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Summary: Don't misunderstand the monks!
Review: Don't let the bad reviews scare you... this book is too valuable to allow yourself to be dissuaded by politically-correct morons who take the monk's ideas out of context. Truly, every bad review I have read on Amazon completely overstate and misrepresent the monk's ideas on physical discipline. The monks do NOT advocate beating your dog. They also ONLY support physical discipline for SEVERE transgressions, such as violent behavior by the dog or serious household destruction, NOT as a way to teach your dog to sit or stay. Also, they are very specific about how to use physical discipline, which is helpful... for instance, they say you should never use an object to hit your dog, you should never hit a dog from behind or above, and in fact you shouldn't need to hit your dog unless ABSOLUTELY necessary, when other methods fail. Physical discipline is NOT a first recourse for the monks.Having said that, they also try to emphasize (in a very helpful way) that a dog is not a person! All too often, people anthropomorphize their dogs. They are DOGS! The monks understand the animal that is a dog, and try to have this understanding be as independent as possible from humanity, aside from the human-dog relationship. Therefore, dogs expect a certain degree of physical discipline that is entirely appropriate (look at how a mother disciplines her pups) which MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR HUMANS! Do not mistake dogs for people... the monks are not suggesting that you use physical discipline on your children! You may well find an effective approach that does not involve physical discipline... which is fine. According to the monks, however, this only serves to alleviate your own HUMAN feelings of guilt. The monks simply believe that physical discipline is appropriate and non-cruel when done appropriately and with a high level of respect for the dog. As far as the rest of the book goes, it is a complete tome of all aspects of the human-dog relationship. Even if you don't agree with physical discipline, there is no other more complete book touching on each subject. Do not deprive yourself of this excellent overview of dog raising. The monks may not go into many details for some of the subjects, but they provide an extensive list for further reading on specific subjects, which is much appreciated. All in all, an outstanding reference book. Highly recommended to anyone to read cover-to-cover before even getting a dog, regardless of your agreement with them on all issues.
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Summary: higly reccomend
Review: I have used this book to train several dogs up to 75 lbs. The section on house training is worth the price alone!
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Summary: Completely the wrong book for my dog!
Review: A friend recommended this book to me highly, and she could not have been more wrong. I had a small rescued terrier who had been abused, and the techniques in this book made things far, far worse. German sheperds are one thing; small terrified dogs are quite another. They should make that crystal clear in the text. I spent months with a behaviorist, in part undoing the damage this book did.
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Summary: Outstanding, a must read for all dog owners
Review: I recently purchased this updated version after having long worn out my older copy. A fantastic, facinating read. Having trained a Shepherd, Lab and Weimeraner based on the principles in this book, I can tell you that while these techniques may not work on every dog, they seem very well suited to the herding/hunting type dog. Not only did my pups loyalty and obedience increase but they also respected me which is essential with a dog big enough to take you down :) It doesn't advocate abuse of any kind towards your dog. Use common sense! If this approach doesn't work for your dog, use another. Like people, dogs learn in a variety of ways. For my dogs, this gets an A+!
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Summary: The Monks Get the Final Word in My Book
Review: Most of the good books I've read on puppy raising are about 80% the same. Where they do differ, I go with the Monks every time. After all, who else has dedicated their entire existence to raising dogs? When your other training books disagree and you can't decide for yourself, let the Monks be the tiebreakers. And the Monks are extremely pragmatic. For example: just staple your throw rugs to the wooden floors, and let puppies chew the branches you trim from your trees.
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Summary: Good book for training aggresive dogs
Review: It is tiresome how these reviews have deteriorated to a fanatical name-calling of the advocates of "modern" training (food, gadgets, etc) against the classical training techniques. There is no black and white here. I have 2 dogs. While the first one responded fine to the "modern" traning advised by our trainer, the second one had a very aggresive streak and modern mumbo-jumbo just DID NOT WORK. If I had not tried more classical methods, I would have had to give her away. The "modernists" would do well to spare us their high-mindedness until they try training a very aggresive dog with their methods. I bet most will be singing a different tune afterwards.
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Summary: Amen brothers!
Review: This book covers the entire spectrum of your dog's life, from puppyhood to death. While there are those who would have you carry a fanny pack around with you if you want your dog to listen, the Monks are NOT those people. In the wild, dogs do not give each other treats when they listen - they teach them that listening is in their best interest, and that is what the monks will help you understand as well. If you want to teach your dogs to respect YOU, and not what you have in your hand, then this is the book for you!
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Summary: Best single book on raising dogs
Review: This book is full of great advice. Some of it will be of use for all dogs, and all of it will be of use for some dogs. Please, don't be put off by other reviewers that felt the methods advocated by the book are too harsh. Use your judgement and choose the methods and tools provided by the book that fit the situation and the dog. I've owned dogs most of my life. I have owned and showed Bouviers -- large, powerful dogs. Some were gentle, some were timid giants, and some were strong and bold. This book is my favorite, and years ago it helped turn around the family/pack dynamics between us and Kassi a young, very strong Bouvier. We might have had to get rid of her because she was starting to develop serious dominance problems, but in the end, after having to resort to every trick in this book, Kassi settled down and accepted her place in the family (the pack from her perspective) and became the most remarkable dog I've ever owned. She went on to become a champion in the show ring, but more importantly she became a steady, trusted companion that traveled to my wife's office with her every day. Rascal, Quincy, Poca, and Yena (the others) all have their own personalities, and none of them required the "scruff shake" as Kassi did, but Kassi was always our favorite -- a loving, affectionate, wonderful family dog full of personality, yet completely fearless and in control in every situation. If you have more than one dog, or a large dog, or you don't want your dog sleeping on the sofa or intimidating your guests or barking at your neighbor's children or growling over the food bowl, it will be necessary to understand dog psychology and communication. This book really will help you become your dog's best friend. Every dog is different, and there are a number of good books on dogs so I wouldn't make any one book my only book on dogs, but don't pass this one up.
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Summary: With friends like them, who needs enemies?
Review: Just so neigh to New Skete!
I am ashamed to admit that 8 years ago I used to recommend this book. With all of the new positive dog training knowledge and techniques, I am astonished that it still sits in Amazon's best seller list. DO NOT buy this book! The monks' techniques are primitive and crude. The scruff shakes and alpha rolls are among the many things that are just not necessary for daily training and are not building blocks for a healthy relationship with your dog. Your dog will learn to fear you, not respect you...so I ask...what's the point in having a dog? If only I had known of Jean Donaldson, Karen Pryor, and Ian Dunbar when I started training my dogs, I would not have the burden of guilt that I do today.
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Summary: Old practices, bad habits...
Review: "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" is an ironic name for this book, seeing as it addresses (or even dares to ask) the question "How hard do you hit your dog?" With all of the newest studies proving that positive reinforcement is a more effective method than punishing bad behavior, why would you even want to hit the dog? In personal experience, punishing the dog did nothing. I regret using those techniques... and the damage will never be completely undone. The punishment "view" only works under the hand of a skilled, trained professional... and even then it is a dangerous and often misused tool. Instead, I would recommend books on building your relationship with your pet (like "Bones Would Rain from the Sky" by Suzanne Clothier) not destroying and damaging your dog's trust in you.
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