The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual: A Practical, Force-Free Guide to Problem Solving & Manners

by Grisha Stewart

Yes, there are a lot of training books out there. But if you got what you needed from them, why are you still looking? This book is a must-read for people with dogs and dog trainers alike. Learn how to fix and prevent problems in your dog (and other pets, plus maybe yourself and the other people in your life, too)!

Ahimsa \uh-HIM-sah \ n. a Buddhist doctrine of non-violence. Add in a fun, modern, scientific approach and you've got a great way to train your dog!

Dog Lovers: Learn to solve and prevent a variety of problems, including barking, fear, puppy socialization, housetraining, aggression, fear, separation anxiety, and pulling on leash.

Pro Trainers: Get more ways to teach skills and solve problems. Save time on write-ups by using this book as an in-home reference for your clients.

Breeders and veterinarians: Send puppies home with this book to start them off on the right paw.

This 108-page book is an introduction to dog training that started as the companion exercises for Ahimsa Dog Training classes in Seattle. It has practical exercises that start from a basic level and work up through advanced work on the most important behaviors for dogs to know. This quick manual is helpful for dog trainers to use with clients or new ideas for exercises and for breeders to share with new puppy parents.

Includes info on how dogs learn, clicker training, how to get rid of bad behaviors (puppy biting, fear/aggression, separation anxiety, etc.), and how to teach good behaviors, like coming when called, the name, watch, relaxation, sit, down, stay, wait, touch, walking on leash, give, go to your bed, and more!

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"This is it! This is the easy-to-read, concise handbook that every responsible dog owner will want to read. This manual spells out practical, step-by-step training solutions while educating the reader on the science behind the theory. Grisha is the leading authority on Behavior Adjustment Training, and shares her unique method of bringing about change in a positive, force-free, and fear-free environment. This book also shows us a way to teach loose-leash walking that is free from frustration and maps a clear strategy for us to follow."

Kyra Sundance Renowned Stunt Dog Performer and author of best seller “101 Dog Tricks”

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction

155 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book both as a pet owner and as a dog trainer. I am firmly in the camp that believes that dogs can be trained without force and punishment, so I was very interested to see what Grisha had written. Not surprisingly, I found the book to be extremely valuable from both of my perspectives. As a pet owner, I learned some new ways to train some things (heeling/loose leash walking and the application of BAT) and as a dog trainer, I got some fabulous ideas for how to discuss these things in my classes. Almost all of the questions I get deal with pulling on the leash and dogs that go nuts at the door, both of which Grisha writes about frankly, and with solutions that are within the grasp of even the most novice trainer. Her style of writing is engaging and friendly, and I feel that this book will appeal to everybody - trainers, owners and even breeders interesting in seeing their puppies start their new lives off on the right foot.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so, so useful. Last year when I was getting ready to adopt my dog, the first book I read about dog training was by someone who advocates the dominance method. At first I thought that method sounded very reasonable, and I still genuinely appreciate all the guidance around treating a dog like a dog rather than like a little human in a dog suit. However, I have since learned that a lot of the "science" this method is founded on has long since been disproved: dogs are not slightly tamer and smaller wolves, and in fact wolves themselves do not naturally behave in the ways the dominance method relies on. As far as I can tell, this method is only still popular because of the effect it has on a certain subset of humans who feel pleasure in having dominance over their dog. And I guess it makes for good TV.

All this is to say that the last almost-year has led me to this book, which is advocates positive, compassionate training methods and is the polar opposite of all that macho dominance advice. I've already seen a lot of improvement in my dog's behavior since implementing some of the strategies in the book. I am now reading the author's related work Behavioral Adjustment Training 2.0, for dogs like mine who have behavioral quirks. I would recommend these books to anyone with a dog, including those who somehow still believe in the dominance model.

[Marsha De Blieck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik heb de Nederlandse versie van dit boek gelezen 'De officiële Ahimsa gids voor honden'

Ik had eerst het BAT 2.0 boek gelezen van Grisha Stewart en daar werd regelmatig verwezen naar dit boek. Dat was één van de redenen dat ik dit boek ook graag wilde gaan lezen.

Grisha legt in dit boek uit hoe je je hond dwangvrij kan leren opvoeden en begeleiden. Dit kan voor pups, volwassen honden en zelfs voor herplaatser een manier zijn om hun te gaan (her)opvoeden.

Gelukkig is er steeds meer aandacht voor het opvoeden van honden zonder correcties of straf toe te passen. Helaas is er bij de meeste mensen nogal wat weerstand voor deze nieuwe methodes.

De aandacht gaat vooral naar hoe je een vertrouwensband opbouwt met je hond en ook een aantal cue's om je hond te gaan aanleren om deze band op te bouwen en/of te versterken.

Eigenlijk een boek wat iedereen die een hond wil gaan aanschaffen zou moeten lezen, dat zou een hoop (gedrags)problemen voorkomen en je leert je (te) hoge verwachtingen bij te stellen ;-)

[Mish Mash Succotash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while studying for CPDT-KA, and it helped solidify a force-free knowledge base. I don't necessarily believe this approach is realistic for everyone as it requires a great investment of time, but it is a really great tool for a pet owner focused on training basic obedience and doing some basic behavioral problem solving while avoiding punishment. I think this is a good place to start for a new pet owner or someone who has little or no background in behavior, but it really is just scratching the surface. And it does rely really heavily on treats as rewards without spending much time offering alternatives for dogs that aren't treat motivated or who might be really easily distracted. I think this might set some folks up for frustration, but I look forward to seeing if this issue is addressed more consistently and in depth in her other work. I did really enjoy the illustrations in the book, and I think they definitely helped clarify and expand on some of the written portions of the book. Overall, it made me take a hard look at how I'm training my dog, how I'm developing behavioral programs for shelter dogs, and what the actual impact of even simple interactions can be. The writing is straightforward and easy to read, and Grisha does a pretty consistent job of explaining any jargon she uses.

[Annemiek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aanrader voor hondenbaasjes maar vooral voor hondenbaasjes in spe. Vol praktische technieken, heel geschikt voor als je nog niet zo bekend bent met de ‘nieuwe’ manier van hondentraining.

[Michael Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best bang for your buck book that works.

I am a dog trainer and I cannot believe that value this book provides, I recommend it to all my clients.

[Servando Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good manual, covers basics with good methodology.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, it's in my go-to source pile