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How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training
A dog training book that makes sense―for both dogs and humans―using positive reinforcement techniques based on animal behavioral science. For generations, celebrity trainers have preached that dog owners must "dominate" dogs and have criticized people for daring to treat pets with affection. How To Train Your Dog with Love + Science presents a modern and science-based approach to dog training, showing how behavior can be changed without coercion and force. Annie Grossman, a journalist-turned-dog trainer, breaks down what positive reinforcement actually is and makes the case that "good dog training" may even be a window into understanding ourselves. Grossman offers building-block exercises and tips on how to train effectively using the reward-based methods she's honed over the last decade with clients at her Manhattan training center, School For The Dogs. Whether you've just brought a new dog into your home or you're wanting to teach an old one new tricks, How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science will help you consider what behaviors you want and help you to achieve your goals using techniques rooted in the science of behavior. Woven into this lively how-to guide is the century-long history of positive reinforcement training, from Pavlov's dogs and Skinner's rats to today's apartment-dwelling dogs using Wifi-enabled devices. By employing the easy-to-understand techniques laid out in this book, you will be able to train your dog to live confidently, comfortably, and happily in your world.
10 pages, Audiobook
First published September 10, 2024
38 people are currently reading
3756 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 25, 2024
Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training by Annie Grossman from Sourcebooks via NetGalley. It should be available to the public on September 10, 2024
How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training by Annie Grossman is a good introduction to dog training. There are some basic exercises you can do to start a foundation for training your dog. More than anything, this book provides a good description of positive reinforcement training and how it differs from other dog training methods. This is really great for people who might be new to dog training or might be struggling to train a dog. Even though my dog has been through training, I picked up a few tips.
How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training by Annie Grossman is a good introduction to dog training. There are some basic exercises you can do to start a foundation for training your dog. More than anything, this book provides a good description of positive reinforcement training and how it differs from other dog training methods. This is really great for people who might be new to dog training or might be struggling to train a dog. Even though my dog has been through training, I picked up a few tips.
July 28, 2024
By using the easy to follow techniques based on science, you can learn to train your dog to be happier, calmer, and better behaved. A must read for those who love dogs!
September 9, 2024
Big Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!!
''How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training'' is an informative book with examples of how to train your dog by understanding them first.
The author provides loads of examples from her personal experience and from the bibliography to connect with the reader and make things simple and understandable.
The exercises that she gave were also resourceful and one of them actually worked on my dog! (haven't tried them all out yet).
However, the book is kind of long and has the exercises spread out throughout it, thus, it gets tiring to read after a while. But, I enjoyed its tone and the examples.
''How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training'' is an informative book with examples of how to train your dog by understanding them first.
The author provides loads of examples from her personal experience and from the bibliography to connect with the reader and make things simple and understandable.
The exercises that she gave were also resourceful and one of them actually worked on my dog! (haven't tried them all out yet).
However, the book is kind of long and has the exercises spread out throughout it, thus, it gets tiring to read after a while. But, I enjoyed its tone and the examples.
November 1, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You might know that I recently adopted two rescue puppies. When they came, they were basically feral, and I couldn’t get near them with a leash. That made it impossible to take them to standard puppy kindergarten classes, and someone at the vet told me they had a trainer who came to the house. We hired that trainer and she was fantastic. She used the same theories that I was familiar with from my masters in Mental Health Counseling, including exposure therapy and positive reinforcement.
I wasn’t surprised to see that Grossman’s book espouses the same principles. She refers to Pavlov’s dogs and B.F. Skinner, among other notable names in behavioral science, psychology, and explains how they relate to dog behavior.
My favorite thing about this book is how well the author conveys her message and voice, which comes through loud and clear even when narrated by someone other than the author. I didn’t even realize that the narrator and author weren’t the same person until I was well into the book. Eunice Wong does a fantastic job of bringing Grossman’s words to audio, and it’s clear that she had a fun time with the reading, which already utilized humor in multiple places.
I also loved the enthusiasm that Grossman shares in this book. She so obviously loves dogs, and wants to bring this information to a wider audience than she can through her own School for Dogs. I’m so grateful that books like this exist, since it helps to reinforce the training methods that I learned and have instinctively applied. Rather than punishing our dogs for engaging in a behavior we don’t want them to do, Grossman encourages her readers to learn why their dogs are engaging in a specific behavior, in order to determine how to get them to stop doing it.
Throughout the book, Grossman explores what natural dog behaviors mean, and how we can get them to want to change that. The reward-based training has worked best for my own dogs, and there are practical ways to use this kind of training to get our dogs to do what we want, whether it is sit, stay, lie down, or do cool tricks. This kind of training focuses on the dog’s strengths, and allowing them to feel safe enough to actively participate in training, which was one of the first things that the trainer I hired did—provide a ‘safe space’ for the dogs to indicate they were willing to engage. One was always ready, the other had her moments where she’d just bow out of training, and I was never asked to force her to come back and be willing to learn. Instead, I had to earn her trust first, and then be flexible with our training sessions.
Grossman devotes earlier chapters in the book to explaining the psychological underpinnings of behavioral training, and honestly? The biggest difference between applying these principles to dogs or humans is that dogs can’t speak to us using words—instead we have to rely on their nonverbal cues, knowledge of dog behavior, and our understanding of our own individual dog(s). She does an outstanding job with explaining the similarities and differences between positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment, which can be difficult to grasp if any of these are new terms.
This is the kind of book that everyone who has a dog should be reading immediately. The author is excited about her work with dogs, wants to help people learn more about how to train their dogs in the best way for them, and does so in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. Positive reinforcement is a technique that encourages dogs to do what you want through rewards and praise, not punishment, which has shown to work fast but actually not be the most effective and safest method of training. Grossman has a lot to say about more well-known methods of training, such as that used by Cesar Milan, but it’s easy to see where she is coming from. If you have a dog, are thinking of getting a dog, or just want to learn how to understand dogs better, this is the book for you.
You might know that I recently adopted two rescue puppies. When they came, they were basically feral, and I couldn’t get near them with a leash. That made it impossible to take them to standard puppy kindergarten classes, and someone at the vet told me they had a trainer who came to the house. We hired that trainer and she was fantastic. She used the same theories that I was familiar with from my masters in Mental Health Counseling, including exposure therapy and positive reinforcement.
I wasn’t surprised to see that Grossman’s book espouses the same principles. She refers to Pavlov’s dogs and B.F. Skinner, among other notable names in behavioral science, psychology, and explains how they relate to dog behavior.
My favorite thing about this book is how well the author conveys her message and voice, which comes through loud and clear even when narrated by someone other than the author. I didn’t even realize that the narrator and author weren’t the same person until I was well into the book. Eunice Wong does a fantastic job of bringing Grossman’s words to audio, and it’s clear that she had a fun time with the reading, which already utilized humor in multiple places.
I also loved the enthusiasm that Grossman shares in this book. She so obviously loves dogs, and wants to bring this information to a wider audience than she can through her own School for Dogs. I’m so grateful that books like this exist, since it helps to reinforce the training methods that I learned and have instinctively applied. Rather than punishing our dogs for engaging in a behavior we don’t want them to do, Grossman encourages her readers to learn why their dogs are engaging in a specific behavior, in order to determine how to get them to stop doing it.
Throughout the book, Grossman explores what natural dog behaviors mean, and how we can get them to want to change that. The reward-based training has worked best for my own dogs, and there are practical ways to use this kind of training to get our dogs to do what we want, whether it is sit, stay, lie down, or do cool tricks. This kind of training focuses on the dog’s strengths, and allowing them to feel safe enough to actively participate in training, which was one of the first things that the trainer I hired did—provide a ‘safe space’ for the dogs to indicate they were willing to engage. One was always ready, the other had her moments where she’d just bow out of training, and I was never asked to force her to come back and be willing to learn. Instead, I had to earn her trust first, and then be flexible with our training sessions.
Grossman devotes earlier chapters in the book to explaining the psychological underpinnings of behavioral training, and honestly? The biggest difference between applying these principles to dogs or humans is that dogs can’t speak to us using words—instead we have to rely on their nonverbal cues, knowledge of dog behavior, and our understanding of our own individual dog(s). She does an outstanding job with explaining the similarities and differences between positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment, which can be difficult to grasp if any of these are new terms.
This is the kind of book that everyone who has a dog should be reading immediately. The author is excited about her work with dogs, wants to help people learn more about how to train their dogs in the best way for them, and does so in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. Positive reinforcement is a technique that encourages dogs to do what you want through rewards and praise, not punishment, which has shown to work fast but actually not be the most effective and safest method of training. Grossman has a lot to say about more well-known methods of training, such as that used by Cesar Milan, but it’s easy to see where she is coming from. If you have a dog, are thinking of getting a dog, or just want to learn how to understand dogs better, this is the book for you.
October 25, 2024
First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
How To Train Your Dog With Love + Science by Annie Grossman is a book that introduces readers to the world of R+, science backed dog training.
Full disclosure: I am pretty nerdy about dog training. In the words of Mad Dog Metalworks: high maintenance and behaviorally complex? Sounds like my kind of dog! I thought this book did a good job at introducing folks to the more scientific parts of positive training while explaining why more traditional methods might not be as kind or as effective as one might have been told. While it wasn’t anything earth shattering for me, I fully recognize that not everyone has been deeply entrenched in the dog world for as long as I have.
I do think this was accessible for folks who don’t have a good handle on the psychology of dog training. It also did a good job at breaking down the more nuanced aspects of positive reinforcement vs positive punishment and some of the other more nuanced pieces of training. I think it is less of a training book, but more a way to understand the R+ training methodologies. While there are some exercises in this book, it’s not a manual per se. However, I do think this is a great book for people to read before they start training their dogs or hire a trainer! There is a lot of really good information packed into this book.
I’ve found that most people would prefer to train their dogs with kindness, they just don’t know how or why “balanced” or “compulsion” training isn’t great. I think this book will open the door of training with kindness and science for a lot of people.
4.5⭐️
How To Train Your Dog With Love + Science by Annie Grossman is a book that introduces readers to the world of R+, science backed dog training.
Full disclosure: I am pretty nerdy about dog training. In the words of Mad Dog Metalworks: high maintenance and behaviorally complex? Sounds like my kind of dog! I thought this book did a good job at introducing folks to the more scientific parts of positive training while explaining why more traditional methods might not be as kind or as effective as one might have been told. While it wasn’t anything earth shattering for me, I fully recognize that not everyone has been deeply entrenched in the dog world for as long as I have.
I do think this was accessible for folks who don’t have a good handle on the psychology of dog training. It also did a good job at breaking down the more nuanced aspects of positive reinforcement vs positive punishment and some of the other more nuanced pieces of training. I think it is less of a training book, but more a way to understand the R+ training methodologies. While there are some exercises in this book, it’s not a manual per se. However, I do think this is a great book for people to read before they start training their dogs or hire a trainer! There is a lot of really good information packed into this book.
I’ve found that most people would prefer to train their dogs with kindness, they just don’t know how or why “balanced” or “compulsion” training isn’t great. I think this book will open the door of training with kindness and science for a lot of people.
4.5⭐️
Want to read
August 29, 2024I haven't read this book yet, but I NEED IT NOW! My rescue Lab/Brittany Spaniel mix has "unlearned" everything she's been taught -- AGAIN! This is the 3rd time she's reverted to her just-adopted ways. I'm at the point of giving up, but I can't. I love this crazy dog, but need to retrain her in a way that sticks. Sounds like a great training guide. I will write a real review after reading the book.
November 5, 2024
How to Train Your Dog with Love and Science by certified dog trainer Annie Grossman is a fantastic guide for dog owners looking to build positive relationships with their pets. Grossman, who runs School for the Dogs in Manhattan, shares science-backed techniques focused on positive reinforcement, making it easy for owners to train new behaviors or reshape unwanted ones. Her approach blends behavioral science and psychology in a way that’s informative yet accessible, with citations of key figures in the field woven seamlessly into the text.
What stands out most is Grossman's ability to make the science behind her methods relatable and engaging. The writing is lighthearted, with humorous anecdotes that make the material feel more like a friendly conversation than a textbook. Eunice Wong’s narration enhances this experience, delivering the content with a pacing and warmth that keeps the book flowing and enjoyable.
I've already started using some of Grossman’s techniques with my own lab, and I’m seeing positive results! Thanks to NetGalley, Annie Grossman, Eunice Wong, and Tantor Media for the opportunity to review this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
What stands out most is Grossman's ability to make the science behind her methods relatable and engaging. The writing is lighthearted, with humorous anecdotes that make the material feel more like a friendly conversation than a textbook. Eunice Wong’s narration enhances this experience, delivering the content with a pacing and warmth that keeps the book flowing and enjoyable.
I've already started using some of Grossman’s techniques with my own lab, and I’m seeing positive results! Thanks to NetGalley, Annie Grossman, Eunice Wong, and Tantor Media for the opportunity to review this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
September 25, 2025
Great conversations around the science of dog training and positive reinforcement.
I am a certified professional dog trainer and still found nuggets of priceless information, along with some good reminders.
A quote from the book to help you know what to expect "You're about to learn how the science behind learning has evolved over the last century, paving the way to make it possible to train without punishment and coercion."
I think that this book is going to be beneficial for someone interested in conversations around learning theory without the heavy science jargon. It feels much more like having a coffee with your positive reinforcement dog training bestie lol.
I read this as a physical copy along with the audiobook. Both were great quality
I am a certified professional dog trainer and still found nuggets of priceless information, along with some good reminders.
A quote from the book to help you know what to expect "You're about to learn how the science behind learning has evolved over the last century, paving the way to make it possible to train without punishment and coercion."
I think that this book is going to be beneficial for someone interested in conversations around learning theory without the heavy science jargon. It feels much more like having a coffee with your positive reinforcement dog training bestie lol.
I read this as a physical copy along with the audiobook. Both were great quality
April 24, 2025
“Good training is more about the how than the what.”
How To Train Your Dog With Love And Science was a nice book to listen to. I loved the narrator who brought some life to the text, but also made it very easy to understand.
As someone who studied Dog Behavior, I can’t say I learnt something, but I loved hearing about Bob Bailey (his gimmick is on my coffee mug), Karen Pryor (I might have shed some tears about her while listening) or Burrhus Skinner. The book’s structure was very nice for that, as it retraced some major point of animal behavior, but in a very natural way, along anecdote and examples that could feel a bit like “training recipes”, making it easy for the novice to understand and assimilate the information.
I also loved the humor that was between the “pages” and laughed more than once. I’m more mixed about the numerous references to a certain –very famous– trainer. Yes, it’s important to educate people, and I’m certain it’s the goal here. That being said, the very “frontal approach” might be counterproductive, reinforcing beliefs for people who believe in a science based training as much as for people who support his own beliefs. But I –of course– might be wrong.
The last thing is about ethics. That’s something I would have loved to see discussed more in this book, because even though you use positive reinforcement for training, you can have a non ethical training. The author only grazes the surface about this subject here, and I hope it’ll can become the core of another book.
Thank you to the author and Tantor Audio for the ALC via NetGalley. My opinions are my own
How To Train Your Dog With Love And Science was a nice book to listen to. I loved the narrator who brought some life to the text, but also made it very easy to understand.
As someone who studied Dog Behavior, I can’t say I learnt something, but I loved hearing about Bob Bailey (his gimmick is on my coffee mug), Karen Pryor (I might have shed some tears about her while listening) or Burrhus Skinner. The book’s structure was very nice for that, as it retraced some major point of animal behavior, but in a very natural way, along anecdote and examples that could feel a bit like “training recipes”, making it easy for the novice to understand and assimilate the information.
I also loved the humor that was between the “pages” and laughed more than once. I’m more mixed about the numerous references to a certain –very famous– trainer. Yes, it’s important to educate people, and I’m certain it’s the goal here. That being said, the very “frontal approach” might be counterproductive, reinforcing beliefs for people who believe in a science based training as much as for people who support his own beliefs. But I –of course– might be wrong.
The last thing is about ethics. That’s something I would have loved to see discussed more in this book, because even though you use positive reinforcement for training, you can have a non ethical training. The author only grazes the surface about this subject here, and I hope it’ll can become the core of another book.
Thank you to the author and Tantor Audio for the ALC via NetGalley. My opinions are my own
October 29, 2024
Having a stubborn, difficult-to-train dog breed, I am always looking for insights to do things better or to find something that we can stick with. In this book, the author gives us her backstory and her evolution as a trainer of dogs… and chickens. She talks about earlier methods including a popular one from the late 70s/early 80s where dogs were routinely whipped. And she talks extensively about behavioralists Pavlov and BF Skinner. Apparently training your dog with love means giving lots of treats to reward the behavior you like. It sounds simple, but remembering to praise when they are just hanging out and chilling is much harder than it sounds. Plus, since it is all about rewarding with treats, we’ve had to cut back on his kibble so we don’t overfeed him! It’s too early to tell if we’ve managed any permanent behavior modification, but it’s definitely worth a shot. And he’s not complaining about the treats either.
The book is upbeat, often humorous, and well narrated. The author is based in NYC and often trains dogs for city life, so there are suggestions for things like elevator etiquette as well as for suburban dog parks. If you want a perspective on dog training with positive reinforcement, give this a try!
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: Oct. 29, 2024.
The book is upbeat, often humorous, and well narrated. The author is based in NYC and often trains dogs for city life, so there are suggestions for things like elevator etiquette as well as for suburban dog parks. If you want a perspective on dog training with positive reinforcement, give this a try!
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: Oct. 29, 2024.
December 28, 2024
I have two Miniature Schnauzers who I have done a fair amount of training with, but I am always looking to do more. Annie Grossman’s How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science gave me some insight into my dogs’ minds and inspiration for new training exercises to try. Annie provides the science behind certain training tools and tips, and then teaches you how to apply them to you and your dog’s life. I found this book to be helpful and inspiring as a dog owner. The only thing I did not like is the numerous exhaustive diatribes Annie went on against Cesar Milan. While I am not a fan of Milan, I would have preferred the energy spent discrediting him throughout this book to be put toward more training exercises that I could try with my dog.
October 25, 2024
In terms of dog training books, 'How to Train Your Dog With Love + Science' is a really great listen(audiobook release is read by Eunice Wong and published by Tantor Audio).
Grossman presents the science behind her methods with a conversational voice, making it easy to understand and relatable. She starts out by explaining what makes her approach different and spends some time discussing how we culturally arrived at some of the common misconceptions about dog behavior.
Her approach really simplifies dog training and it is apparent that she loves her work and just wants what's best for the dogs and humans alike. My favorite anecdote involves a small dog and his owner's concern that the dog was struggling for dominance with her boyfriend, who would get growled at each time he tried to walk the dog. When observing the dog being walked, Grossman found that the owner and the boyfriend were using different leashes and the one the boyfriend was using had a larger clip that was hitting the dog in the face. He stopped using that leash and their walks were fine after that. Obviously, the answer isn't always that simple, but I found that it was a good example of how we can better help our dogs by changing the way we perceive our pets' motivations.
As the new dog mom of a rescued pittbull mix, I really appreciated her no nonsense approach and I'm looking forward to seeing how it helps my dog Billie adjust to her new(ish) home and family.
Thanks Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the advance listening copy of this audiobook.
Grossman presents the science behind her methods with a conversational voice, making it easy to understand and relatable. She starts out by explaining what makes her approach different and spends some time discussing how we culturally arrived at some of the common misconceptions about dog behavior.
Her approach really simplifies dog training and it is apparent that she loves her work and just wants what's best for the dogs and humans alike. My favorite anecdote involves a small dog and his owner's concern that the dog was struggling for dominance with her boyfriend, who would get growled at each time he tried to walk the dog. When observing the dog being walked, Grossman found that the owner and the boyfriend were using different leashes and the one the boyfriend was using had a larger clip that was hitting the dog in the face. He stopped using that leash and their walks were fine after that. Obviously, the answer isn't always that simple, but I found that it was a good example of how we can better help our dogs by changing the way we perceive our pets' motivations.
As the new dog mom of a rescued pittbull mix, I really appreciated her no nonsense approach and I'm looking forward to seeing how it helps my dog Billie adjust to her new(ish) home and family.
Thanks Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the advance listening copy of this audiobook.
October 29, 2024
Love love love!! I already bought a physical copy and I’m on the waitlist to join School of the Dogs training club!
Likes: I loved how the author used science to backup her training methods (I love tracking data and science).
I loved the bit about how values of reward matter. I learned that at a seminar a couple of years ago and it has been a very useful tool in my training.
Dislikes: criticizing methods/name dropping. I felt that part one was pretty negative and I didn’t learn anything until part 2. I dropped a star for that.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Likes: I loved how the author used science to backup her training methods (I love tracking data and science).
I loved the bit about how values of reward matter. I learned that at a seminar a couple of years ago and it has been a very useful tool in my training.
Dislikes: criticizing methods/name dropping. I felt that part one was pretty negative and I didn’t learn anything until part 2. I dropped a star for that.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2024
I found the book to be helpful in learning positive reinforcement training with a good breakdown of steps. The baby steps are probably helpful for a lot of newbies. The author was persuasive in trying to help the reader understand things more in a dog’s POV.
I wish there was more of this in the beginning instead of halfway through the book. Also, I felt like people could be persuaded to try the positive reinforcement method without the blatant and repetitive bashing of other methods.
I wish there was more of this in the beginning instead of halfway through the book. Also, I felt like people could be persuaded to try the positive reinforcement method without the blatant and repetitive bashing of other methods.
August 23, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for an eArc of this book in exchange of a honest review.
A really good book on basic dog training. It brings up a lot of current research on dog training and behavioural psychology. There are several good, basic exercises that all dogs should know and tips on how to successfully help your dog learn them.
A really good book on basic dog training. It brings up a lot of current research on dog training and behavioural psychology. There are several good, basic exercises that all dogs should know and tips on how to successfully help your dog learn them.
October 28, 2025
The book didn’t let me down at all. I was looking for a reading that would help me better understand my nervous, frightful pup, and be of better help in his discovery of our human world. Mostly because my own frustration sometimes does more harm than good.
I didn’t want a training manual or a recipe book, but a broader approach that would help me get a better picture of how a dog mind works and how to leverage our joint learning process. And that’s exactly what this one is, a first approach to how humans and dogs are different, in what we are similar, and how to foster trust, self confidence, and joy in learning. Yes, it includes some exercises, but mostly they illustrate the overall point of a chapter or section in a practical way.
I find it more useful to understand what is beneath a certain process of teaching because it allows easier extrapolation to one’s temperament, situation, and needs.
In the downside, this is a book I would have liked to underline, so having it in audio version was not the most clever choice. An easy fix, and a good pretext to revisit some passages.
I didn’t want a training manual or a recipe book, but a broader approach that would help me get a better picture of how a dog mind works and how to leverage our joint learning process. And that’s exactly what this one is, a first approach to how humans and dogs are different, in what we are similar, and how to foster trust, self confidence, and joy in learning. Yes, it includes some exercises, but mostly they illustrate the overall point of a chapter or section in a practical way.
I find it more useful to understand what is beneath a certain process of teaching because it allows easier extrapolation to one’s temperament, situation, and needs.
In the downside, this is a book I would have liked to underline, so having it in audio version was not the most clever choice. An easy fix, and a good pretext to revisit some passages.
December 11, 2024
I listened to this on audio and I loved the narrator. She was perfect for this heavily detailed informative book. I enjoyed the examples and picked up quite a few tips that I will be using on my new puppy. I only wish I’d bought a hard copy of the book to highlight and tab pages for future reference!
February 19, 2025
I really appreciate that this book’s way of teaching was about being kind and paying attention to the things my dog needs. It lost a star because the last couple of chapters had some pretty significant grammar stuff going on (like editorial blunders?) that took me out of it, but I really appreciate Annie Grossman’s take as my first dog and I navigate the world together.
September 25, 2024
How to Train Your Dog with Love and Science, by Annie Grossman (SourceBooks [Penguin Random House], 352 pp, 2024, $17.99) Review by Skye Anderson
In a Word - Wow! The best book I have read in several years!
I have been known to start writing a book review before finishing the book and even to suggest the Book of the Year very early in the year - but only for exceptional books. This is one such book!
A non-fiction, how-to book that reads like a story and keeps you enthralled, a book you hate to put down.
A book I used up an entire yellow highlighter on!
I knew, after reading the Introduction, that I would love this book! (How many readers read the Introduction, or the Acknowledgements or the Preface, other than book reviewers like me?)
Author Annie Grossman of School for the Dogs. . .
makes the love, and the science, and the psychology of dog training easy to understand and use at home (she even takes a stab at explaining the difference between habituation and sensitization). And, she is an entertaining author to boot! But then, I should have realized that with her background as a journalist (I find books written by reporters and journalists to be, on the whole, excellent reads and when I find a book that I like, I love to read everything that person has authored - just like I tell my undergraduates to take every course from your favorite professor that you can because you will learn the most from them! But I digress.)
Who is Train Your Dog with Love and Science For?
Ah, this took me a while to figure out and what I came up with is that Train is a resource book plus a textbook for serious dog people and a book for dog-trainers-in-training to discuss amongst themselves and with their mentors. It would also make a great book for undergraduates in a behavioral psychology course. Educators will be able to easily transfer the principles to their classrooms as Ah-ha! moments.
Dear Reader, Take the Good Dog Training Pledge on page 283 and send it to Annie!
Grossman's personality and sense of humor shines through so much that I'll wager there are dog trainer wanna-be's out in Idaho that wish they could fly to New York City to apprentice under Grossman! I know I would, if I were a few years younger.
What Did I Like the Best?
I noticed some of my favorite words: homunculus, halcyon, Mobius strip, minions and others. I liked how the author defined terms that needed defining, right after using them in the beginning of a chapter. I like how she kept referring to future chapters when appropriate and referring to previous chapters as well. I love her sense of humor and how she makes science easy - and gives the reader the stories of scientists in little bites as well as some anecdotes from her own life. I like how, rare in a non-fiction book, this book transitions into the next chapter so well, to keep you reading - and often with humor!
Positive-Reinforcement Training - What's it All About?
Training should be fun and it can be easy if reward-based methods are used. Grossman makes it fun and easy, too, to learn this method and to apply it in other situations in daily life. Excellent teachers and parents already (unknowingly) use a lot of rewards and reinforcement.
What Would I Change?
Author Grossman clearly states in the Intro that there are four parts to her book but the table of contents does not clearly reflect this and the last part of the introduction clearly points out parts three and four only. I found a few typos in a couple of chapters* but on the whole, it was well edited.
My first thoughts that seven pages of pre-publication praise from leaders in the dog field was a bit much, even if I knew most of them but when I finally put the book down and reread those comments, I was a convert.
A Gem
I did eventually get used to the polka-dotted dogs on the cover, too! And I want to reiterate what a fun, engrossing, educational book this is. But here's a friendly warning: you will need a highlighter unless you like to take notes - so much of Annie's words are gems to remember.
Now I am waiting for a play-by-play manual, a workbook!
*perhaps more than one copy editor was used or, if one, they were interrupted mid-chapter.
In a Word - Wow! The best book I have read in several years!
I have been known to start writing a book review before finishing the book and even to suggest the Book of the Year very early in the year - but only for exceptional books. This is one such book!
A non-fiction, how-to book that reads like a story and keeps you enthralled, a book you hate to put down.
A book I used up an entire yellow highlighter on!
I knew, after reading the Introduction, that I would love this book! (How many readers read the Introduction, or the Acknowledgements or the Preface, other than book reviewers like me?)
Author Annie Grossman of School for the Dogs. . .
makes the love, and the science, and the psychology of dog training easy to understand and use at home (she even takes a stab at explaining the difference between habituation and sensitization). And, she is an entertaining author to boot! But then, I should have realized that with her background as a journalist (I find books written by reporters and journalists to be, on the whole, excellent reads and when I find a book that I like, I love to read everything that person has authored - just like I tell my undergraduates to take every course from your favorite professor that you can because you will learn the most from them! But I digress.)
Who is Train Your Dog with Love and Science For?
Ah, this took me a while to figure out and what I came up with is that Train is a resource book plus a textbook for serious dog people and a book for dog-trainers-in-training to discuss amongst themselves and with their mentors. It would also make a great book for undergraduates in a behavioral psychology course. Educators will be able to easily transfer the principles to their classrooms as Ah-ha! moments.
Dear Reader, Take the Good Dog Training Pledge on page 283 and send it to Annie!
Grossman's personality and sense of humor shines through so much that I'll wager there are dog trainer wanna-be's out in Idaho that wish they could fly to New York City to apprentice under Grossman! I know I would, if I were a few years younger.
What Did I Like the Best?
I noticed some of my favorite words: homunculus, halcyon, Mobius strip, minions and others. I liked how the author defined terms that needed defining, right after using them in the beginning of a chapter. I like how she kept referring to future chapters when appropriate and referring to previous chapters as well. I love her sense of humor and how she makes science easy - and gives the reader the stories of scientists in little bites as well as some anecdotes from her own life. I like how, rare in a non-fiction book, this book transitions into the next chapter so well, to keep you reading - and often with humor!
Positive-Reinforcement Training - What's it All About?
Training should be fun and it can be easy if reward-based methods are used. Grossman makes it fun and easy, too, to learn this method and to apply it in other situations in daily life. Excellent teachers and parents already (unknowingly) use a lot of rewards and reinforcement.
What Would I Change?
Author Grossman clearly states in the Intro that there are four parts to her book but the table of contents does not clearly reflect this and the last part of the introduction clearly points out parts three and four only. I found a few typos in a couple of chapters* but on the whole, it was well edited.
My first thoughts that seven pages of pre-publication praise from leaders in the dog field was a bit much, even if I knew most of them but when I finally put the book down and reread those comments, I was a convert.
A Gem
I did eventually get used to the polka-dotted dogs on the cover, too! And I want to reiterate what a fun, engrossing, educational book this is. But here's a friendly warning: you will need a highlighter unless you like to take notes - so much of Annie's words are gems to remember.
Now I am waiting for a play-by-play manual, a workbook!
*perhaps more than one copy editor was used or, if one, they were interrupted mid-chapter.
October 9, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
Annie Grossman’s “How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science” is a refreshing and insightful guide that combines the latest in animal behavioral science with practical, compassionate training techniques. As the co-founder of the School For The Dogs, Grossman brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of canine behavior to this essential manual for dog owners.
Each chapter is filled with practical exercises and real-life examples that make the concepts easy to understand and apply.
“How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science” centers around the themes of empathy, patience, and the power of positive reinforcement. The book also highlights the importance of understanding your dog’s unique personality and needs, encouraging owners to tailor their training methods accordingly.
Her tone is warm and encouraging, reflecting her passion for animal welfare and her commitment to helping dog owners succeed. The inclusion of anecdotes and case studies adds a personal touch, making the book not only informative but also enjoyable to read.
“How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science” is a must-read for any dog owner looking to improve their training techniques and build a stronger bond with their pet. Annie Grossman provides a well-rounded, science-based approach that is both effective and humane. This book is a valuable resource for both new and experienced dog owners, offering insights that can lead to happier, healthier relationships with their canine companions.
Annie Grossman’s “How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science” is a testament to the power of positive reinforcement and the importance of understanding animal behavior. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to train their dog with kindness and scientific insight.
Annie Grossman’s “How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science” is a refreshing and insightful guide that combines the latest in animal behavioral science with practical, compassionate training techniques. As the co-founder of the School For The Dogs, Grossman brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of canine behavior to this essential manual for dog owners.
Each chapter is filled with practical exercises and real-life examples that make the concepts easy to understand and apply.
“How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science” centers around the themes of empathy, patience, and the power of positive reinforcement. The book also highlights the importance of understanding your dog’s unique personality and needs, encouraging owners to tailor their training methods accordingly.
Her tone is warm and encouraging, reflecting her passion for animal welfare and her commitment to helping dog owners succeed. The inclusion of anecdotes and case studies adds a personal touch, making the book not only informative but also enjoyable to read.
“How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science” is a must-read for any dog owner looking to improve their training techniques and build a stronger bond with their pet. Annie Grossman provides a well-rounded, science-based approach that is both effective and humane. This book is a valuable resource for both new and experienced dog owners, offering insights that can lead to happier, healthier relationships with their canine companions.
Annie Grossman’s “How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science” is a testament to the power of positive reinforcement and the importance of understanding animal behavior. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to train their dog with kindness and scientific insight.
December 24, 2024
I have invested a lot of time training my dogs—taking them to obedience classes, reading dog training books, watching online videos on how to train dogs, etc., so I was very interested in this book. I was hoping to gain new insight into how dogs think and interpret actions, the best way to teach him new things, and new and better ways to communicate with dogs in general. This book fell short in all of the above.
Everything before chapter 8 was a boring overview of how people used to train their dogs. Lots of examples of obviously dumb ways to treat dogs—not interesting or helpful in the least. And that was the majority of the book. Just poking holes into other people’s training methods without really giving a better way to train. There were several chapters dedicated to describing an episode of the Dog Whisperer and how his interpretation of what was going on was wrong. There was some other interpretations of the dog’s body language but no alternative suggestions on how the author would have trained the dog instead. What kind of trainer just badmouths other trainers and their methods? I found this very distasteful and disrespectful.
The actual dog training instructions given in this book are all very general and basic. This book mostly just criticized other people’s training and described useless, outdated techniques. A total waste of my time.
The best part about this audiobook was Eunice Wong, who narrated it.
I would have DNF’ed this one if I didn’t have to review it for NetGalley.
Everything before chapter 8 was a boring overview of how people used to train their dogs. Lots of examples of obviously dumb ways to treat dogs—not interesting or helpful in the least. And that was the majority of the book. Just poking holes into other people’s training methods without really giving a better way to train. There were several chapters dedicated to describing an episode of the Dog Whisperer and how his interpretation of what was going on was wrong. There was some other interpretations of the dog’s body language but no alternative suggestions on how the author would have trained the dog instead. What kind of trainer just badmouths other trainers and their methods? I found this very distasteful and disrespectful.
The actual dog training instructions given in this book are all very general and basic. This book mostly just criticized other people’s training and described useless, outdated techniques. A total waste of my time.
The best part about this audiobook was Eunice Wong, who narrated it.
I would have DNF’ed this one if I didn’t have to review it for NetGalley.
January 6, 2025
For those like me new to dog training, this is a very informative audio book. As well as teaching basic training techniques, it goes into the history, philosophy and development of modern dog training practice and is peppered with useful and often humorous anecdotes from the author’s own research or experiences. The author, an ex-journalist turned dog trainer, runs a dog training school in Manhattan so has seen all sorts of training problems, particularly those of urban dogs. The writing and narration were both excellent aimed at showing and supporting learning rather than telling the reader what works.
The training tips themselves are spread throughout the book, most in the latter half so you may be tempted to skip ahead if you’re eager to get on with training, but it’s worthwhile to go back and read the rest to understand the theory behind the way dogs are trained these days. How to teach your dog various behaviours is given in easy steps so you may also want to keep going back to review these as some would take a lot of time and patience to achieve (and a lot of treats!). For someone like me who just wants a dog that obeys basic commands and can walk nicely on a loose lead, I also found it useful for reinforcing basic strategies learnt at puppy obedience classes to work on with my over-exuberant cavoodle.
With thanks to Tantor Audio via Netgalley for a copy of the audio book
The training tips themselves are spread throughout the book, most in the latter half so you may be tempted to skip ahead if you’re eager to get on with training, but it’s worthwhile to go back and read the rest to understand the theory behind the way dogs are trained these days. How to teach your dog various behaviours is given in easy steps so you may also want to keep going back to review these as some would take a lot of time and patience to achieve (and a lot of treats!). For someone like me who just wants a dog that obeys basic commands and can walk nicely on a loose lead, I also found it useful for reinforcing basic strategies learnt at puppy obedience classes to work on with my over-exuberant cavoodle.
With thanks to Tantor Audio via Netgalley for a copy of the audio book
September 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science by Annie Grossman was a fantastic read, accessible, thoughtful, and grounded in science. What I loved most was how digestible it was for readers at any level of dog training knowledge. Whether you’re brand new to training or someone fascinated by animal behaviour, this book has value.
As someone who works with behavioural animals and uses counter conditioning to help them through their fears, I really appreciated the clear focus on positive reinforcement. The book touches on aversive training methods only to explain why they aren’t effective or ethical, which I found refreshing. Grossman, a certified dog trainer, is also refreshingly real in acknowledging that none of us are perfect, training is a process, and just like our dogs, we’re always learning and growing.
I especially enjoyed the sections on shaping and came away with plenty of fun new ideas. (Side note: I already clicker train and do agility with my cat, Opie, and this book gave me even more inspiration for working with him!)
I highly recommend this one to any pet parent. It’s science based, approachable, and packed with insights that will improve not just your dog’s training but your relationship with them.
How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science by Annie Grossman was a fantastic read, accessible, thoughtful, and grounded in science. What I loved most was how digestible it was for readers at any level of dog training knowledge. Whether you’re brand new to training or someone fascinated by animal behaviour, this book has value.
As someone who works with behavioural animals and uses counter conditioning to help them through their fears, I really appreciated the clear focus on positive reinforcement. The book touches on aversive training methods only to explain why they aren’t effective or ethical, which I found refreshing. Grossman, a certified dog trainer, is also refreshingly real in acknowledging that none of us are perfect, training is a process, and just like our dogs, we’re always learning and growing.
I especially enjoyed the sections on shaping and came away with plenty of fun new ideas. (Side note: I already clicker train and do agility with my cat, Opie, and this book gave me even more inspiration for working with him!)
I highly recommend this one to any pet parent. It’s science based, approachable, and packed with insights that will improve not just your dog’s training but your relationship with them.
October 4, 2024
I found this book to be a great resource for someone that wants to get into dog training and doesn't know where to begin or generally, doesn't know a lot about this topic. The book is not talking about ethology, physiology, but instead they tell you about types of learning, clicker training, habituation, about Pavlov and Skinner, all without using scientific or hard to understand terms. One of my favorites was the table about stress, that are organized by intensity.
Another thing I liked that it talked about the common misconceptions about training (especially the ones presented on TV in many shows.
What didn't sit right to me as that they spend a lot of time talking about what's not okay, compared to the part where it actually explains how you should train your dog in a good and safe manner.
I actually talked with a friend that's a dog behavior specialist about the ideas presented in this book, and she told me that they are very good ideas.
So that's for me a 4.5/5 stars rounded up
Disclaimer: I received a free e-book copy in exchange for my honest opinion
Another thing I liked that it talked about the common misconceptions about training (especially the ones presented on TV in many shows.
What didn't sit right to me as that they spend a lot of time talking about what's not okay, compared to the part where it actually explains how you should train your dog in a good and safe manner.
I actually talked with a friend that's a dog behavior specialist about the ideas presented in this book, and she told me that they are very good ideas.
So that's for me a 4.5/5 stars rounded up
Disclaimer: I received a free e-book copy in exchange for my honest opinion
May 12, 2025
Looking for a guide to train your dog? Or perhaps to establish a better understanding of your furry companion? Look no further than Annie Grossman’s How to Train Your Dog with Love & Science. By illuminating the inefficacies of the outdated dominance-based dog training methods, Grossman presents a compelling humane alternative, empowering readers to improve their relationships with their dogs.
Using an anecdotal style, this guide uniquely presents her past experiences as a dog trainer, making this quite the entertaining read. I appreciated her emphasis on looking at the world from your dog’s perspective, because sometimes we forget that the world is a scary place for them. Though our dog is now 3, I feel confident about implementing her methods to train him with love and positivity.
Using an anecdotal style, this guide uniquely presents her past experiences as a dog trainer, making this quite the entertaining read. I appreciated her emphasis on looking at the world from your dog’s perspective, because sometimes we forget that the world is a scary place for them. Though our dog is now 3, I feel confident about implementing her methods to train him with love and positivity.
September 11, 2024
Full disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book.
''How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training'' is one of the best books I've read on how to train your dog while building a positive relationship with them. Annie mixes science, anecdotes, and exercises in a way that keeps you engaged and demonstrates how you can use science to not just improve your pet's behavior but truly understand them.
''How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training'' is one of the best books I've read on how to train your dog while building a positive relationship with them. Annie mixes science, anecdotes, and exercises in a way that keeps you engaged and demonstrates how you can use science to not just improve your pet's behavior but truly understand them.
November 4, 2024
Annie Grossman’s dog training philosophy is all about positive reinforcement and how it’s possible to train your dog without coercion. She uses rewards to train dogs young and old.
We have a 6-month-old puppy, so the book was helpful.
I enjoyed the narrator as her pace and delivery were easy to listen to.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #HowtoTrainYourDogwithLoveScience
We have a 6-month-old puppy, so the book was helpful.
I enjoyed the narrator as her pace and delivery were easy to listen to.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #HowtoTrainYourDogwithLoveScience
February 28, 2025
Honestly, I DNF’d at 53%. If you’ve never trained/worked with dogs, I feel like this would be a good intro for relativity and will ease you into it. I did enjoy the inclusion of the scientific studies.
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