from THE DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK by Jan Irving (2015)
Reader level: Everyone
Review of content/advice:
No you don’t bash your dog, Bash is the name of the trainer, in fact it is Bashkim, and he gained his fame by training and rehabilitating the dogs of dozens of America’s celebrities, and training Mariah the wolf for film and other display work.
Bash uses more hands on then I would but he is not rough or brutal, nor does he employ weird and strange psychological tactics that seem to have become a bit too popular among some trainers establishing a media niche for themselves in more recent times.
An Albanian exile, he spent many years in several European countries before arriving in America. He had extensive experience with dogs at all stages. As the introduction states, ‘The core of his philosophy of training animals is always to be positive and upbeat, and it carries over into his attitude toward people’, you will certainly get a sense of that throughout the book. the book covers a huge variety of training, the basic household to the guard dog, with lovely anecdotes from an extensive experience.
While it won’t make my ‘DO read’ list simply because I know folk can train even more ‘kindly’ and ‘gently’ then the hands on, sit now style, but the book deserves to make ‘A good supplementary read’ list because it is full of positive vibes and some rather interesting comments on Bash’s hardest challenge, the wild bred Mariah. (review by: Jan Irving 2010-08-18)
Do I suggest you buy it? No, but an interesting read
Table of Contents
What Mariah the Wolf Taught Me About Dogs
How To Choose a Dog,
Your Puppy’s All Important Early Months
My Dog-Training Techniques
Early Puppy Training
Basic On-Lead Obedience for Dogs of All Ages
Basic Off-Leash Obedience Training
You Can Teach an Older Dog New Tricks
How to Break Bad Habits
How to Solve Aggression Problems
Problems Caused by Separation Anxiety
How To Help a Dog Adjust to New People and Situations
Dogs That Help People, How To Make Your Dog a Star
