Connie’s Book Club - Summer 2013

(Ten Speed Press, 2013) Two thumbs up for Victoria Stilwell’s new book, Train Your Dog Positively. In it Stilwell, one of the world’s most recognized and respected dog trainers and host of Animal Planet’s TV series It’s Me or the Dog, shows us how we can use scientifically proven, force-free, positive reinforcement to change the way our dogs think, feel, and learn, encouraging them to want to behave. Alpha-based, negative reinforcement methods, such as physical punishment (think leash yanking, or making a dog submit by rolling him on his back), are psychologically damaging for the dog and have potentially dangerous consequences for owners. Today’s most effective dog training theories confirm that reinforcing good behaviour with rewards (praise, food, or toys) while using constructive discipline (like time-outs or vocal sounds) is not only a more successful training tool but also a more humane way of communicating with canine companions. Even the most difficult dogs can be rehabilitated using these gentle methods. Stilwell’s tips, tricks, and advice for understanding canine language, harnessing the power of reward-based training, and tapping into dogs’ natural instincts will demonstrate there are no hopeless cases. Train Your Dog Positively tackles: jumping up; running away; mouthing and chewing; excessive barking; leash pulling; stealing; food guarding; compulsive pacing or licking; poop eating; aggression; submissive urination; scent marking; separation anxiety; thunderstorm phobia—and more—providing not only a teaching handbook but a set of guiding principles to enrich your relationship with your dog, building trust and a lasting foundation for a happy, confident, and well-behaved dog.—CW

(Penguin, 2013) Journalist Halpern has created a terrific, bighearted book that anyone interested in the human-dog bond cannot fail to be delighted by. A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home is her moving account of her efforts to turn her energetic, adolescent, leash-rebellious country dog, Pransky, into an obedient and calm therapy aid. An accomplished author, Halpern puts to use her varied life experiences, from working in prisons and hospitals to completing her doctorate at Oxford, to beautifully describe and reflect upon the duos experiences as a therapy dog team in a public nursing home. Pransky turns out to excel in this environment and opens Halpern to new experiences and a world of compassion, warmth, and humour. Honest and touching, this book illuminates the lessons owners and dogs teach each other, as well as the transformative nature of acts of kindness—and not just for the recipient. Thoughtful, inspiring, and often joyous, A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home is, at heart, about nothing less than what it is to be human, hopefully with a good dog by your side.—AT