Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training

Great book, interesting read gives real insite in to world of positive and rewarding animal training and behavior

I was surprised when this book turned up. It was small, had no pictures and looked a bit boring...then I read it. And reread it. And then bought it for everyone I knew. This book taught me so much more than I would learn from a step by step guide to teaching your dog to sit and fetch. Once you understand the power of positive reinforcement and how to use it well (easy enough for a child to learn) you can apply it to any living thing: dog, human, horse, anything. Some of the terms used to describe disabled people are outdated and dolphin training is no longer in vogue (it was written in the 1980s) but this shouldn’t detract from the core brilliance of the book as a conceptual whole.

I haven’t read it all yet. It is different to what I expected but is interesting

Although it is now quite old this book is seminal to anyone interested in training dogs and it's content,observations and advice is as valid today as it was when first conceived. I found myself reading huge chunks out to anyone who would listen. It has so many applications beyond dogs and considers relationships between humans as well. Brilliant book well written. I have lent it out to so many people now who havs also enjoyed and learned much from it's content

Excellent book. Can't rate it high enough. Have read it once and am reading it again as there is such a lot to digest. It was recommended by my dog trainer as we have a very difficult year old labrador. Although I bought it to help me with him, the reasoning behind the positive reinforcement of the book spreads to any animal and human.It is not just a book for dogs, so don't be mislead by the title. I wish I had read it when bringing up the children. It really would have been so helpful. There are examples throughout of the book which lightens the read and really gets you thinking. By the way, have now been putting the ideas into to practise for two and a half weeks and I have already noticed a difference, so it does work.

When it comes to dealing with animals or humans I catch myself saying, I tried everything but nothing works to change this or that. This book opened my eyes. I realised I haven't tried everything, I haven't changed how I react to the things I don't like. This book is great, empowers you to take action and change some of your relationships for the better. This book has helped me to communicate with animals, my family and my colleagues better. Training is an extremely creative process. After reading this book, an undesired behaviour is an opportunity for me to correct it. I am happier and less frustrated.

I enjoyed reading this thought provoking book. It really helped me understand how to get to grips with training our puppy & also made me think about how I deal with other people & my children. I can't say I have been as effective as some of the examples in the book, but I get the concept. I keep this book by my bed & regularly re-read sections, which become clearer with use. This book is not specifically about training a dog - although there is a section for this, but rather it does make you understand how to get the best out of people & animals. I'm pleased I've read it & so is my dog as I don't bother to go OTT when telling her off - which makes both of us much happier.

I think the author is obviously intelligent and knowledgeable and I think what I have read will help reduce one of my JRT's barking (the other one doesn't have a barking problem, so I know that my methods thus far weren't entirely useless just not suited for the barker). Signs after one day of praising him periodically when he is quiet seems to be working, I never thought of doing that, only praising him for stopping barking. One thing shocked me though, the author wrote about a cat she'd had that kept peeing on the cooker hobs every night. The cat had access to the house and garden, presumably via a cat flap, yet the author stated she never caught the cat in the act and after nothing successfully stopped it happening she took the cat to be put to sleep. This put me off and so I didn't read any more of the book than I needed to after that. I found it surprising someone would openly admit they had a healthy animal put to sleep, as though it is an acceptable thing to do, instead of finding some way around the problem and also what struck me very quickly was that since she never caught her cat doing it then surely it was possible another cat was entering the cat flap and doing it. I found this appalling, so while she might know what she's talking about regarding training and discipline (excluding peeing cats) I find the situation with the cat very questionable.

I greatly enjoyed this book. The author's writing style was very good and she gave a lot of real life examples which put what she was talking about into perspective. I really recommend this book even if you don't own dogs.

An absolute MUST read for dog owners. It gives you a perspective in dealing with your dogs and even with human beings around. Simple techniques, if followed methodically shows clear results with behaviors as we would like them (shaped).

Dommage que ce livre n'existe pas en français car il est une vulgarisation dans le meilleur sens du terme de ce qu'est le behaviourisme. Il ne jargonne pas et présente les concepts clés sans toutefois s'arrêter là et rester dans le théorique. Karen Pryor a passé l'essentiel de sa carrière à approfondir, chercher et mettre en application les techniques d'apprentissage issues du behaviourisme ou comportementalisme. Elle est une des fondatrices de l'éducation comportementale bien connue des propriétaires de chiens mais également de parents qui utilisent l'ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis) utilisée pour traiter les TED (Troubles Envahissants du Développement)de leurs enfants. Karen Pryor était à la base biologiste. Elle s'est très vite intéressée aux dauphins et à leur capacité à apprendre. Je n'aime pas le terme dressage qui d'ailleurs n'existe pas dans ce texte, puisque Pryor utilise le terme 'training' et 'teaching' qui n'ont pas cette connotation si péjorative. Karen Pryor a été la première à apprendre aux dauphins, puis à toute sorte d'animaux à faire des tours, à sauter sur demande. Elle a donc travaillé, testé et donne ici le fruit de sa vie professionnelle, et de toute sa connaissance et sagesse. Car le behaviourisme change notre vision des autres de notre relation à autrui, de comment interagir tant avec les hommes que les animaux. Le behaviourisme vous apprend d'abord et avant tout, et vous fait comprendre que pour changer un comportement, il faut commencer par changer soi même. C'est l'un des enseignements de Karen Pryor dans cet ouvrage. Ainsi qu'elle l'écrit, tout dresseur d'animal fait le constat que vient un moment où il n'est plus possible de dire qui éduque qui du chien ou du maître. Ces techniques d'apprentissage fonctionnent avec tous les animaux évolués, et donc avec les hommes également. Notre pays si épris de psychanalyse a beaucoup de mal avec cette idée. C'est un fait, que cela plaise ou non. L'éducation d'un enfant est bien souvent sans le savoir, la mise en oeuvre des techniques détaillées et analysées en profondeur par Karen Pryor dans cet ouvrage : s'extasier devant les premiers pas de votre cher bambin, c'est renforcer positivement son comportement. Donner une claque à un enfant, c'est infliger une punition pour faire disparaître un comportement. Ces réflexes éducatifs sont replacés par Karen Pryor dans leur cadre conceptuel. Ce sujet a fait l'objet de travaux scientifiques très fouillés et très rigoureux qui sont à la base des techniques thérapeutiques pour les enfants autistes qui ont fait leurs preuves. J'ai adoré lorsque Karen Pryor explique que la violence physique et la punition corporelle ne sont pas la solution pour éduquer, et enseigner. Elle prend l'exemple du dauphin, qui peut s'étendre à nous autres êtres humains. Si le dauphin ne fait pas ce que je veux, je peux le frapper mais alors, le dauphin s'enfuira et je ne le reverrai plus. Je n'obtiendrai pas ce que je demande. Le behaviourisme n'est pas le dressage coercitif que ses détracteurs (qui ne l'ont souvent pas lu, y compris bon nombre de psychologues) l'accusent d'être. Au delà de l'éducation et ses techniques, Karen Pryor pose bien évidemment la question difficile de la communication et du langage. Le behaviourisme pose cette question en filigrane, et les expériences de Pryor sur ce sujet sont fascinantes. Comment dire à un animal ce que vous attendez de lui ? Comment communiquer avec lui ? et de même, comment faire comprendre à votre belle mère que vous aimeriez qu'elle cesse de se plaindre et gémir en permanence ? Cet exemple, ce problème est traité en détail par Karen Pryor qui relate sa difficile relation avec sa propre mère dans ses dernières années et comment elle a fait pour améliorer les choses. Je ne vous en dis pas plus. A lire, relire et méditer. L'auteur a beaucoup d'humour. le résultat est un livre très agréable à lire. Un régal que je rouvre régulièrement et en particulier la partie sur comment changer un comportement et ses 7 techniques. La première a donné son titre au livre : pour que votre chien arrête d'aboyer la nuit, l'abattre est une solution mais vous n'avez plus de chien, alors quelles sont les méthodes alternatives ? Ce livre est plus profond et dense que la première lecture, et le ton léger de l'auteur peuvent le laisser croire.

One of the best books to have you can train more than just animals.

A melhor introdução ao behaviorismo, sobretudo na vertente postivista, aplicada ao treinamento de animais. Não é propriamente um livro de técnicas específicas , de passo a passo; antes, a estrutura é de apresentação de princípios e exemplos, .todos embebidos na experiência inestimável da autora, uma das pioneiras do método.