Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog

I really like Pat Miller and probably have all of her books and pamphlets. To me she has it all together and I like her method of training. I like that she appreciates her dog and says thank you! My dog loves her thank you and she knows that means she's done something very helpful. Of course like any training when the dog is misbehaving I know it's most likely MY problem, not the dogs. For some reason I've dropped the ball so to speak and gotten lazy about reinforcing appropriate behavior or was inconsistent. Training is NOT easy and it requires a lot of paying attention and following through. So, I do take responsibility for some of my dogs "issues". The reader that commented about the "bribing with treats" well yes, it could be treats or it could be play or it could be a toy... whatever it is that motivates YOUR dog.Bottom line in ALL of the obedience books - there is the author's "way" and there are multiple other authors who also believe they have the perfect approach to training. All I can say is none of them are 100% correct! What works for one dog won't work for another. You know your dog better than anyone else so YOU need to extrapolate what you need from various books and apply it to your dog. Good Luck!

I have had dogs all my life, and though I thought I knew dogs pretty well and how to train them, I learned a lot from this book. I recognized that some of my methods were out of date. I tried these new and improved methods on a new dog I just got who is 1.5 years old. It has been amazing how quickly our bond grew from these both sensible and respectful methods of teaching. I learned not to be quite so forceful with my new friend. I learned that being Alpha in the pack did not mean having to intimidate my dogs. I highly recommend it for those who are not getting the behaviors they want and need from their dog companions, and also, for those who are considering getting or just have added a new dog of any age to the family. Knowledge like this can really save many if not most of these beautiful and loving animals from being dumped at our shelters or elsewhere.

Knowledgeable author penned this informative book on using positive training to address the needs of new puppy and experienced dog owners alike. Lots of great examples for how to apply the skills in addition to well devolved and detailed opinion on important topics.

We recently adopted an adult dog who is incredibly timid. We know "normal" training with any negative re-enforcement would be a disaster for her. This book was fantastic. All the steps are positive and she has responded very well to it. I do think it takes a little longer to train with only positive re-enforcement, but the emotional benefits are fantastic. This book is not a substitute for taking your dog to a training class, but it is a fantastic resource to use at home. I particularly appreciated the sections on how dogs learn and interpret things. In particular, I found very valuable the advice that every moment you're with your dog is a training situation. If you are not actively training your dog, then your dog is actively training you. :)

I can't recommend Pat Miller's books highly enough. They're just wonderful!I adopted my first dog this year from the local animal shelter and needed some help with his training. It turns out he's practically a doggie genius (yes, I'm biased), which is great...except he's smart and sensitive enough to need to really need (not just deserve) positive reinforcement training. Within MINUTES (no hyperbole, no kidding) he was walking with me on a loose leash! We're still working on walking on a loose leash without treats every block, but he's doing GREAT!Reading Positive Perspectives is really helping me get a better understanding of my new family member. It's improved the dog-human relationships in my household already, and we've only worked on a fraction of the training opportunities from this book.Thank you, Pat, for all your good work on this book and with your organization Peaceable Paws!

In my opinion, this is one of the best starter book for raising a puppy, I wish I know about this book 3 months ago when we get our first ever puppy. I now know that we have spoiled the little guy and will need a much longer training to bring him back to true family pet.The reason it does not get a 5 stars is the book missing detail on some of the training technique or process. But overall, I recommand this to all new dog owners.

If you have a dog, you'll definitely want to buy Pat Miller's second book, Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog. And, be sure to buy several copies for your friends too, because they're going to want to borrow yours!Pat's on a mission to not only spread the word about positive dog training, but also to help you master it step by step. In her new book, you will find information you'll want to refer to over the course of your dog's lifetime. You'll find chapters that cover basic dog training such as "Living with Humans 101," to more complex behavioral issues such as "Don't Leave Me! Dealing With Separation Anxiety" and "Bite Me! Avoiding and Overcoming Aggression." Positive Perspectives is written in an easily understandable and thoroughly pleasurable way for the general public as well as professional dog trainers.Tara G. McLaughlin, CPDT, CDBCGoodDog! TrainingCharlottesville, VA

I work at an animal shelter, and have read a good many books on dog behavior and training. I really enjoyed reading this one, as it was easy to get through. Each topic is laid out well, and if you are looking for information on a specific subject, it is very easy to find. The layout makes it very user-friendly. Pat Miller is extremely knowledgeable and discusses the benefits of using rewards-based training methods in an understandable way. The training exercises are explained well, easy to follow, and fun for human and dog!

This book is amazing. A must have for any dog owner. Focus on positive training and incredible advice for all common dog situations! I love this book!