Product Description

"...purebred or mixed, with this book any dog can become a Canine Good Citizen.... The Volhards'...approach to training, which they call the Motivational Method,...is designed to do just that motivate the owner and the dog. The Motivational Method is grounded on a thorough knowledge of how people learn and dog behavior. Since 1983 they have authored or co-authored four major books on dog training and teaching dog Obedience classes, and have produced four video tapes. I am...pleased that they have written this book on the Canine Good Citizen. I cannot think of anyone else who could have done a better job. This book contains everything the reader needs to know about training any dog to become a Canine Good Citizen. Still, there is much more the book shares a wealth of insights for the beginner, as well as the experienced dog person. The book's best feature is that it gives each person the means to tailor the training to the individual dog's character and temperament. It thoroughly explains what makes dogs different and how these differences dictate the approach to training that needs to be taken." James E. Dearinger, AKC Vice President, Obedience

The American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen program was developed to promote responsible dog ownership in a manner that would be easy for both dog and owner. Any book that promotes and encourages dog owners to participate is doing a public service, and this book does it well.

"This book is aptly named. Yes, every dog, both pure-bred dogs and mixed breeds, can be a good citizen if their owners care enough to make it happen. The key is to encourage dog owners everywhere to be responsible enough to make their dogs a pleasure to be around and able to handle most situations that they might be expected to encounter in everyday life." Robert H. McKowen AKC Vice President, Performance Events
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45653 in Books
• Published on: 1997-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The Canine Good Citizen test, introduced by the American Kennel Club in recent years, hardly requires a special course of training-designed to certify that a dog has basic obedience skills, the CGC consists of 10 simple exercises for the dog, from sitting "politely" for petting to walking on a loose leash to a down-stay with the owner 20 feet away. But passing the CGC is as good a goal as any in dog training, and the Volhards (he is coauthor, with Bartlett, of What All Good Dogs Should Know; she has made award-winning training films) do a wonderful job of arming the reader with skills, techniques and philosophies. Their discussions are succinct and sober: a remarkably cogent section about teaching specific postures (sit, heel, etc.) and practices is preceded by a concise discussion of managing stress while training; a "Pack Leader's Bill of Rights" simplifies the often-clouded concept of pack theory; a schedule suggests the expected rate of progress. However, a "personality profile" aiming to help tell the reader which "drive" (prey, pack or defense) most motivates a given dog has pop appeal, but offers little beyond the obvious; you don't need to be Konrad Lorenz to know what motivates your own dog. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover
"...purebred or mixed, with this book any dog can become a Canine Good Citizen.... The Volhards'...approach to training, which they call the Motivational Method,...is designed to do just thatmotivate the owner and the dog. The Motivational Method is grounded on a thorough knowledge of how people learn and dog behavior. Since 1983 they have authored or co-authored four major books on dog training and teaching dog Obedience classes, and have produced four video tapes. I am...pleased that they have written this book on the Canine Good Citizen. I cannot think of anyone else who could have done a better job. This book contains everything the reader needs to know about training any dog to become a Canine Good Citizen. Still, there is much morethe book shares a wealth of insights for the beginner, as well as the experienced dog person. The book's best feature is that it gives each person the means to tailor the training to the individual dog's character and temperament. It thoroughly explains what makes dogs different and how these differences dictate the approach to training that needs to be taken." –James E. Dearinger, AKC Vice President, Obedience

The American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen program was developed to promote responsible dog ownership in a manner that would be easy for both dog and owner. Any book that promotes and encourages dog owners to participate is doing a public service, and this book does it well.

"This book is aptly named. Yes, every dog, both pure-bred dogs and mixed breeds, can be a good citizen if their owners care enough to make it happen. The key is to encourage dog owners everywhere to be responsible enough to make their dogs a pleasure to be around and able to handle most situations that they might be expected to encounter in everyday life." –Robert H. McKowen AKC Vice President, Performance Events
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

About the Author
The VOLHARDS share their home in upstate New York with six dogs and three cats. For the past twenty-five years, they have taught over 20,000 people how to communicate effectively with their pets. They conduct weekend seminars in various parts of the United States, Canada and England, as well as five-day training Camps, which have been attended by individuals from almost every state, Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Singapore, Switzerland and the West Indies. Over the years they have served different dog organizations in a variety of capacities, and they are internationally known as "trainers of trainers." Jack has authored over 100 articles for various dog publications and is the recipient of six awards from the Dog Writers' Association of America (DWAA). He is the senior author of five bookstwo with Wendyand four videotapes. He has been an AKC Obedience judge (Novice through Utility) since 1973, and he is a member of the Association of Dog Obedience Clubs and Judges. Wendy is the recipient of four awards from the DWAA and developed the most widely used system for evaluating and selecting puppies. Her film, Puppy Aptitude Testing, was named Best Film on Dogs for 1980 by the DWAA. She also devised a Personality Profile for dogs to help owners gain a better understanding of their pets. Her article "DrivesA New Look at an Old Concept" was named Best Article in a Specialty Magazine for 1991 by the DWAA. She is the co-authortogether with Kerry Brown, DVMof The Holistic Guide to a Healthy Dog (Howell Book House, 1995). Wendy specializes in behavior, nutrition and alternative sources of health care, such as acupuncture and homeopathy, and she formulated a balanced, homemade diet for dogs. She is a member of the Animal Behavior Society, the Advisory Board of the North American Wildlife Foundation and the United Kingdom Registry of Behaviour Consultants, and she has lectured at the prestigious Natural History Museum in London. The Volhards have obtained over fifty Obedience titles, multiple High in Trial awards and Dog World Awards of Canine Distinction with their Landseer Newfoundlands, Yorkshire Terrier, Standard Wirehaired Dachshund, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog.

Customer Reviews

Some great things, but you'll need a second book, too
The things I like best about this book aren't in most other books. I found the personality test for the dog both interesting and helpful, and the distinction between dogs who react to fear with flight and those who react with aggression is important.

The discussion of the test itself is detailed, and the training programs, particularly the ones that last several weeks, are helpful and practical. This test requires your dog to perform consistently, and that means practice! Learning how to structure a "Stay" program that will take 4 weeks to complete is critical if you really want a dog that can pass the test.

However, the book was written more than 10 years ago, and the specific techniques rely heavily on physically moving the dog into place. There are some master trainers who can do that, but these days most humane societies and group trainers don't advise amateurs to use those methods unsupervised.

For example, the book says that with some dogs, when teaching "Sit," "You may have to physically place them. With your left hand, stroke down the entire length of the back, over the tail all the way to the stifles, and with equal pressure of the right and left hands, fold the dog into a sit with the command 'Sit.'"

I don't know of any book written in the last 5 years that would recommend this method for home training. Instead, the preferred method is shaping and patience--reward the dog for each effort towards the desired behaviour. Almost all dogs will eventually get there, and the shaping method is usually safer and more reliable for amateurs.

This book uses similar physical manipulation techniques throughout. That's really the only reason I can't give it a higher rating.

I recommend that you get any other good recent book on training for ways of teaching the individual Sit, Down, Heel and Stay behaviours. Then use this book for working out a training schedule specifically to prepare for the Canine Good Citizenship Test.

Most other books are going to talk as though your dog will have Heel mastered in a session or two. And it's true the dog will learn the basic command that quickly. But to truly MASTER it, you will need something like the 8 week training schedule that the Volhards lay out in this book.

There's a lot to learn from this book, and some very practical tips. But you'll also need a current book specifically for amateur trainers to teach the individual techniques--or take a class from your local humane society or work with a local trainer to get the basics.

Read the free AKC booklet
If you're considering the CGC test, you already know pretty much everything in this book. The only thing in this book that is not in every single other training reference I've ever seen is the "Motivation Method," which may be just fine, but when I looked at the references for that method... every one of them is another book by the authors of this book. In short, read the free AKC book and a real training book; this one is a waste of time.

short but sweet
The Canine Good Citizen approaches dog training from the perspective that a person would like their dog to be able to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test. It takes you through the training and techniques necessary for a dog to pass this test which also provides a foundation for a well trained dog in general. It's short, simple, and one of the best dog training books around. All the basics are covered here and it's an excellent book for someone who doesn't want to be overwhelmed with too much information.