By Heidi Dahms Foster
Dog training has come a long way from the days of boring, rote repetition. Today, there are many varied, fun activities to build a relationship with your pet and help him to become a well-behaved, pleasant member of your home. Play Your Way to Good Manners by Kate Naito and Sarah Westcott offers a great selection of sports, games and tricks you can do with your dog.
It’s a proven fact that the more time you spend with your pet in engaging, fun activities, the more the two of you will bond. Conversely, constant repetition will bore both of you and likely cause you to quit before you reach your goals.
Additionally, this book talks a bit about competition events such as Rally Obedience and how you can use the instructions in those venues.
Some of the most desired traits to instill in your dog so both of you can have a satisfying relationship include being able to settle, know the basic commands to sit, down and stay, to come when called, and walk calmly on leash. As a bonus, learn cute and active tricks and other activities to fight boredom.
Dog owners might look at this list and feel it is overwhelming, but the authors give clear descriptions of basic behaviors, how to train them, and ways they will be useful. Each chapter shows how to start small and build on each behavior.
The book includes step-by-step instructions for each skill, with photos to illustrate. Common challenges are also addressed, so you can troubleshoot if you’re not successful with a skill.
In Play Your Way to Good Manners you’ll learn how to train desired behaviors while having fun with your dog. You’ll find the instructions easy to follow, the photos helpful, and in the Kindle edition, links take you right to the skill you want to learn.
If you’re looking for an exciting new start to your current training or you want to start a new pup, Play Your Way to Good Manners is a great resource. Find it on Amazon in paperback or Kindle.
