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Summary: I was very disappointed in much of what I read.
Review: Ms. Donaldson has many good ideas, but unfortunately in some areas her views are narrow-minded. She accepts food training as the "only valid approach". While I did appreciate her insight in some areas, I was turned off not only by her style of writing, but also by her "unforgiving" and "all-knowing" premises. Too often good advice is obscured seemimgly by a desire to blow her own horn. It is unfortunate, because I belive she has alot of insight. Nobody has all the answers, and I believe that in her heart Ms. Donalson knows that, but it does not come through clearly on most pages. This book can add to a trainers knowledge and be useful, as long as, one does not treat it as "the dog training bible"; which I believe that the author thinks that it is.
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Summary: absolutely a must for the dog owner/trainer
Review: I have a breed that is often misunderstood, and does not respond well to your usual training methods. Donaldson has given me a way that I can train and progress in training, and still enjoy the process. She also encourages one to be inventive to get the results needed. If you are only going to buy one book on dogs this would be the one.
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Summary: Never be ashamed of your Halti & your Clicker again.
Review: I have read many dog training books in the past 6 months, but this is the only one that really rang true for me. Jean Donaldson articulates what many dog owners have felt for some time: that yanking, yelling and regimentation do NOT constitute positive training methods. She rightly calls slip-collars and choke chains "strangulation collars," and makes it clear that the "leash correction" is simply a punishment -- and not a very effective one at that. Her whole training ethos is based on the premise that dogs are dogs, not people. That may sound pretty obvious, but it doesn't seem to be, at least not to traditional dog trainers. If you have a dog that likes to be a dog (interacts with both humans and dogs in the same manner, and doesn't like to be restrained in any way) Donaldson's training methods will save your sanity -- and perhaps your dog's life. This book is more than a manual, however, as it fully explains the theory before detailing the methods. Along the way, it provides a good read and some great laughs. This is also the first book I've read that describes some fun and effective training games to play with your dog, rather than just saying "play with your dog." It's not all fun and games though: I dare you to read the section called "Empathy 101" and remain unmoved toward the plight of the average family dog. My only (minor) complaint about "Culture Clash" is that it needs either a more detailed Table of Contents, an Index, or both. That said, however, I urge you to buy this book, and leave the traditional methods of dog training back in WWII, where they began, and where they belong!
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Summary: What a refeshing gust of fresh air Jean Donaldson is!
Review: I love my dog so much and we have such a bond that I have to admit that, like so many people who love their pets, I have been guilty of trying to see only the human attributes in her.No wonder training has been progressing so slowly! Jean Donaldson's book has given me a whole new perspective - to appreciate dogs in their own unique way, and to finally realize that they are another species of being, not just children in fur! Thanks, Jean- and I am sure my dog would thank you too - she has been trying to be a dog but I have insisted on trying to make her a human.
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Summary: The only book I recommend to ALL dog owners!
Review: I am a professional dog trainer, and *Culture Clash* is the only book I recommend to all dog owners, regardless of experience with dogs, training knowledge and ability, etc. Donaldson covers what I feel is the most important aspect of dog ownership -- bite prevention -- with a thoroughness that no other book does. Rather than blaming the dog for doing what comes naturally, she teaches the reader how to change the dog's natural responses to ones that are acceptable to human beings. And this will save many dogs' lives.Donaldson has been criticized for her up-front language, particularly when it comes to her criticisms of traditional (largely competitive) obedience trainers. But this is one of the things I like BEST about the book. Rather than pussyfoot around the issue of punishment, she confronts it head-on and then offers alternatives. A wonderful book that is not only very informative, but so well-written that you read it like a novel.
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Summary: Best dog (and owner) training book around...
Review: Donaldson not only knows dogs, she offers practical and constructive advice that makes dog training a joy. You'll want to read this book at least once, preferably before bringing a new pup or dog home.
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Summary: A truly outstanding book on dog training and psychology
Review: Whether you are a seasoned dog trainer or a new dog owner, you will absolutely benefit from reading this book. Jean Donaldson displays a true understanding of the canine mind, combined with a common-sense and practical approach to dog training. Most importantly, her writing style is entertaining enough to keep you reading zealously til the end.
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Summary: Training from the dog's point of view
Review: I was originally turned off by the beginning of this book. The author's ideas about dogs having no "desire to please" their owners was so contrary to everything that is considered basic about dog training and dog behavior that I didn't believe it to be true. However, she thoroughly backed up her ideas and completely clarified the difference between "desire to please" as we see it and "desire to get treats or attention" as the dog sees it. It's difficult to get beyond the "Disney" approach to dogs as she calls it, the way society and Hollywood have taught us dogs should behave, but the book opened my eyes to what sort of relationship dogs really have with people. The book takes dog training from a dog's point of view - and that is the best way to get results. The empathy for the dog's position that the author encourages was a completely new experience for me. I adopted an adult dog from a shelter four months ago who had never been indoors before. She had been abused and you could hardly say "no" to her without her cringing and running away. I needed a training method that was completely positive and non-abusive in every sense of the word. More importantly, I needed a training method that worked. My dog can sit, down, stay, come, wait, drop, and fetch; she doesn't jump up, she doesn't chase the cats, and she's housebroken - all thanks to this book. The author thoroughly takes you through the way dogs learn with specific examples and exercises. It's hard not to get excited about teaching your dog after learning so completely how to teach! I highly recommend this book to new dog owners and to people looking to improve their relationship with their pets. Getting rid of unrealistic expectations makes all the difference in understanding and relating to your dog.
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Summary: Should be required reading
Review: This book should be required reading BEFORE anyone can buy/adopt a dog. Although some have critized it for not offering more indepth training information, that was not the intention of the author. Rather Ms. Donaldson is attempting to stop the war we wage on our dogs for being dogs, hoping that we will gain new knowledge and understanding of how our dogs think and how they look at the world. Yes, there is some training information, but its purpose is to show how we can achieve a well-mannered dog without resorting to fear and pain rather than to be a step-by-step training guide. Yes, an index would have been nice, but, as a professional trainer, I would and do recommned this book to anyone who has a dog or is contemplating getting one. It's a real eye opener about how we humans treat "man's best friend."
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Summary: Inexplicable Animus
Review: I'm in the process of exploring dog training as my next career. I was quite surprised to discover the level of heat around the various dog training philosophies and methods.
My central critique of this book and author is the false dichotomy she sets up between "positive" training and "punishment" training. Certainly many trainers use correction, physical direction, punishment, and negative reinforcement more than I believe is necessary or effective. (And I say that with the humble understanding that they may be right, and I may be wrong.)
Even those trainers, however, use a heckuva a lot of positive reinforcement! For instance pets, kisses, and a "Good boy!" granted after physically guiding a dog into a sit is a practice that incorporates positive reinforcement.
By contrast, some of the tools and techniques Donaldson espouses are, in fact, punishments: When the dog pulls against a "gentle leader" and feels uncomfortable pressure that causes him to stop and to avoid the behavior in the future, that (if I understood my grad psych professor) is what behaviorists call punishment. Harshness is not a necessary defining quality of punishment! In addition, the witholding of a reward is a negative reinforcement, not a positive one.
My tentative conclusion is that every competent trainer employs some balance between reward and correction. The trainer I'd want for my dog (and that I want to become) is one who arrives at that balance after considering the individual dog, not one who lays a stake in the ground and dogmatically avoids sound and safe techniques or uses harsher techniques when a gentler one will do.
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