The Power of Positive Dog Training Paperback – January 1, 2001

If I would have been browsing for training books in a bookstore, I would never have gotten this book. Between the title and the back cover ("Access your power! Access your dog's power!") it sounds too New Age-y for my tastes.I bought this book because of the numerous recommendations I saw for it. Initially you'll think it's a small book (241 pages) but the font is small and there isn't a lot of picture/textbox filler. Pat Miller strikes a nice balance between making the writing engaging and fun but also informative without a lot of fluff.Despite what you may read in other reviews, she does not absolutely shun negative reinforcement/correction; early in her career, she was a "traditional" trainer but eventually came to believe strongly in focusing on postive reinforcement. She acknowledges that there are situations when you will need to correct a dog with negative consequences.Our dog is on the sensitive side, so these techniques have been working wonderfully with him. I had a dog when I was a child, but this is the first dog I've trained on my own. We're about to take Poncho to obedience classes (sponsored by the local Human Society/SPCA). The "syllabus" for these classes seems to be based on this book (case in point: "Sit Happens" is a chapter in the book and the name of a topic in the training class).Don't be put off by the new-agey appearance of this book; ultimately, it boils down to canine psychology, and Pat Miller is definitely an expert on this topic. This book lives up to the hype.

The Power of Positive Dog Training sounds like a book which should have been written by Tony Robbins and advertised on an info-mertial though it is a quality book.The training methods are based on studies done by behavioral scientist B.F. Skinner. Many college level psychology classes teach this material. It stresses training through operant conditioning which in a nutshell is rewarding good behaviors thereby increasing the likelihood of them being repeated.There are many references about these principles and training but this book is good because it is geared specifically towards training a dog and maps out a six week program for you to follow.Even though I believe in the principles I was skeptical that my new puppy would learn the exercises in the book during a short period of time. Much to my surprise I saw results within a day or so. Included in the training plan is a number of progressively harder exercises to teach your dog for each week. A description of exercise, instructions, and training tips are included for each.I highly recommend this book if you are interested in training a dog through the previously mentioned methods.

Pat Miller is a well-respected trainer who is known for training both owners and other trainers. She uses modern, gentle, scientifically proven methods, which is what you will find in this book. The book is well-written, and organized in a way that gives the average dog owner a good introduction to positive training. As a fellow author, I appreciate Pat's clear, specific instructions. As a fellow dog trainer, this is one of the books I recommend to my clients to read for additional guidance. Brava, Pat! - Nicole Wilde, author So You Want to be a Dog Trainer (2nd edition), Help for Your Fearful Dog: A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer His Fears and Energy Healing for Dogs: Using Hands-On Healing to Improve Canine Health and Behavior

The book turned out better than my expectation. I had just finished a PetSmart Dog Obedience class and I wanted to get a book to help me continue with my dog's training now that the class was over. I asked the instructor what book she recommended. She recommend Pat Miller's book because it was the basis of the training we learned in class. It has been excellent. It is easy to read and been exactly what I wanted. New commands are presented in short easy to understand sections and because it uses the same technigues (positive reenforcement) learned in class, my dachshund is learning them quickly. I highly recommend this book.

The intro is decent, and the explanations given of learning theory and dog behavior are spot on, but the training instructions aren't terrific.

I've read an awful lot of dog training books, since I aspire to be a dog trainer, and this is the best I've found yet. The lessons are concise and self-explanatory, the theory easy to grasp, and the problem solving section is a nice bonus to those having problems with one or more of the exercises. I highly recommend this book, whether to aspiring dog trainers like myself or those looking to train their pets.

Easy to read and reference. I was able to quickly implement the positive training approach and clicker training with my 3 dogs. It really works. This book has a good 6-week training section which is helpful for training at home and keeping your dogs on track. I read this along with "The Other End of the Leash" and "The Dog Listener" to better grasp why dogs do what they do, and how to effectively communicate and train them.

Based upon reviews I bought this and 101 Dog Tricks. Both are excellent and complement one another.Positive Dog Training explains the whys of positive dog training through the author's experiences. And goes into great details about the hows, including suggested weekly charts to help you plan the training for your dog.Dogs want to be good citizens in our worlds. These books show us how to help them to be so.

Haven't had a chance to read in great detail. Just briefly scanned through it and I can already tell it's a great book. I'm a recent dog trainer graduate and this will be very helpful when dealing with clients. Valuable purchase. It's also valuable for regular dog owners who want to learn more about their furry friend.

This book was very helpful and gave lots of advice in dealing with and training a very distressed rescue dog

Great service, book in good condition, excellent read, thank you.

You can't beat Pat Miller when it comes to practical and positive dog training tips. If you're looking to train basic behaviours or put a new spin on those behaviours to challenge your dog, this is a good read.