Product Description

Praise for Dog Problems, Winner, Best Book on Care and Training, Dog Writers' Association of America

"Delightfully written and abounds with common sense." —Deborah Lawson, The Philadelphia Inquirer

"A must-have for every dog owner in America." —Mordecai Siegal, House Beautiful

"Not only the pet but the owner can benefit from this sensible, humane treatment." —Publishers Weekly
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #361065 in Books
• Published on: 1989-02-24
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.com
Carol Lea Benjamin, dog trainer extraordinaire and author of five books devoted to dog behavior, shares her expertise in managing unruly canines in Dog Problems. One quarter of America's 55 million pooches suffer from some form of serious behavioral problem, and for all those frustrated owners, Benjamin's down-to- earth, humane approach provides practical steps toward owning a healthy, happy pet. Dog Problems outlines every conceivable canine problem, from petty larceny to chronic leg lifting and fear of random objects. Benjamin offers easily executable training methods for each predicament. Cited are many encouraging examples of cured dogs, such as Cybil, the timid German shepherd who, thanks to Benjamin's training techniques, overcame her shyness by learning to take walks with strangers. Dog Problems entertains with lighthearted language and hilarious drawings of dogs in compromising situations, all without detracting from the solid, humane training techniques certain to help most problem dogs.

Card catalog description
Gives instructions on how to train a pet dog for desirable behavior patterns and how to avoid and correct bad habits.

About the Author
CAROL LEA BENJAMIN, a professional dog trainer, is the author of five books on dog behavior. For the past ten years, she has written a monthly column, Dog Trainer's Diary, for Pure-Bred Dogs, American Kennel Gazette, the official publication of The American Kennel Club. Ms. Benjamin is the recipient of the 1985 Dog Writers' Association of American Writer of the Year award, the 1985 Gaines Fido award and the 1987 Kal Kan Pedigree Outstanding Pet Care Journalist award.

Customer Reviews

Unnecessary harsh corrections
I was intrigued by the title of this book, since I come into contact with all sorts of dogs regularly and am often asked advice about issues like possession guarding, dog-on-dog aggression, etc. However, the advice in this book is by no means anything I would ever pass on. Most issues are dealt with by correcting the dog harshly, shaking him, dragging him by the leash, and similar awful methods. The author's 'cure' for a dog that growls and snaps from under the bed is to daftly drag him out by the lead, and if he happens to bang his head on the way out, so much the better! She advises owners of dogs with fear aggression towards strangers to severly reprimand the dog with voice and leash corrections every time he becomes agitated around another person. This is a ridiculous way to 'help' your dog and will most likely only make the aversion worse. I noticed that Ms. Benjamin has also written a book that claims to use positive training methods, but unless her philosophy has changed from one book to the other, I would not recommend any of her material to anyone else. There are plenty of truly humane training guides out there, don't waste your money on this.

a must for all first time dog owners
This is an excellent source for all first time dog owners and should be purchased and read, along with Benjamin's other book--Mother Knows Best--before the dog is purchased. Little problems remain small when dealt with quickly and efficently using methods that dogs understand. Training right from the beginning is the key. Benjamin also tells how to fix a problem before it becomes worse. I have had dogs for over 40 years--terriers--and can testify to the success of Benjamin's methods.

This is an excellent book
This is an excellent book for people who have mild or moderate dog problems. It is well written with a sense of humor, and with insight into the behavior of dogs. It is a book by a professional trainer, not for professional trainers.

Carol Lea Benjamin does not advocate punishment. In fact, she advises to NEVER hit your dog. Appropriately correcting a dog is not a punishment any more than appropriately correcting a child when they run into a street is a punishment. In addition to describing how to properly correct your dog, she points out human behaviors that inadvertantly encourage dog problems, when and how to use praise to encourage positive behavior, how to redirect behavior, and that sometimes, we can eliminate a bad behavior just by removing the trigger.