This is the first book in the award winning "Dog Sports Skills" series. This first book will focus on developing a competition dog sports foundation based in engagement and relationship. It doesn't matter what genetic package or temperament your dog is born with; you can bring out the best in your dog! To train your dog, you must develop a relationship that encourages a willing and happy attitude with natural focus while eliminating undue stress in both training and competition. If your goal is to create a world-class, enthusiastic performance dog, then this book is for you! We can help you refine your engagement and relationship skills to a higher level. If you are an instructor who is struggling with your novice students or less focused dogs, then this book is for you! You will find advice on how to work with a range of canine temperaments. If you have a dog who works well at home but you can't seem to maintain that connection in public, then this book is for you, too! You will learn the basics of recognizing stress, paying attention to your dog, and alleviating or minimizing problems so that you can focus on work rather than worry. Finally, if you simply want to take the dog you have, your personal pet, and enjoy your training at a more fulfilling level, then this book is for you as well. By understanding and applying excellent engagement and relationship building techniques, both you and your canine companion will find more enjoyment in the training process, even if you choose never to step foot inside a competition ring. The chapters will cover relationship (what it is and how to get it), stress (recognizing it and techniques for lessening it's impact), developing focus, explaining and evaluating positive methods for getting behaviors, and the use of trick training to develop a handler's training skills and a dog's mental and physical flexibility.

Dog Training

2014 'Book of the Year" for Dog Behavior and Training! (Maxwell award). In this second book in the "Dog Sports Skills" series, Authors Denise Fenzi and Deb Jones take an in-depth look at the topic of motivation. They talk about what motivation is, and what it is not, along with an illuminating discussion of how a dog is unique in the animal world, and how educated trainers can use that to maximum advantage. They consider a range of options for motivating our dogs, and how a trainer can raise or lower the value of specific motivators to get the exact training effect that may be desired at a given time. Temperament is discussed as it relates to issues of motivation to help the reader understand the strong interplay between temperament, motivation and training decisions. In addition to explaining how to use motivators in training, this book provides specific information on how to reduce their use so that you can eventually get into the competition ring! Finally, they provide case studies - lots of them! The purpose of the case studies is both to cement what the reader has learned in the first chapters and also to help the reader understand how to analyze specific situations and make a plan to apply the concepts. A student who reads both this book and the first book in the series will begin to develop a deeper understanding of the author's underlying philosophy and approach. Each book is more than a stand-alone resource; they are pieces of a puzzle that will eventually weave into a tapestry of concepts, thoughts and applications that create both excellence in training and a very deep respect and understanding for another living being.

Encourages dog owners to evaluate the capabilities of their dog and adopt an a training approach that matches the dog.

Would you say your dog listens to you well? Does she come when you call her? Does he stay when you tell him to? Are you worried about his safety when you're out walking? Are you worried about YOUR safety when you're out walking (especially on ice)? This book will take you step by step through the education of your dog on these behaviors and many, many more. You can prepare your dog for success in obedience competitions if that is your goal; all the information and training techniques you will need are included. It's time to get your dog trained! Read on!

101 Dog Tricks is the largest trick book on the market and the only one presenting full-color photos of each trick and its training steps.

Train your dog to deal with distractions