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Jump to navigationJump to searchTricks and Games To Teach Your Dog: How to Turn Your Much-Loved Pet into an Accomplished Performer by Sophie Collins (view source)
Revision as of 13:29, 17 October 2012
, 13:29, 17 October 2012Created page with "{{infobox |title=Tricks and Games To Teach Your Dog: How to Turn Your Much-Loved Pet into an Accomplished Performer |sort=Tricks and Games To Teach Your Dog: How to Turn Your ..."
{{infobox
|title=Tricks and Games To Teach Your Dog: How to Turn Your Much-Loved Pet into an Accomplished Performer
|sort=Tricks and Games To Teach Your Dog: How to Turn Your Much-Loved Pet into an Accomplished Performer
|author=Sophie Collins
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Pets
|summary=Tricks to keep your dog's mind and body agile - and they're fun too. Recommended.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|paperback=1908005696
|hardback=
|audiobook=
|ebook=
|pages=192
|publisher=Ivy Press
|date=September 2012
|isbn=978-1908005694
|website=
|video=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908005696</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1908005696</amazonus>
}}
Over a lifetime of owning dogs, from the small and nippy Jack Russells to the large and loving Rhodesian Ridgebacks, I've learned that the more you do with your dog - the more you interact - the better your dog will be. People say that they're not great conversationalists (personally I'd disagree) but they have a tremendous willingness to please and they love to have fun with you. Sophie Collins has put together a collections of tricks and games which you can teach your dog and they range from the ''sit'', ''stay'' and ''down'' of basic training through to quite complicated tasks and agility training. There's something there for every size and every age.
Why do it? Well, firstly, it's fun for both dog and human and learning keeps the dog's mind agile. A lot of it is good exercise - and there are always going to be days when the weather's not good enough to be outside for any length of time. It helps too with general training: a dog who will bark on command is easily stopped from barking when you don't want him to bark. And ultimately you are going to know your dog better and your dog will know you. It's bonding of the first order.
Each trick or game is illustrated with the dog against a white background and each stage is shown. It isn't quite as ''simple'' as it looks but the building blocks are all there and it just needs perseverance on the owner's part. Where appropriate there are safety recommendation about whether or not a trick might be suitable for your dog with clear warnings about which dogs might find the trick difficult or painful.
There's the odd distraction - the dog referred to a ''she'' when she, er, manifestly ''isn't'' - and only a couple of areas where I wasn't in agreement with Sophie Collins. In ''Look Left, Look Right and Cross the Road'' she suggests that the training is best done with the dog off the lead. Personally I think that it should be a criminal offence to have a dog off the lead where there is traffic. And she suggests cycling with your dog, albeit with a safety device attached, but I remain to be convinced that this is safe either.
The tricks and games are neatly graded, starting with the simplest and moving through to the more complex. There are ''hours'' of fun to be had here for you ''and'' your dog. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
For the true story of a dog who lived for his games and tricks we can recommend [[Last Dog On The Hill by Steve Duno]]. If you'd like to know more about how dogs communicate have a look at [[On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas]].
{{amazontext|amazon=1908005696}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=9162270}}
{{commenthead}}
|title=Tricks and Games To Teach Your Dog: How to Turn Your Much-Loved Pet into an Accomplished Performer
|sort=Tricks and Games To Teach Your Dog: How to Turn Your Much-Loved Pet into an Accomplished Performer
|author=Sophie Collins
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Pets
|summary=Tricks to keep your dog's mind and body agile - and they're fun too. Recommended.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|paperback=1908005696
|hardback=
|audiobook=
|ebook=
|pages=192
|publisher=Ivy Press
|date=September 2012
|isbn=978-1908005694
|website=
|video=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908005696</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1908005696</amazonus>
}}
Over a lifetime of owning dogs, from the small and nippy Jack Russells to the large and loving Rhodesian Ridgebacks, I've learned that the more you do with your dog - the more you interact - the better your dog will be. People say that they're not great conversationalists (personally I'd disagree) but they have a tremendous willingness to please and they love to have fun with you. Sophie Collins has put together a collections of tricks and games which you can teach your dog and they range from the ''sit'', ''stay'' and ''down'' of basic training through to quite complicated tasks and agility training. There's something there for every size and every age.
Why do it? Well, firstly, it's fun for both dog and human and learning keeps the dog's mind agile. A lot of it is good exercise - and there are always going to be days when the weather's not good enough to be outside for any length of time. It helps too with general training: a dog who will bark on command is easily stopped from barking when you don't want him to bark. And ultimately you are going to know your dog better and your dog will know you. It's bonding of the first order.
Each trick or game is illustrated with the dog against a white background and each stage is shown. It isn't quite as ''simple'' as it looks but the building blocks are all there and it just needs perseverance on the owner's part. Where appropriate there are safety recommendation about whether or not a trick might be suitable for your dog with clear warnings about which dogs might find the trick difficult or painful.
There's the odd distraction - the dog referred to a ''she'' when she, er, manifestly ''isn't'' - and only a couple of areas where I wasn't in agreement with Sophie Collins. In ''Look Left, Look Right and Cross the Road'' she suggests that the training is best done with the dog off the lead. Personally I think that it should be a criminal offence to have a dog off the lead where there is traffic. And she suggests cycling with your dog, albeit with a safety device attached, but I remain to be convinced that this is safe either.
The tricks and games are neatly graded, starting with the simplest and moving through to the more complex. There are ''hours'' of fun to be had here for you ''and'' your dog. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
For the true story of a dog who lived for his games and tricks we can recommend [[Last Dog On The Hill by Steve Duno]]. If you'd like to know more about how dogs communicate have a look at [[On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas]].
{{amazontext|amazon=1908005696}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=9162270}}
{{commenthead}}
