Reddit Reddit reviews Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement

We found 14 Reddit comments about Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement
Workman Publishing
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14 Reddit comments about Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement:

u/[deleted] · 43 pointsr/AmItheAsshole

YTA. YTA. YTA. This post is 5 hours old but I have to comment because you and your family are such gigantic assholes, I literally want to cry right now. Puppies need near constant attention and affection. They should not be left alone for long periods of time, they should never be hit, and their tails should never be pulled. A 2-year-old might make that mistake, but a 10 year old???? Fucking unacceptable.

I can't believe you disrespected your wife so completely thoroughly and let your family treat her (and her puppy) this way.

You need to:

a) Apologize to your wife like you have never in your life apologized before. Here would be a good script:

"I'm so sorry I was such an asshole and pushed you to leave the puppy with my family when I should have listened to you and left the puppy at an experienced kennel. I'm also sorry that I sided with my family when they condoned the neglect and abuse of an animal. You were right to be upset that my brother was being too rough with the little guy, and my mom should never have called you names. Not only am I going to learn more about puppy care, I'm going to call my mom and tell her that it was unacceptable that she disrespected you. Again, I'm so sorry and I hope you can forgive me."

b) CALL YOUR MOTHER AND TELL HER THAT IF SHE EVER CALLS YOUR WIFE A BITCH AGAIN YOU WILL NEVER VISIT AGAIN. MEAN IT. (Also tell her that she needs to teach your brother that animals are living creatures and should be treated as such.)

c) Educate yourself about puppies. Purchase this book and enroll in a puppy training class with your dog. Pay for it all yourself. You owe this to your wife and your puppy.

Seriously. If my MIL ever called me a selfish bitch, and my husband didn't defend me right there on the spot, I'd divorce him within a week. YTA. YTA. Your mom is TA. And your brother is TA. Your wife did literally nothing wrong. NOTHING.

u/txmadison · 13 pointsr/gifs

Huskies, especially when young - require a lot of engagement to avoid the behaviors that people would associate with a bad dog/badly trained dog (chewing, using the bathroom inside, barking/howling incessantly, and other attitude problems). It's important that you give them things to do every day both physically and mentally, sticking to a schedule will help everyone involved - the dog will know something is coming and can wait instead of flipping out.

They're very smart dogs, work on obedience training (if you've never done this before, look for a local trainer and take some classes or buy a book - Training the Best Dog Ever is a decent little book by the person who trained Obama's dog among others - it focuses entirely on positive reinforcement, and then there are things like 101 dog tricks.)

Get them toys, use a puzzle feeder for meals, take them on as many walks as you feel like you can and reinforce the proper behaviors you want on every walk.

Huskies are working dogs, and like working dogs (and most all dogs) they want to know their job/role in the pack, trust you and your decisions, and do things that make you happy. They are your number one fan, and always down to ride or die.



^^^dog ^^^tax

tl;dr take it on walks a lot, play with it, positive reinforcement for behaviors you want it to continue, don't hit it or yell at it for 'bad' behaviors, make sure it has physical/mental things to engage it every day and it'll be your best friend for the rest of its life.

u/RuskiesInTheWarRoom · 10 pointsr/dogs

Sheesh...

I have to say, I think people thus far are being kind to you. Please read the entirety of my post and the other comments and seriously reconsider if you are up to the task of owning this dog.

  • Take the dog to the vet. You very nearly took out her eye. It still could be taken out if it is infected and you don't have it examined.

  • Get proper materials. A homemade, janky kennel area with exposed wire, where she is forced to stay, with "holes and things" cut in to it, is not appropriate. It is, in fact, dangerous for her. All it does is contain her and keep her out of your way; it does not help her at all. This could not be more clear.

  • Get some idea of actual training methods. For now, go visit /r/Dogtraining. You should know that what is known as "positive reinforcement" training is held in very high regard here, because it generally works well. [Edited Note: I am leaving my following comment as I wrote it originally. Please see the comment from /u/qwedrft101 as well as other much more qualified trainers for, you know, actual, usable information]Negative, or corrective, training is basically what you've been doing - that is, you punish her for mistakes. But she doesn't know what those mistakes even are. Dog brains don't worry like human brains. So, after she poops on your floor, you find her, get angry, shove her face in her own poop (which is very confusing), and chastise her, sometimes hitting her. No wonder she's terrified. She thinks that you hate her when she poops, so she's trying to hide it. Don't be surprised if she starts pooping in even stranger places; or starts eating it to hide it from you. She thinks that what she's doing, that which is necessary for her survival, is what her master hates.

  • Consider crate training. Your dog may be too anxious at the moment to actually be crate trained, because you've taught her that when she is contained in confined spaces you are very angry - so angry, in fact, that you yell at her and kick the thing nearly taking out her eye.

  • If your dog needs to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you should get up and take her. This is ridiculous. Here's a tip: Take her outside right before you go to bed - really, like, right before you go to bed. Give her the chance to eliminate. Praise the hell out of her, give her a treat when she does. Give her love. Then, go to bed. Then, set your alarm if you have to: Wake up at 2am every night until you have this problem resolved, and go take her outside again. Come back in immediately, and take her immediately back to bed. If you're not willing to help her eliminate properly, she'll never learn to. Give her the chance to do it correctly, she'll learn. Slowly start to stretch out the time of that midnight bathroom break until you no longer have to.

  • If she has to pee and poop at odd hours and she cannot correct this to a schedule, she may have some serious GI issues. If she was a stray in bad condition, she probably does have all sorts of issues. Have you taken her to a vet at all? Do you know if she has been cleared of parasites, worms, etc?

    I know you feel bad about this incident, but it really is worth looking at virtually everything you've described to us and realizing that basically all of it is not-great. You need to find better ways to treat this dog. If you can't afford it, or if you aren't willing to take it upon yourself, please reconsider it.

  • You need to be far more patient to be a good dog owner. The fact that you lost your temper and kicked your kennel is not a good sign. I understand you had a lot going on in that moment. In what way do you honestly think that releasing all of that tension on a dog would have solved any of it? You have to rethink the way you're dealing with your stress. Unfortunately, you injured another animal, through no fault of its own, in the outburst. Don't let that happen again. The best start is to figure out how to be better with yourself so that you can be better with your companion.

    Here is a book to think about - it may help.

    http://www.amazon.com/Training-Best-Dog-Ever-Reinforcement/dp/0761168850/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371916092&sr=8-2&keywords=positive+reinforcement+dog+training


    edits throughout, some are important
u/WannabeKhalessi · 5 pointsr/puppy101

We recently adopted a puppy in and live in a condo as well and feel your pain! This book helped us out initially Training the best dog ever

To date we've specifically found the following helped:

  1. If crate = home to them, then they won't pee/poo in it:
    To get our puppy to like her crate and think of it as her home we spent time using treats to lure her in, hand feeding while she was in it and giving her special toys/treats while in it. She definitely whined a lot at first if the crate door was closed and we were in sight. So we went back to basics and used treats to reward her when the door was closed, then took steps back and eventually were able to walk away (book explains this well). Now she just goes in there whenever she's tried or if we stand next to it and point, she really likes it!

  2. Get the right size crate:
    Others have mentioned this before. Our puppy is a Great Dane so our crate is already massive, but has a divider so we can expand it.

  3. X-pens help your sanity:
    We have a flexible one around the crate so we can play with her in a small area and it's where we spend most of our time. Very very rarely does she pee in this area and when she does at least it's contained to an easy to clean up spot vs whole condo. It also forces us to be near her which is easier to pick-up on her cues and can whisk her outside easier.

  4. Log everything!:
    We had a journal the first couple of weeks and noted the time of every meal, nap and pee/poo. It really helped us learn her schedule and set a routine that worked for both of us. I know they say to take them out every hour when you first get them, the more you learn their routine the longer you can stretch those durations. She'll actually sleep 8 hrs straight if we take her out right before she goes to bed and of course immediately in the morning.

  5. It's hard to over treat a puppy:
    After a month with the puppy we signed up for a basics class to make sure we were doing what we could correctly. I thought we were treating her a lot, but I was so wrong. The trainer used so many treats in one session! Every tiny movement that got closer to the behavior we wanted she would treat. It helps take the guess work out of hoping they pick-up on what you want them to do. The vet also confirmed we shouldn't worry too much about over treating them, since they are growing.

  6. Not all treats are equal:
    Stella and Chewy are like crack to them and the trainer used the Vital Essentials Freeze-dried Duck Nibs she really likes those and it's the same protein she eats. Treat them after they go outside.

  7. Get to know your neighbors:
    We have a small condo with only a couple of units. The other dog owners gave us advice on good spots to take them. All were pretty understanding of our growing pains and I think felt reassured when they heard the effort we put into training, so they know this less than ideal behavior is just temporary. But who knows we live in the Midwest where everyone is passive aggressive.

    Anyways I hope that helps! Do share if you find anything else that works. Our puppy isn't perfect, but that first week was the hardest and can tell you it gets better!
u/librarychick77 · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining

...how long are you in the country? Do you have a plan for how you'll be bringing the puppy back with you? that would be my #1 concern.

After that, find an adult dog who likes puppies and spend as much time with that dog as possible - any old adult dog won't work, you need one who will 'mother' your pup rather than be annoyed by it.

At 6 weeks this puppy should still be with it's family, so if no other dogs are around to help that means the tough stuff is all you. Keep in mind this is a baby he's never 'being obstinate', or 'stubborn', he just doesn't know anything. He's a toddler, in puppy terms. biting everything that's within reach of his mouth is normal, and how he'll learn about the world.

When he goes to chomp you substitute your skin for a toy, every time. Over, and over, and over, and over, ad infinitum.

Look into developmental phases ([1, 2, so you can be prepared for them and know what to do. Get puppy books (1, 2, [3](https://www.amazon.com/Puppy-Training-Step-Step-Positive/dp/1534733493/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500148831&sr=1-6&keywords=puppy0, 4, 5 and read them all carefully!

But above all, remember that this is a baby animal. You will get out what you put in - if you punish this baby then you'll get frustration and aggression, if you're patient and kind and gentle, you're adult pup will be too.

Positive doesn't mean permissive, do you don't have to let the dog bite you and walk all over you, but you don't need to be mean either. At this age it's all redirection. Don't bite me, bite this. Don't pee here, pee there. Don't jump, sit! Etc.

u/nkdeck07 · 3 pointsr/dogs

You need to find out what your mom is using on them. A good flea medication should take care of this issue but it needs to be used preventively in the future. A bad one will do nothing or even possibly hurt the dogs. To kill the ones currently in the house a combination of ditimatious earth and vigorous vaccumming should get them along with a good liquid treatment.

Also there isn't any real reason you can't try to train the dogs without a class. Seriously a decent book, some treats and a clicker and you are good to go. I personally am a fan of Training the Best Dog Ever but anything with positive reinforcement will work. The youtube channel Kikopup also has great training resources.

u/coffeeandstudybreak · 2 pointsr/bodybuilding

Love this book for dog training. We used the methods in it for our new pup and she is SO well behaved. Such a good doggo.

Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761168850/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qg-ZzbWJHG91S

u/auroraborealex · 2 pointsr/Dogtraining

I use this in combination with an approach from Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz. Key is obviously to keep pups attention on you, so doing eye contact exercises and cuing to sit and verbalizing sit are all really good throughout the walk. I don't expect him to have his attention on me 100% of the time at a perfect heel but I do want him to know to look back at me and stop when he pulls ahead of me. As soon as he pulls ahead and starts pulling on leash, I stop, hold leash to my chest and don't move. I let him sniff or look around and as soon as he looks back at me, I say "good boy!" and lure him back to my knee with a treat while taking two steps backwards - concluding in a cued sit (no verbalizing the "sit" - want him to learn that he gets rewarded for sitting at my feet). If there's something going on that's grabbing his interest I use Zak's method of acknowledging it and reassuring him and then reward calm behavior and eye contact. Then I proceed with the walk trying to maintain eye contact and slack leash for as long as I can!! I've had issues with getting my pup to walk in the first place, but when he does, this method seems to work and whether he's right next to me or a step ahead, he is constantly looking back at me.

u/joshmaker · 2 pointsr/Pitbull

You could try using a front clip harness which will tend to turn the dog around when he pulls. I've heard that Canny Collars can be effective, but I've always worried my dog could hurt her neck if she sprinted for a squirrel while wearing one.

You might also need to try two different types of walks:

  • Normal walks for necessary exercise / bathroom relieve where you put up with the pulling (for now)
  • Training walks where you focus on proper leash behavior by stopping and standing whenever your pit pulls too hard and then only walking forward when the leash goes slack. The idea is to get the dog to associate a slack leash with freedom of movement and to associate the sensation of pulling with being unable to get where it wants to go.

    A few books that might be helpful:

  • https://www.amazon.com/Training-Best-Dog-Ever-Reinforcement/dp/0761168850/
  • https://www.amazon.com/When-Pigs-Fly-Training-Impossible/dp/1929242441/

    You could also check around and see if there is a dog trainer nearby that could do an hour training / consultation session (We did this to learn tips to help with our dogs separation anxiety and I think it helped)


u/yahumno · 2 pointsr/germanshepherds
u/_coolranch · 1 pointr/AussieDoodle

Hey there! Congrats on the new pup. We just got ours, and we're using the book How to Train the Best Dog Ever. Training is going well so far on day 5 (she's 8 weeks old). She is really smart and a bit strong-willed, but man: she catches on fast.

Last night she slept through the night for the first time (yay!).

Do: prep your house by hiding shoes and anything below knee level. She is mouthing (light chewing) on about 75% of what she can reach. My girlfriend or I are with her at all times right now, so we quickly give her a toy when we see her biting anything. She REALLY likes running right by our feet, and it looks a lot like she's trying to herd us all ready.

She really likes the crate, as well. We got a blanket from the breeder that was in the enclosure with her and her siblings, and that's in her crate, which we feed her treats and snacks in and around. I think when they first come from the breeder, they're already used to some sort of barrier, so I think it's probably a great time to reinforce that the crate is a good place where fun things happen. We don't give her treats when she comes out--she shouldn't expect rewards when crate time ends, or she'll make a positive association with leaving the crate (learned that from the book!).

She really is pretty wonderful, and I wish you luck with your pup! I just posted a pic of Hazel aka Hazelnut aka Purple Haze in the main subreddit.

Hope this helps!

Edit: a word

u/kpuls93 · 1 pointr/Dogtraining

I absolutely loved Training the Best Dog Ever - lots of really good details and not just training the puppy, but preparing.

The other one I read and thought useful was After You Get Your Puppy (which is also a free pdf which you can order a hard copy of I believe)

I always grew up with dogs on a farm, and got my first puppy this spring, an 8 week old Cane Corso. I feel like the reading I did in both of these books greatly helped to set me up for success, and I would highly recommend. If you have a local library, you may also be able to borrow these from there.

u/upstartweiner · -1 pointsr/dogs

These are the books I read! The training the best dog ever was probably my favorite as it focusses on manners commands like recall, stay, leave it, drop it, yours/mine as well as socialization methods. Puppies for Dummies is a lot about the first week/month/year of dog ownership and includes training but also health info, nutrition, supplies, budget, etc. 101 tricks is basically a party tricks book, not focussed on manners more on obedience training/showing off to house guests. I think it's always good to read a book about your dog's breed too so that was my last one.

Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement

Puppies For Dummies

101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet (Your Happy Healthy Pet)

u/strawberrypockystix · -1 pointsr/AmItheAsshole

My bf used a book called “Training the Best Dog Ever” to train his dog, and he said it was an excellent book.

https://www.amazon.com/Training-Best-Dog-Ever-Reinforcement/dp/0761168850