Finally, a generic training guide for dogs that doesn’t leave me checking the date to see if it was written in medieval times. Zak George writes a clearly written and easy to understand training book that explains most common dog training problems, and how to fix them.
Lest you think it is only for bad dogs, it also goes over basic training and has an answer for almost everything.
The best part of the book isn’t the training however, but how simply everything is stated. Instead of falling back on tons of technical lingo like “operant” and “variable” the book explains everything like a real human is talking to a real human.
Videos for Everything
If you don’t already know, Zak George is a famous YouTuber who achieved fame through his dog training channel. His dog training channel features real dogs with real problems, and he trains them usually in one lesson in his studio.
The dogs are always trained in a fear free method, without the yank and crank methods of chains and shock collars. Zak George is very against this kind of training and explains why in detail in the book.
Because he has a wealth of YouTube videos to show as well as tell, he references them often in the book. Even if he doesn’t, if you’re confused about something, he probably has a video for that.
A Genuine Love of Dogs
On every page of the book, it is evident how much Zak loves dogs. He talks about individual dogs he worked on for videos, and their personalities, as if they are people. (In my opinion, he’s right.) It was very enjoyable to read this book, and despite having read hundreds of dog training manuals in the past, I feel like I learned some new tips on this one.
In particular, Zak George recommends a type of training that’s probably not on your radar. He explains that on top of ordinary lessons like sit, and down, you should practice real life crisis scenarios. Practice what one does when the doorbell rings, practice what one does when there is a sandwich on the table and mom is on the phone, etc.
Dogs don’t generalize, so they are often very obedient when doing formal sit/down drills and come up with their own plan when you walk out the door and leave a full wastebasket to sort through. Practicing what to do in these scenarios is just as important as practicing sit/down.
Highly Recommended
If you are looking for a straightforward and easy to read training manual, this is it. This is one of my top favorite books I have read this time around. I’m so glad that I started this reading challenge, as many of these books I would have overlooked had I not picked up everything dog related at the library.
Similar Posts:
- Review of 101 Essential Dog Care Tips
- I Read Every Dog Book in the Library. This is What I Learned.
- Review of Another Good Dog by Cara Sue Achterberg
- Review of Dog Shaming by Pascale Lemire
- Review of Dogs by DK
[…] Zak George’s Guide to a well behaved dog […]