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(as of Feb 26, 2025 05:13:40 UTC – Details)
Victoria Stilwell, the world’s best-known positive reinforcement dog trainer and star of the hit Animal Planet TV show, It’s Me or the Dog, explains how to use her force-free, scientifically-backed training methods to solve common canine behavior problems.
In her third book, renowned dog behavior expert Victoria Stilwell provides a comprehensive toolbox designed to help dog owners overcome the most persistent, annoying and dangerous behavior problems in their dogs. Far from being merely another dog training manual, however, it also serves as an easily accessible yet scientifically sound roadmap for understanding where our dogs come from, how they experience the world and what we need to teach them most effectively. Train Your Dog Positively is the definitive must-read book for all dog lovers who are committed to giving their canine companion the best chance to succeed by harnessing the power of force-free training techniques.
With this upbeat, proven guide, Victoria addresses the main problem behaviors that have dog owners wringing their hands in desperation, from submissive urination to separation anxiety to leash aggression to jumping up on visitors. Just like she does in her TV shows, Victoria helps owners actually change the way their dog thinks, feels, and learns. Using her time-tested and scientifically-backed brand of positive reinforcement training methodology, Stilwell not only helps us understand once and for all why outdated and dangerous punishment-based methods are so flawed, but also how and why to replace them with more effective and long-lasting positive solutions that create a bond between man and dog based on mutual trust, respect and love.
Chapters include:
Part I. The Relationship: The Way Dogs Developed, How They Learn, and What We Need to Understand Them
Chapter 1. Dominance and Pack Theory: Are Dogs on a Quest for World Domination?Chapter 2. The Power of Positive ReinforcementChapter 3. Leading Without Force: The Future of Dog TrainingChapter 4. Building the Bond: Understanding Canine LanguagePart II. Behavioral Training Solutions
Chapter 5. The Positive Puppy: Building a Solid Training FoundationChapter 6. Housetraining Hell: Solving Toileting IssuesChapter 7. Home-Alone Blues: Easing Separation Distress and AnxietyChapter 8. Stress, Anxiety, and Fear: From Thunderstorm Phobia to Compulsive BehaviorChapter 9. Canine Aggression: From Resource Guarding to Leash AggressionChapter 10. Solving Common Behavior Problems: Stealing, Running Away, Jumping Up, Barking, Leash Pulling, Poop Eating, and Mouthing
Publisher : Ten Speed Press; 1st edition (March 19, 2013)
Language : English
Paperback : 256 pages
ISBN-10 : 1607744147
ISBN-13 : 978-1607744146
Item Weight : 9 ounces
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.72 x 8.3 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book provides useful information on positive training and dog psychology. They find it an interesting read and enjoy the clear, concise writing style. The common-sense techniques are easy to follow and understandable.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
M. Ramos –
Amazing book!
I love this book! It’s such a good read, and the information in it is very valuable. Victoria Stilwell is a huge proponent of positive reinforcement training for dogs, and speaks a lot against punitive methods such as “alpha rolls”, electric shocks, and prong/choke collars, to name a few. In her writing, as well as in her show “it’s me or the dog”, it is clear how compassionate she is towards dogs and people, and how creative and intelligent she is in her methods of addressing unwanted behaviors without using force and punishment. I’ve enjoyed reading this book throughly, and have gained a lot of knowledge and insight that has helped me work better with my 3 year old dog who I recently adopted. I love how Victoria instills the important of building trust with your dog(s). Also she is quite vocal in her book about her stance against punitive trainers (those who have the “alpha”, “pack leader” mentality and are confrontational and harsh with dogs).She also describes very novel things in the book for addressing all sorts of issues, in particular for separation anxiety. Things that don’t come up in the first page of a Google search.I also like how really people can’t be morally/ethically against her teachings and techniques.I recommend everyone with a dog gets this book!
Tim Rigg –
Excellent book!
I had to significantly change my viewpoint/methods of dog training when I read this book. Since reading this book, I researched a lot on dog behavior that confirms what this author has to say. I have used her method/viewpoint with training my Newfoundland for service dog work. The methods have been very, very successful. My only complaint with the book is the author’s continued denouncement of the old “domination” theory. I agree with her, but it seemed like she took up about 20% of the book villainizing the old theory. I believe that when she had adequately/succinctly made her point, the reader would have benefited from more real-life training applications demonstrating how to use this new viewpoint of dog behavioralism.Another good book on dog behavioralism is “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know” by Alexandra Horwitz
Christopher L. Monroe –
Skip the first 50 pages
I love Victoria and her techniques. Watching her TV show taught me everything I know about training my first dog. I was getting a puppy for the first time and of course she was the first source I would go to. My only issue with this book is that she spends the first 50 or so pages selling the reader on why positive training techniques work better than dominance based approaches. I already know this. It made for a slow read at first as I did not need convincing that her methods work. Still, brilliant woman who teaches effective and human training techniques. I wish she would come back to TV.
RPilla –
Great for sighthounds!
I believe Stilwell’s methods are the best way to educate your dog, and in this book, she actually explains/summarizes everything you see in her tv show and in her you tube channel. I own an Italian Greyhound, a very sensitive breed, and very intelligent (they are so intelligent that they actually refuse to repeat tricks on command; he knows what the command means, he will choose if he feels like doing it), so clearly not easy to train… It’s all about getting them to want to do it for you, so for us the positive training was perfect: I have been following her suggestions for the past 2 years, and I have to say that among a large group of friends that are sighthound owners, I can really see the difference: he is very attentive to me, and often follows commands by hand gesture only… which again, may be an everyday thing for a labrador, but is huge achievement for the sighthound owner!
Ruby I. Elrod –
Treat Your Dog Positively
I am actually still reading this book, which I downloaded into my Kindle Fire. I have a lot of respect for Victoria Stillwell, and I agree with her training methods. Like many others, I watched Cesar Millan and his belief in “Leader of the Pack” and making sure your dog walks beside you and not in front. I bought into all that before I heard of Victoria. It is evident that she disagrees with Cesar without mentioning his name. I saw an episode of the Dog Whisperer once and the show took place at his home. A little dog of Cesar’s did something wrong, and he poked him right away and snapped his fingers. The little dog cowered down like he felt he was going to be struck, and I didn’t like that. I don’t ever want any of my dogs to cower away from me or be afraid of me. Victoria teaches with kindness and love along with small treats and makes training fun for her pet. I would recommend her book for someone with a puppy or an older dog.
Matthew in the Low Country –
Wonderful book!
We were so happy when Victoria Stilwell chose our little Sofi to be on the cover of this book. Sofi is the dog in Victoria’s arms and is a rescue dog (found under a bridge in Henry County, Georgia).Train Your Dog Positively is a must read for those who love their dogs and want to know how to better communicate with them. We learned so much about Sofi and other dogs by reading Train Your Dog Positively and highly recommend it to everyone who wants to figure out how to deal with and figure out their dog’s behavior. Training your dog really can be painless and enjoyable. Buy it today!
Noomin –
Eminently skimmable
I like the author’s approach and philosophy: your dog is not trying to dominate you, so lead with positive reinforcement rather than inspiring fear and compelling submission. But there’s too much yada yada against the negative reinforcement method espoused by the soi-disant dog-whisperer Cesar Milan, whom she never names, but whom she surely has in mind. His and similar methods have been, I believe, widely exposed as misguided and a huge setback to dog training, though perhaps things were different in 2013 when the book was published. Clearly she was on a mission. But the point is that overall, tighter editing would have resulted in a shorter, less repetitive, and therefore more readable–and useful–book.
Dawn Pollock –
I have watched her show and YouTube videos, and thought I must read her book. Well written, clear instruction! Thank you itâs great!
Alicia –
Por fin un libro de perros con consejos que se pueden hacer sin tener que ser domador de leones y sirven para algo.Totalmente recomendable si te gustan los perros y quieres entenderlos mejor. Me ha encantado porque trata problemas con los que casi cualquier propietario de perros se puede encontrar… desde pasear con la correa sin que sea un suplicio a otros problemas más graves.Un 10.
Tully Williams –
Stilwell knows precious little about dog training. A truly hopeless book.
Cliente de Amazon –
Muy recomendable para quienes nos gusta entrenar de forma positiva. Ya habÃa visto los programas de Victoria y ofrece consejos prácticos y útiles.
Crafty girl –
Quite interesting ideas in this book. My puppy has responded to many of them but still tries to push the boundaries like all children.The seller gave a very good service. A++