Pet Information > Others > Pet Articles > Clicking With Your Dog: Step-By-Step in Pictures (Book Review)

Clicking With Your Dog: Step-By-Step in Pictures (Book Review)

26 10:50:04

"Clicking with Your Dog" is one of those books I wish was around when I had my dog. The training concept here is simple, easy, and scientific. It is easy because of the use of a small clicker that makes a unique sound when pressed. It is scientific, because this type of training is based on "operant conditioning," a term coined by B.F. Skinner who was an experimental psychologist and a behaviorist.

Clicking is based on the reward system and the owner's friendly and positive relationship with his dog. The book can be used as a manual and a trainer can pick up from anywhere in the book to teach any one trick, after getting the dog used to receiving a reward with each click. Unlike the traditional correction-based training, the clicker training is based on common sense and respecting the dog's needs and character. Step-by-step illustrations explain the clicking process very clearly, and people who can't wait to start can begin immediately.

Whether you start with a dog that is still a puppy or a dog with already established behavior problems, the clicker training program gives fool-proof results, because the dogs become motivated and eager to learn. Through the use of the clicker, both the trainer and the dog have fun and they learn to bond with one another.

"Clicking with Your Dog" has ten chapters. The first chapter introduces the reader to clicking. Second chapter is the fast start chapter for the tools and the skills you and the dog will need. Third and fourth chapters are for teaching the dog good behavior and practical skills. Fifth chapter shows games and tricks for your dog to be useful. Sixth chapter is a review of the clicking process plus some extra tips and advice.

Seventh chapter is for teaching the dog to avoid disturbing or hurting people. Eighth chapter addresses the dog's needs and his bill of rights.

Ninth chapter is the glossary for the tips and terms of clicking. Tenth chapter directs the reader to other training resources, such as websites, books, videos, clicker training supplies and dog-related sites and associations.

Whether the author talks about understanding the dog food labels or helping the dog curb his unnecessary barking, her expression is direct, pleasant, and very understandable. It doesn't matter if the book is read from start to finish or by skipping around; the reader's comprehension will remain intact either way.

"Clicking With Your Dog: Step-By-Step in Pictures" is in paperback with an ISBN of 189094808X. The book is 209 pages with excellent, uncluttered drawings and an easy-to-read text.

The author, Peggy Larson Tillman, worked many years as an elementary school teacher. She discovered clicker training when she got her dog Charles. Then, she went on to teach classes to pet owners, developing her visual instructional material in the process. Peggy L. Tillman and her husband Barry Tillman are also pioneers in the science of ergonomics.

This very effective book with precise instructions and illustrations deserves a place at the top of most other dog training publications.