understanding /psychology is the way to have the best relation with your animal and Ms. Benjamin book sets you going in the right direction.
An example would be training a dog to STAY. In the 1960s I would yell at the dog if it moved- make it understand that if the dog moved it would not like it. Ms. Burnham and Ms. Benjamin in thier books tell us to let the dog move, let it even get to a spot it feels safe (usally between your legs if the dog is young or under a table if it is an older dog). Go get the dog and put it back in the exact spot it left the STAY potision. Say STAY again. Repeat and get firmer only if required- depends on dog. In the 1st method the dog stays in the STAY scared to move, uncomfortable. In the second, the dog feels like that STAY position is the most comfortable, best spot in the world, real safe, calm. What a difference!
Buy a dog book have a better relationship with your 'best friend'.The techniques in this book use mother-child interactions prior to weening as the ground work for post-weening work. Very practical and compassionate use of corrections and praise. Hard cover so it is a little expensive, but it reads well and will make a lot a sense to help you work with your pet. Highly recommended. Also, it's on the AKC Recommended Reading list.
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