Favorite books for dog training and/or reading

6213 Views 27 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Hil Harrison, Apr 11, 2006

Bob Scott

Discussion Starter · Apr 4, 2006

Everyone/ regardless of their methods, have favorite dog training books. These are a few of my favorites, from the past and present. I'll give MY evaluation of them, based on past and present expierience.
The Standard book of Dog Care: Jeannette W. Cross and Blanche Saunders. I mention this only because it was my very first dog training book. Mom gave it to me for my 12th birthday (1957). (I think she got tired of me dragging home everthing with fur, scales or feathers that couodn't out run me).
The New Knowledge of Dog Behaviour: CJ Pfaffenburger. My true awakening to understanding dogs. This will always be near and dear.
The Koehler Method of Dog Training: W. R. Koehler. Bill Koehler got his start with Military dog training WWII. Went on to become a trainer for Walt Disney movies. One of my first books from back in the 60s. Heavy handed, compupsion, but it's still effective. One of the first I purchased after starting obedience classes with a St. Bernard.
Dog Obedience, The Guide For Trainers: Blanche Saunders. Blanch traveled all over the country with her standard poodles to promote dog training. Also one of my 60's books.
TONS of dog training books for the next plenty years. Most very similar. The Richard Wolters books stand out. He was a big duck dog trainer.
Favorites today
Purely Positive: Shelia Booth. Although I'm not 100% motivational, as Shelia teaches, it's still one of the better books out there for foundation training.
Schutzhund, Therory and Training Methods: My first Schutzhund book. Excellent!
Applied Dog Behavior And Training: Vols I, II, III: Steven R. Lindsay. Absolute BEST, but college text reading (that meand serious 'stuff\" for me

) for those interested in what's in a dogs head. Covers just about everything in a three volum set. = expensive

Cadaver Dog Handbook: Andrew Rebmann, Edward David, Marcella H. Sorg. Great for the scent dog handler.
Just good reading
All the James Herriot series
Behaviour of Wolves, Dogs and Related Canids: Michael W. Fox. One of my first thinking books on dog behaviour. Scarry huh! :wink:
Dogs: Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger. Fantastic theory on the evolution of the dog. For me, it pretty much did away with the wolf at the campfier theory.
I've got tons more, but these have always been at the top. :wink:

See less See more

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

Julia Tompson

· #2 · Apr 5, 2006

Bob Scott said:
The New Knowledge of Dog Behaviour: CJ Pfaffenburger. My true awakening to understanding dogs. This will always be near and dear....

Schutzhund, Therory and Training Methods: My first Schutzhund book. Excellent!...

Thats really cool I just ordered the two books above this morning. Woody recommended the Schutzhund, Therory and Training Methods in another post.

I also bought Advanced Schutzhund by Ivan Balabanov.

Other then a pile of DVD's... And Dr. Pitcairn's complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (which has been a good reference book) I don't have any books to contribute to the list but I will come back and critique the books when I am done.

susan tuck

· #3 · Apr 5, 2006

Bob, you have some very cool books! 8) I am officially jealous. Aren't you glad you kept some of the oldies-but-goodies? I remember reading the Koehler books years ago when they were in the library. I wonder if they can still be found at the library? When I moved a few years ago, I decided to give away all my books except the dog books. I don't care what anyone says, computers are great, but there's nothing like curling up with a good book.

Woody Taylor

· #4 · Apr 5, 2006

I like the approach of (don't laugh) Dog Training for Dummies by Jack and Wendy Volhard. Really good obedience stuff, big raw proponents (that's when I stick my fingers in my ears), advocated prongs/volhard collars for training, hated chokes, had fun tricks, but most interesting to me is a section of the book where you profile your dog according to their behaviors (whether they scent on the ground versus the air, or shake their \"prey\" on retrieves, for example). Then you can score your dog relative to their interpretations of drives...prey, pack, fight, and flight (their interpretations). It was very, very interesting to do this with my dog as she developed. They have different training approaches for a high-prey dog versus a high-fight dog. It was a neat way to think about it, don't know if it was original or not.

susan tuck

· #5 · Apr 5, 2006

Oh Bob, I just looked at my books & saw an interesting one my bf gave me over the holidays. It's called: \"Retriever Pups, The Formative First Year\", by Bill Tarrant. He has always wanted a Chessie, (he's a duck hunter), & is hoping that once he gets a pup, I'll keep it for him until it is old enough to go to a retriever trainer!!! :lol:

David Frost

· #6 · Apr 5, 2006

A couple of books I really like: Retriever Training, A Back-to-Basics Approach, by Robert Milner and Games Pets Play by Dr. Bruce Fogel. The retriever book is a very back to basic training on retrieving with a lot of good information. The Games Pets Play is a book I make anyone read that asks me if I can help them with their dog. I usually tell them, well yes I can but before I do you have to read this. Neither book is heavy on the scientific and behavioral verbage that seems so popular these days. Both are commone sense and well planned out training strategies.

DFrost

Daryl Ehret

· #7 · Apr 5, 2006

I'd like to know if anyone has read or can comment on the ©Phoenix Systems Training Manuals found at Baden K-9.

http://www.badenk9.com/phpv/badenk9mikemcconneryphoenixbook.php

Bob Scott

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 5, 2006

Bird/waterfowl hunters have had a good handle on dog training way before it became popular with pet folks.
Susan, tell your bf to be careful what he wishes for

. I've seen more then one Chessie that could make fantastic schutzhund/PPD/PSD dogs. They can be tough! :wink:

susan tuck

· #9 · Apr 5, 2006

He knows how stubborn/tough they can be & I think that's one of the main things he likes about them!!! He wanted to know if we could do schutzhund & duck ret with MY new pup, I said schutzhund first, buddy, so now he's back to researching chessies for himself!!!

Connie Sutherland

· #10 · Apr 5, 2006

Cesar Millan

Well, his book came out, finally, yesterday, and mine arrived in the mail too (because I ordered it before it was written! LOL!).

So that will be an upcoming review!

Bob Scott

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 5, 2006

Not that both Schutzhund and duck retrieving couldn'y be done, but I'd be a little curious about the condition of the duck when the dog brought it back. I shot birds over one of my Kerry Blue Terriers years ago. The same dog would totally trash any critter in fur, yet he hated feathers and would only retrieve one by carrying it by the beak or feet.

David Frost

· #12 · Apr 5, 2006

I have two chessies as drug dogs. Both have attitudes. They certainly are not just a curly haired lab.

DFrost

Bob Scott

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 5, 2006

When I was a kid, Chessies were referred to as the doberman duck dogs.

susan tuck

· #14 · Apr 5, 2006

:lol: :lol: The idea of your Kerry Blue bringing back the bird by the beak really has me chuckling! What a picture!

Connie Sutherland

· #15 · Apr 6, 2006

Bob Scott said:
Not that both Schutzhund and duck retrieving couldn'y be done, but I'd be a little curious about the condition of the duck when the dog brought it back. I shot birds over one of my Kerry Blue Terriers years ago. The same dog would totally trash any critter in fur, yet he hated feathers and would only retrieve one by carrying it by the beak or feet.

Oh, I can picture that .......... like a human carrying it between the thumb and forefinger way away from the person's body ........... as in, \"Oh, yuck!\"

susan tuck

· #16 · Apr 6, 2006

Also, Bob, I want to compliment you on teaching your Kerry Blue to actually retrieve game. Is it true that some terrier breeds were used for bird/duck hunting/retrieving - sort of multi-purpose dogs?

Bob Scott

Discussion Starter · #17 · Apr 6, 2006

Thanks Susan, but Rocky was one of those dogs that would try anything I asked him to do. Seeing a 42lb, 19in dog go throught one of the 9x9in, 30ft long, terrier den trial tunnels was a real blast. He was one of only three Kerrys in the country that had a CG (Certificate of Gameness) title from the AWTA (American Working Terrier Assoc) I had two of the three titled dogs. His sheep herding atempts went down hill when a big ewe decide she didn't want him near her flock. Thought I was gonna have to eat mutton on that one

. Rocky was also the #1 KBT in the USA in AKC obedience competition (1982)
In their day, I think most of the Irish bred terriers (Kerry, Wheaton, Irish, Glen of Imal) were all purpose farm dogs. Work the farm and hunt during the week, then get tossed in the dog fighting and Badger pits on the weekend.
One old description of the Kerry Blue was \"Irish as Patty's pig, fight at the drop of a hat, and carried his own hat just in case you forgot yours\". Sounds just like my Irish born granpa. :lol: :wink:

See less See more

Connie Sutherland

· #18 · Apr 6, 2006

Bob Scott said:
Thanks Susan, but Rocky was one of those dogs that would try anything I asked him to do. Seeing a 42lb, 19in dog go throught one of the 9x9in, 30ft long, terrier den trial tunnels was a real blast. He was one of only three Kerrys in the country that had a CG (Certificate of Gameness) title from the AWTA (American Working Terrier Assoc) I had two of the three titled dogs. .... Rocky was also the #1 KBT in the USA in AKC obedience competition (1982)......

Wow, Bob! 8) 8) 8)

You ARE the right person to help out on these Obedience questions I keep coming up with!

And I'd better get my daughter on here with her working BTs !!!

Phil Dodson

· #19 · Apr 6, 2006

I will probably hear a few boo,s but I have always been a Koehler fan. Have all his books and even have 2 autographed :!:

I enjoy the way he writes. I often hear his methods are harsh and outdated but one only has to look at the titles his students have earned to see his methods still work.
As a K-9 Officer another book I enjoyed reading is \"Trainining Dogs\" a manual by Konrad Most.

Connie Sutherland

· #20 · Apr 6, 2006

Phil Dodson said:
I will probably hear a few boo,s but I have always been a Koehler fan. Have all his books and even have 2 autographed :!: I enjoy the way he writes. I often hear his methods are harsh and outdated but one only has to look at the titles his students have earned to see his methods still work.
As a K-9 Officer another book I enjoyed reading is \"Trainining Dogs\" a manual by Konrad Most.

I do not boo anyone's book. I find that I learn more by reading all the books, both ends of the spectrum, and weighing them. I think where I could go badly awry is by reading ONE book and accepting it as gospel.

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.