101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog

This is an excellent book. Not all of the tricks can be taught to your dog, but who knows? My dog might live long enough to do all these and be almost like a human being, as he already is at 9 weeks old...^.^...As I had received this book after I got my puppy from Dallas and taught him the four requisite commands, I started teaching him some other things that I had already taught early in my other Rotties who had passed away. When I referenced this book, the extra tricks I had been teaching my puppy were in the advanced section of this book. I was pleased with that. Since then I had been teaching my dog a little more tricks from the book and reinforcing the others I have already taught. This book has it all and more. My dog will not be a Hollywood dog but at least, he will be a good show at our airplane events. I will surely buy another book similar by this author.

Although I seriously doubt that my little Nellie will ever come close to doing what Chalcy does, we are still having a ball learning together from 101 Dog Tricks. The format of this book is wonderfully easy to follow and the photos are delightful. Thanks Kyra for providing us with one more way to thoroughly enjoy sharing our lives with dogs!

My puppy is just starting to learn "sit", but the behavior shaping that the book illustrates will be useful in the future.

This book is great. I have a young puppy, so we haven't gone very far with the tricks quite yet, but this is sure to foster a bond between us and be loads of fun. Some of the tricks in this book are outright hilarious!

The only reason I have given this book 2 stars is that it contains really lovely pictures. Beyond that, I am appalled by the content of the book.

The "trainer" advocates negative reinforcement as a training tool, which is not only an ineffective technique, it is harmful to the dog/owner bond. The proper way to effectively train an animal, whether you're teaching it to sit, stay, or not poop on your bed, is through positive reinforcement and association. "Bopping" an animal's face or shoving its nose/head down into the posture you want it to adopt is completely stupid. It's mean, it's telling the dog that you don't value it enough to refrain from physically striking it, and it doesn't *teach* the dog what you want it to do.

If you're wanting to hit your dog, or believe that negative physical contact is the best way to train a dog to sit or lie down, then this book is for you.

If, on the other hand, you are wanting to learn the best way to really bond with your dog, teach it loads of tricks and manners, and have a happy, healthy, trusting pet, stay as far away from this book as possible. Buy a book on clicker training instead. That will be money well spent.