Family Dog: A Simple and Time-Proven Method

by Richard A. Wolters

Widely recognized as one of the great dog trainers of his time, Richard Wolters's tested techniques continue to endure. Family Dog was the first book written for any member of the family, from age six to sixty, who wants to train a dog fast. By following the book's simple instructions, anyone can have a well-trained dog in just sixteen weeks. In Family Dog Wolters teaches:
* How to choose the right dog for your family and lifestyle
* The benefits of play and relaxation
* Talking with your dog-- it's not what you say, but how you say it
* All the fundamentals of training-- house-breaking, basic commands, and tricks
* Tips on grooming
* The best dog diet in the world
* First-aid and medical advice, and much more

More than 200 all-new pictures in chronological, step-by-step sequence illustrate exactly what to do with your pet in a way that takes the frustration out of training and works for all breeds and any age.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Self Help

176 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1999

Reviews

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book, “Family Dog’ just to round out my collection to go with 4 other books of Richard A. Wolters. Copywrite is 1967 and it feels like it.

First it seems slightly chauvinistic… Here is a few excerpts that I don’t think I would see in books now:

‘It is a well-known fact that keeping a dog can be just as much trouble as keeping a woman. Mr. Wolters undertakes to show that it can also be just as much fun. Chances are there is something subversive about this.’ (Red Smith in the introduction)

‘You get what you pay for: Which reminds me of the man who was shocked at the stiff price the kennel owner was asking for a pup. Not wishing to spend that much, he turned to his wife for support, asking what she thought. She said, “I think he’s the cutest, most darling dog I’ve ever seen.” “My dear,” replied the husband, “are you helping me to buy or him to sell?”’

‘Picking the breed is important. I have a friend who got a schnauzer for his wife. I told him I thought it was a good trade.’

‘Then there’s the woman who didn’t really mind what breed she got as it wasn’t one of the hunting ones. She thought it was impolite to point.’

‘Every schoolboy knows that the same words can mean opposite things with different inflections. WOW, when spoken quickly with an upward inflection, means… she’s 38-24-38. WOW, with a downward inflection and drawn out, means not so hot.’

Ok, so getting past that, the book says that ‘A six-year old child can train a dog with help and guidance from an adult, so any six, or older; with some guidance can train a dog.’ Then the book has black and white pictures and details of his six year old training their Labrador.

He does discuss reprimanding the dog including:

'When he becomes downright ornery and stubborn there’s only one way to straighten him out. Heaven protect me from the SPCA, but I’m going to say it. Thrash the dog. Do it with fervor, but with intelligence. I clip the dog with the folded leash until he cries out once. I talk angrily and make a big fuss while I swing and continue to speak in a firm tone after the outcry to be sure it registered. Then I switch over to a pleasan tone of voice and begin the lessons over again. It’s very important to get the situation back to normal as quickly as possible. Don’t nag. This clean-cut discipline isn’t cruel, as some think. It’s kind. Failure to discipline is crueler.'

I only put that bit in this review to show old ways of thinking about dog training, definitely not to recommend rough reprimands to correct a dog. Dogs are very sensitive. Ignoring bad behavior, proper tone of voice, and especially rewarding good behavior is the way to go.

In summary, this is not a book I would recommend, just one you can look at and shake your head about and be glad that men and dog training has gone a long way forward.

[Rebecca Esmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, helpful read - loved that all the training shown is with a 6 year old and his new pup.

[Hollis Fishelson-holstine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on dog training, told from perspective of having child be the trainer (DVD version is also very good)

[Lynee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best book out there any more, as some of the training methods are quite dated.

[Ethan Buyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good introduction to dog ownership and how to get through the basics of dog training. House breaking, come, sit, heel, stay, and some tricks to boot. Although he does tend to make it a little easier than real world application. Richard makes it simple and approachable, showing that even kids can effectively set the boundaries on a young pup for a life of good manners. The best philosophy that he reinforces is patience and consistency, which takes discipline on the human side as well. Most "bad" pups did not have consistent training or a human willing to set boundaries and stick to them

[Thomas Gassaway · Rating 2 out of 5]

A curious relic of dog training from the 1960s. Filled with sexist humor you'd expect from your octagenarian grandfather at Thanksgiving dinner and overly aggressive and debunct training techniques (i.e. set mousetraps for your dog on the furniture and trip your dog down the stairs). Also, this book is not written for pet owners who welcome an adult dog into the family; strictly for puppies. The 21st century reader would be better served by seeking modern training content from 21st century sources.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a fantastic book for training dogs. However, I give it 3 stars simply because the author recommends training to begin when your dog is a mere pup (9 weeks). Which is fine, if you get your dog that young! But, the author gives zero support for those of us who adopt/rescue dogs that are not that young! He doesn't even mention what to do if you get an older pup/dog. Frustrating! We need help, too!

[Caleb St. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is surprisingly comedic, yet both straightforward and thorough on training a family pup. There are lots of stories to portray his point and many pictures to illustrate the same. I don’t plan on using every single method, but there are a lot of good nuggets in there. Easy read and I will definitely be picking it up again.

[M.Marie.S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I figured this would be a how-to, step-by-step guide, but it was more of an anecdotal rambling that describes the author's kid training a dog. The most useful bit was in the back, where the author explained dog basics like how to handle feeding and parasites, which a lot of other training books don't cover.

[Elizabeth C S · Rating 1 out of 5]

A friend gave this to my husband. I just cannot agree with setting mousetraps on furniture, having a stranger jump out of the car and beat them (photographs included!), tripping them down the stairs, etc!

[Ronie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read with good tips. Lot of anecdotal stories to portray the point.

[Tim Suddeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure some of the training techniques are out of date. But good, rational experience and witty stories. Fun to read even if you're not training a dog.

[Katarzyna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oudated training methods. Not recommended at all.

[Ashley Sabatka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the only dog training book I read for my first dog and stating her early made her easy to train. I'm glad I'll be able to get my next pup young as well.

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book has good pointers. Easy read. Not for the faint of heart.

[Emily Magnus · Rating 3 out of 5]

👀 prep work for our baby (dog not human)

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ridiculously outdated and sexist

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple training methods with lots of photos. Although I don't agree with all the recommended spanking, it was easy to work around and our pup has responded well to the training without it. It also has excellent information about brain development in puppies and advice for training with children involved. Prior to reading this book, I was going to train the puppy then turn her over to the kids, but instead I've gotten them involved in the training and it's been a wonderful opportunity for bonding and development for everybody involved.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

THis is a great book to get before you get a dog. I felt like it would be backtracking to try to use since we have had our dog since May.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best dog training book ever!

[Catrina Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sort of hard to rate this book considering we haven't yet put it to the test. But Wolters methods seem easy enough. I guess we'll find out in 4 days when we bring Josie home!

[Nancy Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd used Water Dog as a kid, and picked this one up to refresh myself. Most of what is in this book is common sense, but predates the reward-based training methods.

[Kelly Lobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some helpful i

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and a quick read too! I've used some of the training method already and seen great results. I would highly recommend this for someone with a new puppy!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting points. I prefer The Loved Dog's,by Tamar Geller, kind loving approach to dog training, but this book had some good points.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rudimentary book for the care and training of a family dog.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're getting our first dog in a long, long time. This book was recommended by a friend and I can see why. It presents an easy-to-follow system in a step-by-step manner.

I will update the review in about 5-6 months after we've had a chance to put this method to the test.