Elizabeth R. (esjro) - , reviewed on 2/26/2009 + 949 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 4

The Loved Dog is an excellent intro to positive dog training methods for beginners. This book would be best for first time dog owners of puppies with no pre-existing behavioral issues. The chapter topics are pretty basic: house training, sit, stay, etc. There are sections on barking and greeting people, but those are about the toughest problems Geller addresses. I found it interesting that there was no mention of clicker training, and the author doesn't mention any of the downsides to dog parks or dog day care centers (perhaps because she is the owner of one of the latter).

Occasionally the advice is contradictory: in one chapter she advises to keep the use of the word "good" to a minimum lest it be confusing to dogs, but in later chapters she uses phrases like "good potty" and "good stay." The celebrity references pop up occasionally and are a bit surreal (Oprah is mentioned then Scott Hamilton.... huh?). The tone of this book is upbeat and encouraging, and she Geller is obviously a person who cares about dogs and advocates for humane training methods. Overall this is a good starter book for anyone who wants a pet they can live with peacefully, though readers will have to seek other sources for more detailed instruction.

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