Talking to Animals

by Barbara Woodhouse

The author describes her experiences raising, training, and communicating with various animals

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Biography

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Barbara Kathleen Vera Woodhouse, 9 May 1910 Rathfarnham, Ireland - 9 July 1988, Buckinghamshire, England, after a stroke, was a well known British dog trainer, author and television personality. Her 1980 television series Training Dogs the Woodhouse Way made her into a household name in the UK. Among her catch-phrases were "walkies" and "sit!", the latter parodied in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy. She was also known for her "no bad dogs philosophy".

Reviews

[Alexhounder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.

I wasn't alive when Barbara was in action, but she is (in)famous in the industry I work in: dogs.
Thankfully, dog training instruction and care has come a long way since Woodhouse was yanking on dogs' throats via a check chain, and I would've loved to know what she would make of today's force-free and positive reinforcement training. I got the impression from her book that she truly cared about animals.

The book is a fun read. Barbara was clearly a witty and intelligent woman who lived an incredibly interesting life; I don't think you have to be a dog lover to enjoy this book.

[Bryony Dickins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my very favourite books and the one that got me into reading autobiographies - I always admired Barbara's straightforward manner and her nationwide "SIT!" command on TV to all dogs listening was priceless! This is a superbly written book of her compelling life story.