When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs

by Jane Killion

Overview

Does your dog come when called, heel properly when you go for a walk, and sit quietly when you ask him to? If your answer is a resounding "No!" then you may think you have an impossible dog, a "Pigs Fly" dog, one you may think can never be trained. But think again! Most kinds of dogs that people have trouble training (typically Hounds, Terriers, some Northern Breeds) actually have many characteristics that make them quite trainable-they are smart, they are good problem solvers, and they have strong drives to get what they want. If this describes your dog, then it's time to start working with your dog's nature, not against it. The key to training success with these dogs is to figure out what they find rewarding and then use those rewards to get the behavior you want. You'll be amazed at what your "bad" dog will do when you know how he thinks and what turns him on!

Call them stubborn, call them independent but don't give up!: Find out why you shouldn't train your Pigs Fly dog like he's a Lab or a Golden. Learn how to make your dog operant, a dog who willingly tries to seek out the right behavior in return for a reward instead of always trying to get away with something bad. You don't need to constantly feed your dog to get good behavior. Learn how to use play and other activities your dog enjoys as effective rewards.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781929242443
Publisher:	Dogwise Pub
Publication date:	06/28/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	156,356
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction     5
Your Dog Can Be Trained!     7
Understanding the "Pigs Fly" Training System     16
What are Clickers and Markers?     27
Fundamentals of Shaping Behaviors     36
Teaching Attention as a Behavior     53
Using Your Dog's Natural Behaviors to Train Him     61
Learning How To Play With Your Dog     77
How To Teach Your Dog Any Behavior     93
Basic Behaviors     99
Problem Behaviors     137
Living and Training in Harmony     168
Resources     177
Acknowledgements     182
Author Biography     184
Index     185