Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training Reviews

• Shoot The Trainer, Not The Dog...

  
  By A2G8RO7VIMECYM on 2002-09-04
  Clicker training has become the New Age buzz word amongst the humanist-oriented dog training bunch-- as well as for many of the pet industry book publishers eager to capitalize on this latest trend.

  As the owners of the popular dog training web site, ..., we are frequently asked about our opinion of Karen Pryor's book, "Don't Shoot The Dog."

  Based on theories of operant conditioning first expounded by psychologist B.F. Skinner, and later popularized by dolphin trainer Karen Pryor in books such as, "Don't Shoot The Dog", clicker training involves attaching a positive, motivator (such as food) to an event marker (such as a clicking sound made by a child's toy known as a `cricket') in order to improve timing and allow the dog to more easily understand which behavior he did correctly.

  One of the original uses for this type of training-- if I'm remembering correctly-- was to train dolphins. Instead of using a clicker, they used a whistle.

  Advocates of clicker training often argue that you can't put a prong collar on a dolphin, and since this approach was developed to train a beast as large as a dolphin that it is also the best method for training a dog.

  But let's not forget: Dolphins are kept in small containment areas, where they are surrounded by nothing but water. Ever.

  A dolphin can't accidentally [make a mess] on your sofa. A dolphin can't chew through the electrical wiring at the observation park where it is kept.

  So using clicker training to teach parlor tricks to a dolphin isn't exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.

  The problem I have with clicker training is not inherent to the use of a small child's toy to assist in training a dog (which, it could be argued, strays away from the natural way dog's communicate with each other) but rather in the promotion and word of mouth associated with this behavioral approach. An approach which closely resembles the ramblings of a college girl newly converted to Evangelism.

  Furthermore, clicker training has quickly evolved into the poster child of those who view traditional dog training as something closer to torture for the dog, rather than as a method of training new behaviors. (They refer to using a training collar and a leash as using "violence" against a dog.)

  Get real.

  The weak point of the clicker trainer's argument is in the assumption that using compulsion (giving a dog a correction) is the same as punishment and/or force. In reality, a well timed motivational correction is merely a method of telling the dog that he did something wrong.

  (I guess they think that the mother dog uses "violence" on the puppies, too?)

  Whatever.

  Imagine trying to learn how to drive a car with an instructor who only told you when you were doing something right. And refused to tell you when you were doing something wrong. Sure, you might eventually learn how to drive (if you didn't kill yourself first), but the fastest and easiest method of learning ANYTHING is to know when you are doing something right as well as when you are doing something wrong.

  I feel there is a definite place for clicker training in a trainer's bag of tricks... for movie and TV training for example... however, as a behavior modification tool... leave this one for the birds. Or dolphins.
  
  

• not just for the dogs

  
  By A3ER552QQECR0Q on 2004-01-29
  I've read quite a few dog behavior, training and intelligence books and always had this on the to read list because of its reputation of being the "bible" of dog training. But I didn't really want to read it because of the title, and hey, the cover isn't too imaginitive either. I know don't judge a book by a cover, but to be honest, reading has a sensual side too -- good clean lines, fits nice in the hands, smooth paper. You bookaholics know what I'm saying.

  So, I finally got around to reading this and I can see why people say this book is life-changing. Pryor spent very little time talking about dogs specifically but showed many examples on how these methods could be used with people with disabilities, your own kids, spouse, cat etc.

  I'm a trainer's assistant at a dog obedience school, and as I read this, it all looked familiar. It is basically the foundation philosophy of our school. It's a method of communication. A way to build a relationship and communicate what you want from your dog in a positive, punishment-free manner. Reading this book helped me clarify why we at the school do things as we do. And as I finished the book, I was thinking of one of the comments a woman made at a trainer's funeral. The gist was that she had learned from his gentle approach to the dogs, and this had spread to the way she approached people as well.

  It's true. "Clicker training" as some people call this training philosophy will spill outside of your doggy life and into other areas... if you come to this as a dog trainer. As a dog trainer, your dog doesn't sit when you say sit. Instead of getting mad and saying sit sit sit! jerking on the collar or pushing on the butt, first you think "does my dog understand 'sit?'" Then you'd break it down into it's components -- sit is an action (head goes up, butt goes down) and responding to the command requires that 1. the dog knows the action 2. the dog knows the word is connected to the action. Then you'd find a way to get your dog past whatever is hanging him up. So, if this is your habitual style of response to other's "mistakes," you will start to develop patience, compassion and clear communication. And those skills will take you far in life.

  And extra bonus -- besides learning training methods, you'll read alot of funny anecdotes about frisbee-playing elephants and bell-ringing hermit crabs too.
  
  

• I've just read most of the new version.

  
  By A1BBHFSP568PC8 on 1999-08-07
  All of the reader reviews currently on the page deal with the first edition. I just received the new edition.

  First, for those who are looking for a cook book to solve specific problems, this may not be it -- as a response to people who felt mislead by the title.

  This ISN'T a dog training book, what it is, is a manual and a philosophy for solving the problems in your life caused by other's behavior, whether it is your husband, your children, your pets, or your co-workers.

  The new edition brings in our new research and our ideas. Anecodotes are more relative and talk about people we all know and have met through the click-l list and other internet interactions.

  This is definately the definitive book on behavior modification, and it is infinitely readable.

  Good job Karen!
  
  

• Fascinating, intellectually stimulating and fun to read

  
  By on 2000-03-04
  I recently bought this book on the advice of a doggy foster "parent", as a prelude to adopting from a local rescue organization. While this is not a how-to or step by step guide for training your dog, it is an excellent and clear book about behavior and how to shape it in a positive way. I was surprised at how much information I found useful for understanding my own relationship with my parents and how to be a better manager. The anecdotes help clarify the concepts, as well as making for very entertaining reading, and I especially appreciated the series of charts comparing different training methods and showing what can work best for a slew of different behavior problems. My next purchase will be a clicker training instruction manual, and I think it will be all the more valuable because Pryor's book has helped me understand WHY positive reinforcement works. Her book really explains the philosophy behind the methodology. Kudos.
  
  

• Don't waste your $$

  
  By on 2002-10-11
  Being a Professional Dog Trainer for the 15 years I have been asked many times my opinon about this book. Although it is not "bad" advice it certainly is not complete, and should not be used as the sole method of training. In order to teach a dog properly one must use a combination of "traditional" training, "altered" traditional training and "modern" (clicker) training. There must be a clear message of right/wrong/reward/correction for a dog to fully understand what is being taught. Yes you may easily teach a dog how to "sit" or "down" using a lure and a clicker, but for serious trainers who wish to keep their dog truly safe and teach such life saving commands such as the emergencey down-- such tools as the clicker are not the best to work with.

  The fact is, every dog is different. Some are correctable with just a "unhappy face" others are head strong powerful animals that need a firmer hand and a more no-nonsense approach. As long as the animal is treated humanely with love & patients, all forms of training have their purpose. People need to stop trying to be experts on issues they know very little about (it requires more then reading a book and teaching a trick or two to become an expert). Unless you see abuse or neglect, mind your buisness..You're intitled to your preference, and others are intitled to theirs...
  
  

• Kudos for Karen Pryor's Honesty
  By A2OIPJMG562XJL on 2000-11-24
  "Don't Shoot the Dog" is the best comprehensive guide I know of that encourages the use of Positive Reinforcement. There is no question that PR goes a long way and should always be used as a first option (with both animals and people). Karen Pryor's honesty in this book is to be applauded. While she champions using PR as far as it works to produce the desired result, she realistically acknowledges that PR does not always work. As a dog trainer and author using a balanced approach, I find her candor and her desire to make the world a better place for dogs and people quite noble. If all we needed in our relationships with dogs and people was to find the right reward, this would be the only book we would need.

  The structure of the book is easy to follow, and along with emphasizing PR, also gives excellent advice about the crucial element of timing in training. I also find this book useful as a tool to help people decide NOT to use muzzle restraining devices. If a dog training student of mine is thinking of using a muzzle restraining device on a dog, I have the student read Karen's comments about restraint as the bottom of page 101. Her clearly stated explanation hits the nail right on the head. Restraining has its place, but it isn't training.

  Karen's comments about rewarding the wrong behavior also makes a lot of sense. Our leaders in government would benefit from her political applications of her principles.
  
  

• Every animal owner needs to read this book
  By on 1996-12-06
  This is my favorite training book (and isn't just about dog training- it's about operant conditioning for the average Joe). It humorously and thoroughly explains how to influence and shape behavior using well-timed reinforcement. This book will be especially helpful to people trying to train animals to do unusual behaviors (such as disabled people who are self-training their own assistance dog). When you're done reading this, you'll understand how to break literally any behavior down into small manageable pieces that you can train for. But don't assume it's just for animal trainers. I know an excellent manager who read this book when he was first promoted to management. It's a quick-read, it's fun, and the info is very valuable. Certainly a "must read".
  
  
• clear, witty and filled with practical information--a gem
  By A3V33837VLEX8C on 1999-11-30
  As a social worker specializing in child abuse and neglect, I have relied on Don't Shoot the Dog for years to teach harsh and punitive parents benign and positive behavioral alternatives. Parents learn more readily, and even enjoy learning, from the anecdotes about animal behavior, and don't feel criticized themselves because they have not had prior bad or abusive experiences with a chicken or a cat. They begin to see that all small creatures do some annoying things, and that their child is not singularly persecuting them. They feel less victimized by their child and suddenly become empowered to bring about change. The revised edition is especially welcome because of its expanded discussion of punishment, primarily why it doesn't work and what would be safer, kinder and more effective in its place, and for the information about clicker training, an enormous aid to angry or ineffective parents. Don't Shoot the Dog! is a must for all social workers, and for anyone interested in more enjoyable and productive dealings with other living creatures.
  
  
• Don't Believe the Hype! The Ineffective Art of Teaching and Training
  By A1B451QKRY2KRS on 2005-08-10
  
  I love the title of this book.
  
  The contents, however, perpetuate the mythology of behavioral science as an actual science that always and inevitably works to change, shape, or modify behavior. It's not, and it doesn't. In fact, in my opinion it has become more like a belief system--based on a tautology*--where despite mounting evidence of its overall ineffectiveness, particularly when it comes to solving behavioral problems in dogs (which is my own area of expertise, and where it only works about 15% of the time), its adherents continue to tout it as highly successful. They also wrongly claim that ALL dog training takes place through some form of operant conditioning, whether the trainer is aware of it or not. (Most dog training is actually closer to respondent than to operant conditioning, but that's another topic**.)
  
  Still, Pryor makes a convincing argument for applying the ideas of B. F. Skinner to everything from dolphin training to the little problems of everyday life, even though the preponderance of Skinner's ideas have been proven invalid. Even Skinner's student Keller Breland, who invented clicker training and later became Pryor's mentor, sadly discovered that, "There are definite weaknesses in the philosophy underlying these techniques." ("Behavior Problems in Organisms," American Psychologist, 1961.)
  
  I have to admit, though, even I was suckered in by Pryor's fervent belief in conditioning when I first read this book. She has that effect on people. And, energized by her passion, I began using her ideas in my dog training practice in New York City. I quickly found out, though, that conditioning techniques are mostly ineffective, and that, believe it or not, using food rewards can actually cause a negative learning experience for the dog, because it isn't intrinsic to learning most of the behaviors a dog needs to learn.***
  
  However, I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from buying and reading this book. I think you should look at behavior from all possible angles and carefully consider all sides of an issue. But if you DO read it, my suggestion would be take what Pryor says with a very large grain of salt. And if you're interested in really new ideas about dog training, there are a couple of books I do recommend, and highly: PLAYTRAINING YOUR DOG by Patricia Gail Burnham, and NATURAL DOG TRAINING by Kevin Behan. (Don't be fooled by the publication dates of these books; the ideas in them are still fresh and new.)
  
  *The Primary Behavioristic Tautology:
  What is a reinforcement? Anything that causes a behavior to be learned. What is a learned behavior? Anything that has been reinforced. That's circular logic.
  
  ** An operant is a behavior which is spontaneously emitted, with no stimulus coming from an outside source. A respondent is a behavior that is elicited or induced by a stimulus coming from an outside source (such as a dog trainer). So, very little of what a dog trainer does could be correctly termed operant conditioning.
  
  *** According to behaviorists, intrinsic reinforcers work better than extrinsic reinforcers. And food is, generally speaking, an extrinsic reinforcer since it's not directly related to the behaviors being learned in dog training. Another point is that extrinsic reinforcers, such as food rewards (and by extension, clickers, which get their effectiveness from the association a dog makes with being fed), have a tendency to actually undermine the learning process entirely. (That's not just me talking, either, by the way, that's textbook behaviorism.)
  
  
  
• wonderful and informative book
  By AYV4KIIUM2419 on 2001-02-21
  "Don't Shoot the Dog" is only marginally about dog training, (although the dog was reccomened to me by noted dog trainer Sarah Wilson, a fine dog training book author in her own right). What it is about is using postive reinforcement for all training purposes. Postive reinforcement does not mean NEVER correcting the subject, but doing so in a postive way, mostly by rewarding correct behavior. Ms. Pryor shows, by using certain common situations, (kids making too much noise in the car on long trips, dog barking in the back yard all night, etc) how different methods would work or not work, and further adds other examples, with animals that are not usually thought of as "trainable", how certain behaviors were be easily taught. The author is a big advocate of "clicker training" (as is Sarah Wilson, who I mentioned earlier) but even after reading the book, I really don't understand the "why and how it works" aspect of it, which is why only 4 stars, her explantion just doesn't seem clear enough for someone who is new to the concept. (If half star ratings were allowed, this book would have 4 and a half, since I consider this a minor flaw...) This is a wonderful book which should be on the bookshelf of everyone who does animal training, or for that matter, parents as well...
  
  
• Now: Someone that actually read the book
  By A1YZDBTAR3MOE2 on 2004-02-01
  Believe me when I tell you that those that criticized this book never read it and integrated its principles. Instead, these are people that might have vast experience with different systems that give them good results. The techniques they use have become second nature to them. They conclude: my system is different, my system works, therefore every thing else is crap. One reviewer rambled about how it mainly applies to dolphins because they are confined to a tank. The kindest thing I can say about him is that he never read DON'T SHOOT THE DOG. If he did, I would have to insult his reading comprehension. Little of what he rants about is even in the book. Instead of ranting about hearsay on the somewhat different topic of clicker training, allow me to tell you about "Don't Shoot the Dog". This book teaches far reaching techniques with universal application. I have trained dogs, horses, and wild caught birds of prey (which were flown free daily not confined to pools or tanks). Though I understand alpha dog training, use negative reinforcement, and have employed many successful techniques, this is one of my all time top 10 books on any subject and it is a MUST READ even for those that will never own a pet. Karen Pryor was in fact a trainer at Sea World but contrary to the title this book is not about the specifics of animal training. It is instead a handbook on behavioral modification complete with an introduction written by B.F. Skinner, the father of behavioral psychology. While he was not a man without faults, he was a huge contributor to some profoundly simplified techniques for modifying behavior. While an easy read (one long afternoon) the power of this book lies in studying the principles and then training yourself to modify behavior. In an entraining and practical manner Karen explains a principle, explains its applications and LIMITATIONS and then gives a scenario that illustrates how to apply this principle with an animal, an adult, and a child. A lay person soon learns that most instinctive responses to unwanted behavior are non productive. We have many roles in life and it is a rare person in which some of these roles don't require us to influence behavior. While people are not animals, behavior modification is behavior modification and we all use it. Unfortunately, more often than not we make critical mistakes that result in the opposite result we want and expect. I read this book 10 years ago. As soon as I did I wished I had read it about 25 years sooner. It brought greater success to training at opposite ends of the animal kingdom. It worked on free flying wild birds of prey that are not social creatures and interpret any negative reinforcement as a death threat. These wild animals can easily leave the trainer and return to the wild to fend for themselves. They get this chance every day. In fact it is nothing but unnatural that they will return from being a tiny speck in the sky just from operant conditioning and positive reinforcement. More amazing, they can be properly trained to do this within 10 days of being trapped from the wild, so much for the hilarious comment about it won't work on things that can run loose like dogs. Speaking of dogs, I have used it on Setters and Springer's not to mention a very strong willed, male Jack Russell Terrier, with a well developed alpha dog mentality. Karen never implies that negative reinforcement is not a legitimate tool. She simply fine tunes its use, timing, and consistency to give you an even more powerful tool. The principles in this book have greatly enhanced what was decades of successful training. Finally, don't under estimate these principles when it comes to inter- personal relationships. If you do, you missed a great part of what makes this a must read.
  
  
• Useless Psycho-babble
  By A33JTIBVNU2PGW on 2000-04-13
  This book purports to solve virtually every relationship problem from bosses to chickens to tennis games to teen-agers and even a little bit about dogs ! In reality it gives an endless stream of very generalized anecdotes about how wonderfull the book is and lots of psychological jargon with frequent deviations into the history of pyschological technique. There is very little practical, step by step instruction on how to train a dog to do specific things ! (After all it is supposed to be about training dogs! ) It refers to techniques like clicker-training and gives yet more anecdotes about how wonderfoll it is but gives no detaile on how to train a dog with it.

  This book is a perfect axample of the inherent problem in buying a book on-line. You cannot browse through it (like you do in a book store) to get a feel for how well it is written. ----- The book shows up at your door and you really have no idea what you have bought.
  
  

• If you have a submissive dog, GET THIS BOOK, though...
  By on 2002-06-06
  it is about behavior modification and not dog training per se.
  Don't Shoot the Dog! is the best fundamental description of behaviorism I have ever read. My husband and I have used its principles in training our extremely submissive and abused by a former owner Jack Russell terrier to develop some mental health. This is not a cookbook, it is a philosophy. Pryor does not endorse pure behaviorism; in her work with dolphins described in Lads Before the Wind, she writes extensively about her philosophy falling between that of Konrad Lorenz, the ethologist, and B.F. Skinner. There are hard wired behavior traits present in all species and using operant conditioning via a method like clicker training actually uses those traits to the trainer's advantage, never forgetting that there are some instincts that are so hard wired that they are impossible to overcome. This training is not necessarily an easy to do BECAUSE IT REQUIRES REAL INSIGHT, PATIENCE AND SENSITIVITY ON THE PART OF THE TRAINER! Our dog had been beaten for being a submissive urinator which -- gues what!! -- made her more of a submissive urinator. Three months of hard work following the philosophy of this book have helped immensely. This book has applications in all of our dealings with other sensient beings.
  
  
• Its simplicity is what makes it brilliant!
  By AEG5H9MONJY01 on 2000-04-29
  What I found so valuable about this book was that it didn't spend endless pages discussing fashionable theories about the harm of being spanked in public, or how to get in touch with your little inner brat. It's a straightforward plan on how to help people do what they want to do. It's not a charade. It's not tricking people. It's giving feedback about what are better and worse behaviors.

  I wish the book wasn't so closely associated with animal training because most of its discussion concerns human relationships. It seems like most people who know about this book are animal people. In my case, I obtained a rottweiler who wouldn't let anyone touch him. Instead of trying to *force* him to let me touch him, or *try* to touch him and back away when he recoiled (thereby rewarding the bad behavior), I used Pryor's clicker training. The closer he came to me, the more I clicked. If he brushed by me, I clicked. In one day he was diving into my chest, twisting his head into my chest, and looking for the click. And leading up to this, as he was preoccupied with touching me, he lost any concern that I was touching him.

  There's *no* other training method that builds the kind of secure enviornment where things move only as fast as the trainee wants it to, that rewards exploration and where nothing's really the "wrong answer," and everything is learning.

  This should be required reading in school.
  
  

• Not what I expected at all.
  By A12D1W27AMNG7O on 2000-11-16
  I am sure that many will find this book very good and very useful. I was looking for more of a practical guide rather than an investigation of the psychological underpinnings of conditioned training. If you are looking for a practical guide to training, look elsewhere.
  
  
• Don't shoot the Boss
  By A3NW5AMEN4CYR7 on 2001-03-30
  I gave this book four stars only because it really isn't about dog training specifically, or clicker training either. As I realized this, I was somewhat disappointed. But I couldn't quite drop it, and continued. I was glad I did. I found the information, and insite into both human and critter psychology enlightening. Since I had already read Clicker training your Horse, I understood the concept of the clicker. This book gave me a glimpse of how positive reinforcement might be applied to people...where obviously clicking might just get you smacked. I applied positive reinforcment to my boss. He was not a horrible boss, but he was not a caring boss either. I noticed that he seemed to be hungry for approval from his equals, and it occured to me that maybe approval from anywhere might be his "click/reward" I started applying methods suggested in the book, and with in a couple of weeks, he was a most solitious boss. We (the lowerdowns) came to adore this boss, and strove to stay in his department. The more we reinforced the behaviors we liked...the more he exibited them. This book could change your relationship with people. I would recommend it to anyone who deals with people, or animals. Read it through, then go back and study the highlights.
  
  
• A Must-Read for any parent or pet owner!
  By on 2002-04-27
  Fun and clever, this book should be compulsory reading in every high school! It is not so much about training dogs as it is about general behaviour and how to treat your fellow people and animals, with the method of Positive Reinforcement. Karen Pryor explains with clear and simple language HOW and WHEN it came about (dolphin training) and WHY it actually works. (Later on, it was adopted by the dog training community as "clicker-training".) The theories and the training methods are supported by memorable anecdotes. Most importantly, this book is not about any hokus-pokus, but simply an explanation of why we (humans and animals) behave the way we do and how we can go about changing each other's behaviour without using force.
  After having read the book, I couldn't wait to try out Positive Reinforcement on my cats, my husband, my sons and my mother - and it works really well! The more copies that are sold of this book, the better a place the world would be.
  If you get hooked on this book and you have a dog, I recommend that you follow up with the more detailed "The Power of Positive Dog Training" by Pat Miller.
  
  
• Very Poor
  By A10T09DE248KIQ on 2001-07-16
  Not a good choice for someone looking for a good all around dog training book. Very few practical examples, hard to get into, too much is irrelevant to dogs. This book will be very little help for a novice dog owner looking to deal with your typical adolescent puppy problems. For those looking to have a better understanding and relationship with their dog, I would recommend "Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson.
  
  
• Poorly Written, Bad Information
  By on 2001-10-05
  Sooner or later, this fad will die out, mercifully. Dogs are not dolphins, to train them requires an understanding of who they are, not who we'd like them to be. I am a professional trainer and much of my practice is devoted to fixing problems caused by this book.
  
  
• So.. Phydeaux won't listen to you....
  By A5Y0EUIXCOTX5 on 2003-01-23
  When I took into my home a totally disfunctional Australian Cattle Dog this was the first new addition to my bookshelf. I needed help in understanding his quirks and kinks and this was the book that did the deed.

  Bad dog? No! Bad handler/owner!

  This book provides very good insight into how to put together a behavior modification program for your disfunctional Phydeaux.
  
  

• Insightful -- and works like a charm
  By A2RG99ULHC7XDS on 2006-04-19
  I'm a novice dog owner -- and I stumbled across this book while researching clicker trainer. Most "traditional" dog obedience classes require that a puppy be at least six months old -- so it can withstand the choke collar. In fact, that's what the class in my city paper recommended -- so I decided to evaluate some positive training methods in the meantime. Immediately, I was impressed with the response of my dog. I decided to try a clicker -- though I was too cheap to even invest in that -- so I tried making a clicking sound with my tongue. And, to my amazement, my dog responded.
  
  I knew this book was about operant conditioning -- and an all-purpose book on training methods -- not just dogs. In other words, I knew what I was buying -- and I was not expecting a dog training manual. But the advice in this book has been life changing for me.
  
  I decided to put the positive techniques to work. As a father, I wanted to encourange my 8-year-old daughter to practice softball with me. She's already a great student, but I was tired of begging her to practice with me. With Karen's book, I realized that all my advice on throwing, batting, etc was acting as a "nagging" negative aversive to her practice. If I want more time, then I should focus on that first. Reward her for five minutes time -- then bump it up from there. And shape one behavior at a time -- so I focused on catching. First, I challenged her to make five catches in a row. And that is all the advice that I gave. The challenge made "catch" exciting for her. When she made five catches -- I offered to take her for some ice cream -- and, as Karen suggested, end the session on a positive note. But, to my surprise, my daughter wanted to keep on going. And the next day, she wanted to try another challenge.
  
  I also learned to be more selective about my praise. Instead of praising everything on game day -- I'm more selective. I keep quiet, and let her make mistakes. I don't say "nice try" or "shake it off" or "hustle" or "get ready" or anything. But when she makes a great play, I praise her right away. As Karen suggested, this makes the praise more sincere and meaningful. And it works -- and my daughter is really into softball now.
  
  This book has changed my perspective on how I approach training in general. And not only has it helped me "coach" my daughter, but it's helped with the dog training as well. So much so, that I've decided to forgo the "traditional" class in favor of a more positive class that accepts younger puppies.
  
  
• Teaching this ol' Dog New Belly Dance Tricks
  By A2IEUKEMM9QHOZ on 2004-08-13
  I found this in the psych/self-help section of the bookstore following a nightmare dance rehearsal, in which I'm trying to learn a troupe choreography for a competition, but repeatedly screwing up and beating myself up.
  Stop barking up the wrong tree and debating on whether this stuff works on dogs or not. Use this book to help train YOURSELF do the things you've wanted with all your heart but couldn't because you ran up against some vauge and insurmountable psychological barrier.
  I was sold on the book because it discusses the things you will experience in the course of learning, like when you suddenly are unable to perform anything right after appearing to have climbed the learning curve successfully (prelearning dip), and you're getting so frustrated you're in tears and throwing your dance shoes across the floor (prelearning temper tantrum). Knowing this is a normal progression (but if you're a horse, you'd be kicking and swishing your tail, a dog, you'd be growling, and if you're a dolphin, you'd be breaching and bellyflopping), and not something to feel guilty about.
  P.S. Thanks to the patience my wonderful dance teacher, we have
  won the dance troupe competition.
  
  
• A MUST for anyone interested in NLP or persuasion
  By A3DXF36ACHT5ZZ on 2000-03-06
  This is a FANTASTIC book about using positive reinforcement to increase incidences of behavior we like (both in animals and humans) and decrease incidences of behavior we don't like. The author makes an utterly convincing set of arguments for discounting punishment as an effective training technique. I think the vast majority of us would have found our school years far more engaging, enriching, and humane had all of our teachers assimilated the lessons of this book.
  
  
• Amazing insight into behavior modification
  By A19JT1638T6I62 on 2001-03-30
  In this book, Karen Pryor writes very clearly and effectively about the power of positive reinforcement (rewards) to modify behavior. Although it is not, as others have noted, a practical guide to training or modifying specific behaviors, it provides the necessary foundation-understanding of the theory behind the methods that will make the reader better at using the methods. As a professional dog trainer, I recommend this book to every pet owner - and to everyone else who wishes to modify behavior, whether that's the behavior of a pet, a person, or themselves!
  
  
• Great writer -- this book rescues her field
  By AQCQO4HEN648P on 2006-07-06
  Karen Pryor is a terrific writer. This book is an excellent summary of the field of behavioral science, a field that is largely misunderstood. I certainly didn't appreciate its value until I read this truly excellent treatment of the topic.
  
  Before I read this book, I had a general bias against behaviorism. I had heard that some behavioral techniques had gotten good results for some types of mental problems, but it seemed inappropriate to apply such simplistic ideas to humans on a regular basis.
  
  Boy, was I wrong!
  
  Pryor explains in this slim, fun-to-read volume that behavioral science is real and important. Behavior has its own set of rules, and we are subject to them just as surely as we are subject to the laws of gravity (regardless of how well we understand either). Pryor understands these underlying principles very well, and has a wealth of knowledge about how to apply them.
  
  This short book covers so much!
  
  It provides an excellent overview of the laws that govern the behavior of all creatures.
  
  It gives us a short course in animal training, pointing out the differences among animals. (Training cats is very different from training dogs, training dolphins, Pryor's specialty, brings additional challenges, elephants are incredibly smart; there are some wonderful animal stories in this book.)
  
  And it's a really nice short course in how to apply the laws of behavior and the options for reinforcement to our own lives.
  
  Pryor makes it clear that much of our character and many of our actions are shaped NOT through language or understanding but through our experiences. Pryor's clear explication of exactly how this works gives us a new language to think with and to experiment with. It was really eye-opening to me. A better understanding of behavior and reinforcement gives us a whole new toolkit to explore.
  
  Both a realist and an optimist, Pryor writes absolutely delightful prose. It's uplifting and inspiring, which is pretty amazing for a book that also shows just how far we are from having a good shared understanding of this topic.
  
  This book makes a huge contribution toward rescuing an underappreciated body of knowledge.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Disappointed...
  By A1V9AGK4UNWR1E on 2006-12-08
  As a professional trainer, my collegues often talk about Pryor. Raving about her. If you review her book carefully YOU are the one who has been trained...Trained to buy into her philosophy. As you read this book note how she carefully switches terminology to present her techinques positively and vilify anything that dosent agree with her.
  This book was groundbreaking...when it was orginally written in 1984, 20 years later, its a bit behind the times. So much new work has been done in this field. And there are much more insightful and engaging books out there. As one of the other reviews stated this is not a dog training book. It is more of a behavioral modification philosophy. Pryor has some good tips and techniques, but nothing that impressed me.
  I had a difficult time finishing this book, I found it very boring. At times her philosophy eluded to manipulating TOTAL control over behavior. I train my dogs with positive techinques to behave well, not be robots. As a result I have an entire wall full of obedience, agility and flyball ribbons and titles. It is possible to overtrain the indivuality right out of an animal or person. Do you really want that??
  I think this is a case for pop culture. A group of people are impressed by her philosophy, so everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. Losing their ability to be objective. Pryor is good, but I dont feel she deserves the reputation Pop culture masses have given her.
  She spends far too much time telling stories, and anicdotes, and not much time discussing techniques. For a 200 page book she could have thoroughly discussed her philosophy in 50 pages. The rest is filler....
  Everyone is entitled their opinion, and has different expectations. Pryor fell far short of mine.
  
  
• Don't Shoot The Dog
  By A2L03SKGT4ZYVN on 2005-06-15
  I think the meat of this book could have been captured in one really good paragraph. If you want to train dolphins, whales, birds, or even chickens, this book is for you. But, if you want to teach a dog to come, sit, lie down or stay, there has to be a better choice. This is not a "how to" book in terms of specific, practical, dog training techniques, but rather a philosophy of training in general. I found the title misleading.
  
  
• language learning and positive reinforcement
  By AZNB3T4U63CQQ on 2001-04-06
  I first learned of this book while volunteering at a raptor rehabilitation center. While I valued the techniques, I wondered what other areas of life I could use them in. A passion of mine was learning other languages. I then read about behavior chains and memorizing poems, etc. I then thought about using this technique to memorize basic phrases of some foreign language. I picked up a phrasebook for the russian language. I listened and repeated the phrases. After repeating the phrases, I then started to treat each phrase as a behavior chain. As I continued learning new material, I would then recall the previous phrase with ease. In a short amount of time I had learned the entire phrase book! I was tickled. As of this writing, I am taking a russian language class and have been passing with an ease I had never known. The professor is impressed with my ability to absorb the new material presented. I am now helping out in an English as a Second Language class and using the same techniques I used to learn Russian. The students have found learning to be painless. Before reading this book I had dreaded taking any structured class. I now find it a pleasure to learn and am now ready to pursue more classes at the local university. What a gift!
  
  
• Excellent beginner foray into behavior modification
  By on 2001-11-07
  I don't know where I and my dogs would be without DON'T SHOOT THE DOG. This book was the first book that opened my eyes to a new way a training -- a way based on understanding the principles underlying the "cookbook recipes" I'd been given. Now I'm so much more successful.

  I highly recommend this book to any person who wants to learn how to modify their dog's behavior and has been told (wrongly) that their dog is too "stubborn," "dominant," "fearful," "aggressive" or even the wrong breed(!) to train. Those words just mean that the trainer wasn't educated enough to work with your dog. Now you can be successful on your own!

  I'm awfully glad this "fad" got started. I never would have made it as a dog owner without it!
  
  

• but you can shoot your cat
  By AIU8YRECU4HZ4 on 2002-03-18
  Ok, I agree with most of the reviews written here-- this book, and Karen's thinking, is life changing, and also a very enjoyable read. It is not really about "dog training" but is instead about behavior training of all types. (If you do have a dog, you will want to go to a petstore and buy her "clicker training" kit for dogs-- wow.) There was one really odd thing in the book-- Karen admits that she once owned a cat she could not get to stop peeing on her stove top, SO SHE KILLED THE CAT. What's up with that???????
  
  

• The Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way to Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs
• The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
• On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals
• Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs
• How to be the Leader of the Pack...And have Your Dog Love You For It. ("How to" booklets from Dog's Best Friend)