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Clicking with your dog: step by step in pictures (book review)

“Clicking with Your Dog” is one of those books I wish I had when I had my dog. The training concept here is simple, easy and scientific. It is easy due to the use of a small clicker that makes a unique sound when pressed. It’s scientific, because this type of training is based on “operant conditioning,” a term coined by BF Skinner, who was an experimental psychologist and behaviorist.

Clicking is based on the reward system and the owner’s friendly and positive relationship with his dog. The book can be used as a manual and a trainer can take any part of the book to teach any trick, after the dog gets used to receiving a reward with each click. Unlike traditional correction-based training, clicker training is based on common sense and respect for the dog’s needs and character. The step-by-step illustrations explain the clicking process very clearly, and people who can’t wait to get started can get started right away.

Whether you start with a dog that is still a puppy or a dog with established behavior problems, the clicker training program provides foolproof results because dogs are motivated and eager to learn. Through the use of the clicker, both the trainer and the dog have fun and learn to bond with each other.

“Clicking with your dog” has ten chapters. The first chapter introduces the reader to clicking. The second chapter is the quick start chapter for the tools and skills you and the dog will need. The third and fourth chapters are for teaching the dog good behavior and practical skills. The fifth chapter shows games and tricks to make your dog useful. The sixth chapter is a review of the clicking process plus some additional hints and tips.

The seventh chapter is to teach the dog to avoid disturbing or hurting people. The eighth chapter deals with the needs of the dog and his bill of rights.

The ninth chapter is the glossary of clicking tips and terms. The tenth chapter directs the reader to other training resources such as websites, books, videos, clicker training supplies, and dog-related sites and associations.

Whether the author is talking about understanding dog food labels or helping the dog curb unnecessary barking, his delivery is direct, personable, and highly understandable. It doesn’t matter if the book is read cover to cover or skipping; the reader’s comprehension will remain intact either way.

“Clicking With Your Dog: Step-By-Step in Pictures” is paperback with an ISBN of 189094808X. The book has 209 pages with excellent neat drawings and easy to read text.

The author, Peggy Larson Tillman, worked for many years as an elementary school teacher. She discovered clicker training when she got her dog Charles from her. She then went on to teach pet owners, developing her own visual instructional material in the process. Peggy L. Tillman and her husband Barry Tillman are also pioneers in the science of ergonomics.

This highly effective book with precise instructions and illustrations deserves a place at the top of most other dog training publications.

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