The Culture Clash

by Jean Donaldson

Jean Donaldson Offers an Exciting New Perspective on the age-old relationship between mankind and dogs. Her work with her own dogs and those of her clients, combined with her research and her study with other canine behaviorists has led her to the realisation that, in all likelihood, dogs learn exclusively through operant and classical conditioning. Donaldson demonstrates that the all-too-common anthropomorphic misconceptions about dogs and dog behavior are not limited to exaggerations concerning canine intelligence. Many people feel a deep disappointment when they discover the need for heavy artillery -- i.e., food and other primary reinforcers -- to train their dogs. Donaldson counters this with her eloquent conviction that it's time for us to rid ourselves of the belief that dogs are capable of experiencing a desire to please. Generations of completely and utterly normal dogs have been branded as canine misfits simply because they require actual motivation.

Aggressive Behavior in Domestic Dogs is a vital issue that has long needed to be brought out into the open. Donaldson's work with the rehabilitation of aggressive domestic dogs has brought her to the understanding that there are not two kinds of dogs: nice dogs who would never bite and vicious dogs who do. Instead, she contends that biting is natural, normal dog behavior. Aggressive behavior within a community of dogs does not fracture relationships; it's all taken very much in stride, much as we humans accept the occasional exchange of heated words. Problems arise when dog rules and standards conflict with human values. The upshot is that biting dogs, instead of being rehabilitated to fit into human culture, are summarily put to death. That's quite the culture clash.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals, Psychology, Science, Audiobook, Reference

Audiobook

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is probably one of the best dog training books out there. It's the only book that I've found that really, truly, describes the positive reinforcement (+R) method which in a nutshell involves ignoring unwanted behavior and rewarding good behavior.

Why only three stars? This vitriolic book is hard to read. The author is apparently so fed up with owners who don't have a clue that she rarely holds back any opportunity to disparage any and all owners. The book drips in hatred for the mistakes made by average dog owners.

And I found a couple of huge mistakes. In particular, she talks about how dogs know when they've done something bad. She describes a boxer tearing apart the furniture when the owner is gone, and then cowering when the owner returns. She doesn't mention that if the owner was an incredible actor and made no reaction upon seeing the mess, that the dog would probably have no reaction - the point she missed here is how well dogs read just a flicker of our emotions. That boxer had no idea the owner was upset about the mess he'd made. He just knew the owner was upset from the instant she saw the mess. Had the place been pitch-black, the owner and dog would have greeted one another without incident. It bothers me that an "expert" like Donaldson would so completely misread something that I see clearly as an amateur.

I feel I have to get my complaint about Donaldson in since she spends so much time yelling at average folk.

Beyond that, if you really want to understand complex aspects of +R training, this is your book. Unfortunately, it won't go into the detail you'll want. For instance, you'll feel like a real dummy if you follow the section on avoiding "counter surfing" and still can't keep your dog from grabbing food off the counter.

Donaldson lives alone with her dog. She doesn't understand the complex nature of family life. She doesn't explain the one down side of +R training: that when we share our dog's living quarters (unlike zoo animals in which +R training is often used and the animals are already living in a safe, enclosed environment) so ignoring unwanted behavior is just not always easy or practical. Her ideas for approaching specific training and behavior problems are usually pretty thinly described.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe Jean Donaldson is a genius. I went to the Pawlitically Incorrect Dog Symposium at Marin Humane Society in 2002 and I was blown away by her! There was a segment where they took some of the shelter dogs that had specific behavior problems, and then they had 4 dog trainers that each use a different technique. There was one lady who taught guide dogs for the blind, and another guy who taught police dogs, and Jean. Well, there was this one chow mix that kept pulling on the leash and choking itself whenever anyone would try to walk it. Each of the trainers went up there and the police guy was jerking the poor dog around, the guide dog lady said that first she had to "bond" with the dog and sat there petting it for 5 minutes, but no one could get the dog to walk properly on the leash! So Jean was last and what she did was put a pile of treats on the ground about 15 feet away. Then with the dog on the leash, she started forward towards the food and each time the dog went ahead of her she said "too bad" and went back to the starting line. Well, after about 4-5 tries, the dog walked perfectly next to her until he got to the treats (and then she let him eat the whole mountain of treats). That doesn't have anything specifically to do with the book, but it's just an example of her understanding of how a dog's mind works. I truly believe everything she says in this book. It is probably hard for most dog "owners" to grasp, but if you are one of those people, you probably wouldn't be reading this book in the first place. Anyway, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting book. The basic premise is to stop anthropomorphizing dogs; don't believe the Disney fantasy of dogs who think like us and live to serve us. Just because they are supremely selfish doesn't make them any less enjoyable as companions. But understanding that will make you a better trainer and a happier family. Favorite quotes:

Dogs are not space intensive, they are time intensive. Given a choice between your time and a yard, virtually every dog on this earth will opt for more time hanging out with living beings.

It's all chew toys to them... virtually all natural dog behaviors - chewing, barking, rough play, chasing moving objects, eating any available food item within reach, jumping up and pawing to greet, settling minor disputes with threat displays, establishing contact with strange dogs, guarding resources, leaning into steady pressure against their chests or necks, urinating on porous surfaces like carpets, defending themselves against perceived threat - are all considered by humans to be behavior problems. The rules which seem so obvious to us make absolutely no sense to dogs. They are not humans in dog suits.

Because behavior is under the control of its consequences, obedience training is about providing consequences to the dog. Life is a never-ending series of "if you do this, this happens; if you do that, another thing happens." There are two kinds of things that happen in life, good things and bad things, so there are four kinds of consequences: good stuff can (1) start and (2) end. Bad stuff can (1) start and (2) end. Your dog is constantly trying to start the good stuff, end the bad stuff, avoid ending the good stuff and avoid starting the bad stuff. He's playing his entire environment, including you, his owner, this way. If you, the owner, can recognize this and exploit it, volia!

[Luxorien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good overall. The most common criticisms of this book are the tone and the organization. They are legitimate criticisms. The author is extremely sharptongued when it comes to dominance theory and anthropomorphizing. I personally find her derision amusing rather than insulting, but I concede that the tone isn't for everyone. I do appreciate someone who speaks bluntly and honestly rather than dancing around strong opinions, but I can see some readers being turned off by this. Personally, I found myself laughing at the just-so explanations I'd concocted for my dog's behavior, when the real explanation is probably a lot simpler.

The book (as far as I can tell) has no index. Also, if you want information on a specific topic, you often have to look in several different places. Explanations of learning theory and specific instructions for training common behaviors are often intermingled. I solved this problem by bookmarking.

What I like most about this book is the merging of practical step-by-step instruction with explanations of why the steps work. The author explains it in simple, scientific terms. And she doesn't just give recipes for specific behaviors; she explains why those recipes work so that you can train literally any behavior using a similar method. It's not an in-depth technical manual on operant conditioning, but it does give a general overview of how an animal learns. This is extremely helpful when you're trying to crack a problem behavior with your dog, or train him to do something complicated.

A good example of this is one explanation of why dogs sometimes seem to "know" a command and then suddenly stop obeying it. We might say the command and then immediately prompt the dog in some way, taking advantage of instinctual behaviors. So we say "come" and then bend down and make inviting noises. The dog is naturally inclined (at least as a puppy) to come when we clap our hands or makes kissy sounds. That doesn't mean he's learned what "come" means. We assume he does, and then expect him to come when we say the word and label him stubborn if he doesn't obey. In reality, he's never made the connection. The author describes a process called "fading the prompt" (the prompt being the kissy noises or clapping or whatever gets the dog to instinctively come). You have to give the dog a chance to start coming without the prompt. You wait a few seconds and see if he gets it, even by accident. If he doesn't get it, then you prompt. Do this enough times, and eventually he'll connect the dots (if you're reinforcing properly, that is).

Another example: generalization versus discrimination. We think the dog "knows" a command because he does it at home. Take him to the park and try to get him to do it and he looks at you like you've got nine heads. The fascinating thing about this is that it's not a problem - it's a feature. Dogs are so good at discriminating, at figuring out what is different this time, that they don't necessarily generalize what they've learned to new locations. As soon as you introduce a variable like location, as far as the dog is concerned this is a completely new circumstance that could require new behaviors. It's what makes it possible to train them in the first place: they notice what is new. But it also means that if you want them to always sit when you say sit, you have to practice in multiple locations and be willing to sort of "retrain" for each location, until the dog understands that this cue applies everywhere.

I could go on, which is why I think the book is worth buying. Basically, the information in here takes a lot of the frustration and stress out of training by making the dog's behaviors explicable and thus mutable.

[Laurie (barksbooks)]

I'm marking this one DNF because I just can't bring myself to keep reading or to keep interested right now. I also adopted a puppy and, dare I say this aloud, who is so EASY it's unbelievable to me. I've always had nutty labs and retrievers who took years to settle down. My new little guy moved in, learned the routine and housemanners in only 2 weeks. I still can't believe my luck. He's cute and perfect too. I never get this lucky ;)



So, for now at least, I'm putting this book aside because I'm not having any of the sorts of problems she describes in this book (mainly aggression issues) and am training him positively. I'll keep it around for a bit just in case something crops up but the technical language makes it more of a reference book than a pleasure read and I don't like the way she takes shots at clueless owners constantly. I preferred her book "Mine" much better. Possibly because it was shorter?

[Debi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author is just so negative I am having to stop reading the book half-way through. She writes as though she thinks most (99%) humans are irresponsible morons. She scolds and complains continually throughout every chapter. Here and there she says something interesting about a training technique but those rare bits are simply not worth plowing through her insults.

The book might be useful for a first time dog owner with a puppy. Most of the training comments are directed towards small puppies. According to this book, any dog with a discipline problem who is older than a few months has simply missed their "window" of easy trainability. Training might still be possible, but it won't be easy. So...a new time owner with a puppy might find this book somewhat useful though the negative vibes and thinly disguised anger towards most dog owners would still be off-putting for me.

[Diana]

Interesting read, but would rate between 2.5-3★
It presents innovative ideas about training and wrong concepts as dominance, also offers ways to train your dog (hence the 3★) but sometimes it gets tedious-ish with all the specific wording and the way in which is written (hence the 2.5★)

[Teo Ekstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm torn about this book.

I don't think it was organized in a meaningful way. The chapters had sort of vague titles, and the contents within did not necessarily hew tightly to their heading. The book is often fairly dry and technical, requiring two or three re-reads to begin to untangle what the author is talking about. In many ways, it reads like a 200-page rant.

However, it is a 200-page rant by a very informed, thoughtful, funny author. It reads a little like the Economist--the jokes pass you by if you aren't paying attention, but when you catch them you laugh aloud. The book covers a huge variety of training-related subjects, but does it in a consistent way that helps instill in you an understanding of how dogs think, and why they do what they do. The details are window dressing. What is important in this book is the idea that dogs are amoral animals who understand the world in terms of things they like, and things they do not like. A clever trainer will shape the dog's world in a way that positive behavior (sitting to say hello, returning upon command) yields treats, pets, and chances to play, and negative behavior (pawing, growling, peeing indoors) produces either no result or an aversive outcome.

I would recommend this book to someone who has read a few books about dogs, but is looking a wholistic philosophy. I would not recommend this book to someone who is just sort of vaguely interested in pups.

[Scarlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred Donaldson's shorter manuals (Mine! and Fight!), but this is pretty good too. It does a good job of introducing a more modern and well-researched take on dog behavior and training and has throws some vicious hits to dominance-based training. However, I found the training advice just very disorganized and messy to follow.

[Gitty Mandel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the way Donaldson made a strong position against unethical training which could be applied today but did not like the outdated advice she gives which itself could be considered unethical.

[Euan Mowat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful for dealing with a dingbat

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow.

If you want to learn how other people have studied dogs, this may be a great book for you.

But if you want to UNDERSTAND dogs—how & why they behave as they do, how to predict them, and how greatly influenced they are by their environment (the main element of a dog's environment being YOU)—and if you want to learn how to work WITH a dog's nature rather than get a dog to learn human behavior, then skip this book.

This book barely mentions exercising one's dog.
I recommend to my clients 3-3.5 miles of leash walking their dogs every day. Daily leash walking provides these incredible benefits:
1) It expends a dog's energy in a constructive fashion.
2) It gives you more time to bond with your dog — for you to get to know him better and for him to get to know you better.
3) The leash is a constant reminder of which of you is in charge of the walk. Is it you or your dog?
4) It gives you endless opportunities to teach your dog. For instance, you can teach him how to automatically stop when you come to the end of the sidewalk, or teach him to ignore other dogs barking at him from across the street, or teach him how to calmly greet other dogs and people.

This book tangentially mentions the emotional/mental/psychological relationship between owner/handler and dog, but misses so many opportunities to tell dog owners how their own emotions and moods impact their dogs which affects their dogs' behavior. (Picture an anxious person with an anxious dog... Now picture a calm person with that same anxious dog... You'd see a distinct difference in the dog because the dogs are affected by the emotional energy of the person handling them.)

There's almost no mention of one of the best FREE classrooms out there: the dog park. Whether you take your dog to a dog park or not, simply by standing outside a dog park and observing all the dogs interacting, you can learn a TON about dog behavior.

This author talks a lot about more about Science than she does about Nature. Science is for us humans, but dogs exist in Nature — no certificates, or degrees, or fancy-sounding jargon, or any spoken words for that matter. All that is for us and dogs don't care one bit about any of that. Nature allows us to not only study but to understand and engage with dogs on their terms. Learning how to 'Speak Dog' is much more effective than trying to get dogs to understand English (or any other human verbal language).

If the point of this book is merely for the author to share her "revolutionary" way of how she prefers to work with dogs...Great! I'd say she accomplished that.

But if you want to learn about dogs, to understand dogs and how to improve your relationship with your dog, I think you'd be wasting your time with this book.

[Jasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not only a great guide about how to train dogs, but it is also very insightful about dog behavior. What I liked about this book is that she doesn't just tell you how to do things, but she gives very good reasons as to why. Because of this, I can't imagine training dogs in any other way besides positive reinforcement; positive reinforcement just makes so much sense. She explains all her training techniques from the perspective of the dog. She emphasizes that dogs and humans are very different, and not surprisingly have unique ways of learning. Nonetheless, people insist on teaching them as though they are human. After reading this book, even if I didn't have a copy handy, I would feel more confident in training a dog because I would be able to think about what I am trying to teach the dog, and what would be the best way to motivate the dog to achieve that goal. While it is nice that she spends so much time emphasizing the differences between our species' cultures, I gave this book only 4/5 stars because she can be quite harsh and sometimes I felt as though she was yelling at the reader. She has obviously lost her tolerance for people who are not sympathetic to the dogs' way of perceiving the world, which is fine, but I often wished she used a more gentle tone.

[Babble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Jean Donaldson pulls no punches with her views about the use of aversive dog training - she thinks its inhumane, unnecessary and shouldn't happen. I agree. She makes a significant effort to lead her readers to better understanding of dog behaviour and motivation and to dispel the "Disney Land" dog fantasies so many dog owners have; dogs exist to please us, are intelligent (like humans) and moral (understand the difference between right and wrong). Jean makes it clear that dogs are motivated by making nicer, better things happen for themselves, more often. More good stuff (food, chew toys, walks, games) less bad stuff (scolding, containment, isolation etc).

The downside to the book is that she uses a lot of behaviourist theory and language and that could be hard reading for a lay reader (I use behaviourism in my work so it was no biggie for me). All that said, if you can persevere with the science and terminology this is a great book, a must for all dog lovers, whether your pup is trained or not!

[Kate Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this book, with about 15 years in between. I learned so much more the second time, as a more experienced dog owner. There is so much valuable information on positive training and rewards based training and forgoes (and way pre-dates) the antiquated Cesar Milan philosophy of bullying your dog into what you want them to do. Sure, it takes more patience and time but the end result is a better relationship with your dog and a happier one. This should be required reading for anyone who brings a dog into their life.

[Charlotte Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource that should be in every trainer / behaviorist's library.

[Chris Chinchilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally, the book doesn't seem to understand what it is: academic treatise or practical how-to? Chapter 1 is a bulky set of observations, arguments, and premises. Chapter 2 continues with these items, then suddenly switches to how to get your dog to engage with chew toys. The chapters often begin with academic ideas, then suddenly switch to how-to. As the book continues, the ideas thin out and become repetitive until, by the last chapter, Chapter 6, academics are gone entirely, and the chapter suddenly becomes a lengthy how-to about sit, down, stay, and heel--things that seem like they ought to be at the front of the book. The book ends with brief, abrupt advice to spay or neuter your pets, without any other closing.

All that said, the premise--"dogs are completely and innocently selfish" and should not be looked upon as willfully disobedient--is vital to understand and makes reading worthwhile. The how-to sections are helpful, too, and I plan to return to them and put them into practice soon. Doing so presents another obstacle, though, because the book is not user-friendly: If I come back and look for "that section about chew toys," I'm going to have to flip through pages, skimming academic paragraphs, until, hopefully, I catch the part where the book starts talking about chew toys. In other words, the book isn't structured into user-friendly chunks like "How to Incorporate Chew Toys," "How to Teach Sit-Stay," etc. The book seems to be trying to be all things to all people--a treatise for academics, a how-to for practical readers, and, seemingly most importantly, a place for the author to vent her frustrations about the world to the world.

On that note, be careful: she will scold you a lot because unless you're not only a compassionate but also a PROFESSIONAL dog handler willing to spend about 20 hours a week walking, grooming, training, and hand-feeding your dog, you're already wholly mistreating your dog. If Miss Donaldson intends to produce a third edition, she might first benefit from reading Dale Carnegie's *How to Win Friends & Influence People* and incorporating its advice into the voice and tone of her book.

[Michelle Formato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of the curriculum for a dog training apprenticeship program.

This is an excellent book for anyone who just got a puppy. Donaldson does a great job at dismissing outdated and inferior training methods while providing proper explanations and alternatives. She goes over many different training exercises which are essential to having a well behaved dog and explains how to go about them without losing the dog's interest and/or your patience.

I do wish she spent more time talking about rehabilitating older dogs (such as rescues or just untrained adults) but considering many people get a dog as a puppy this is still a great book.

I also wish her final note, to get a dog neutered/spayed wasn't just dropped in one sentence on the last page but instead giving more space and explanation why. She spent the rest of the dog going over in great detail how to have a well-behaved dog but barely touched on de-sexing. If this is someone's only book with dog training I can see how having little explanation on that point would not be enough to sway then towards the procedure.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all the dog training books I’ve read for positive reinforcement training, this has been the most clear cut and easy to read. It also has helpful ways to build on obedience skills as your dog progresses.

[Viktor Lototskyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very dense and practical book on positive reinforcement training.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable intro to dog behavior, positive reinforcement learning theory, and mistakes owners make in communicating with their dogs. Lots of clear examples and really specific training routines. I’d really recommend this.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson is an excellent, short book on dog behavior and training. I appreciate Donaldson's emphasis on the fact that dogs are animals, not anthropomorphic beings that understand human's sense of right and wrong! Dogs understand safe and dangerous in scenario-based experiences. My only feedback is that I wish this book had been organized differently, I found the structural layout of information to be a bit confusing. Overall, I'd recommend this to any new dog owner or anyone planning to adopt a pup!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. It quite clearly lays out the basics of dog "culture," behavior, learning, and training. The tone was pretty conversational and easy to understand. Concepts (or rather, truths) were well-explained, and I think most beginners would be able to digest the material in this. The realities of dog behavior and learning that Donaldson outlines are essential and groundbreaking for the way people understand and work with dogs. I also loved her approach of normalizing normal dog behavior (while also providing training skills to manipulate the behavior to suit human culture). Fantastic! That being said, there were a couple teachings that I disagree with, though: throwing extreme, verbal temper tantrums in front of the dog and the belief that comforting and giving attention to a frightened dog is incorrect/will reinforce the behavior. It should also be noted that while Jean Donaldson is very much an advocate for positive reinforcement training, punishment is discussed in this book: how to use it effectively, in what cases and why it works, and instances when she might suggest its use as an option or be less against its use. I am fine with explaining punishment as it relates to training and behavior; it is, after all, a way to manipulate behavior. However, I wish she was more staunchly against its use in all circumstances. Finally, as another reviewer mentioned, Donaldson talks down naive, uneducated dog owners in the book. I found this to be a turn-off, especially since I once was one of those naive, uneducated dog owners. If someone in that phase of life picked up this book, Donaldson's tone and language against them might make the person put down the book (though it is true that naive, uneducated dog owners do cause a lot of problems for dogs and the community). In sum, even though I had a few qualms about the book, overall I found this to be a useful, well-written guide.

[Mary Nelsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Culture Crash was originally published in 1996 the ideas in it were so new and revolutionary at that time that Jean Donaldson remains a leading thinker in the dog training world and this book has become a classic. Sadly, many of the abusive training methods she argues against (ear pinching, choke collars, and shock collars) can still be found in dog training schools today - also, many owners still believe in the Walt Disney dog; intelligent, moral, capable of revenge and planning, a problem solver and understanding the value of his owner's belongings. Rather, Donaldson recommends we realize our canine companions are hard wired to eat, chew, chase, urinate and be with their people and other dogs and they respond or learn from consequences, a la BF Skinner. Sadly true that socialization of a puppy between 3-5 months of age sets the stage for a mentally healthy and socially adept dog. During this re-read to get some ideas for a new rescue dog with a lot of fears and baggage I particularly liked the section on rehab of fearful and aggressive dogs and the bite threshold model Donaldson diagrams. Also, chapter 4 starts with a really interesting (and instructional) story about an imaginary world where humans are kept as companion animals to a higher species who are as clueless about us as we are about dogs. Even if you don't end up using all of the many obedience training tips and techniques this book will still provide a ton of ideas to help make your life with dogs more enjoyable.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time deciding how many stars to give this book. Overall it's not an entertaining book, it reads rather like an instruction manual. And I think my dislike of that comes from this book being different than what I expected.
However, I will say that this book is a wonderful resource for dog owners. The reasons why dogs should be trained a certain way is explained, as well as rationals given for doggie behavior that many of us might find disagreeable. The author in no way anthropomorphizes canines, but tries to explain why certain behaviors makes sense from a dog's perspective.
If you are a new dog owner, having behavioral issues with your dog, or you just want to better understand your canine friend, then I highly recommend picking this book up. Good training advice is given, more experienced owners may use this book as a reference for their own dog training. However, if you are a newbie you probably want to look into a dog obedience class or a professional trainer. This book can help you to understand what your trainer is doing, and to pick out a good trainer who uses appropriate methods.
As someone with a degree in psychology and an interest in animal behavior, I would highly recommend this book to all dog owners. It is extremely frustrating to see owners punish their dogs for behaviors only humans would see as rude, inconsistent reinforcement of behavior, and insistence to ignore "bad" behaviors that could be corrected so that both dog and human could coexist more peacefully.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is BRILLIANT! I have read my share of dog training books and have gone to several dog training classes with different training styles, and my personal opinion is that Jean Donaldson is a genius. In her other book, "Train Your Dog Like a Pro" (comes with a 2.5hr training video), I was able to train my Golden Retriever puppy rock solid sits, downs, stays, recalls. Her method works. Before reading "The Culture Clash", I was missing information, like not fully understanding why my dog does certain behaviours and what my dogs needs to succeed as a confident and obedient dog. The Culture Clash has it all: how dogs learn, the natural behaviours of dogs, socialization importance, dog behaviour issues, and lastly amazing instructions on how to train for obedience.
This one was a tough read at first. When I first picked it up to excitedly devour "The Culture Clash", I was hugely disappointed. She does use college-level words and her advice is mixed in everywhere, so you have to read her wisdom while getting bits of training tips here and there. I was hoping for clear organization of the book, which this doesn't have, but I soon came to realize, the wisdom is on every single page of the book so I needed to read this first as a novel: front to back (no skipping ahead!). And then tape-flag the training bits and go back to them when I needed to apply the training advice.
If you have a dog, or planning on it, please read this one. It's the intelligent way to train, without physical punishment or aversive force.

[Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro para aquellos que quieren iniciarse en el adiestramiento canino. El libro tiene partes interesantes en cuanto a la psicología canina y cómo debemos afrontar este choque de culturas entre cómo vemos el mundo perros y humanos. Sin embargo, por momentos se hace muy árida la lectura, casi como un libro de texto, con una sucesión de ejercicios, comandos y situaciones para adiestrar a nuestro perro con una jerga que en ocasiones cuesta seguir.

Es más un libro de consulta o mini enciclopedia para releer y analizar aspectos concretos que una lectura para realizar de forma continua. El hecho de que se recurra poco a ejemplos, anécdotas o situaciones reales del autor con sus perros tampoco ayuda a generar fluidez en la lectura.

Pese a esta dureza y densidad de información, resulta una herramienta muy útil como lo que es, un manual para iniciarse en el adiestramiento de una forma respetuosa y positiva con nuestro compañero de cuatro patas.

[Nidhi Srivastava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like a different person after reading this book. Different trainer. I feel like my training has definitely been impacted...in a good way!

[Asl4u · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the information feels dated and things got a little preachy here and there - but there was quite a bit that was worth the time of listening to - and a couple exercises I am going to go back into - in print and run through with my dog.
Good book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me parece un libro que todo tutor de perro debería leer por su abordaje claro y directo sobre nuestras diferencias como especie y los principales errores que comentemos en la interacción diaria con nuestras mascotas.