The Love That Dog Training Program

Book excerpt: Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz is a very special trainer. She knows dogs instinctively, and, drawing on lessons she learned from raising three children, she uses the power of positive reinforcement and bonding to train dogs to be joyful, obedient, and devoted members of a family. Dog lovers throughout the Washington, DC, area know her: She trained each of the late Senator Ted Kennedy’s dogs, and when the Obama family were deciding on a puppy— and could have chosen any trainer in the world to work with—it was Ms Sylvia-Stasiewicz who trained Bo. In The Love That Dog Training Program, a lively, accessible, authoritative book, she shares her invaluable and proven program. Her method is based on positive reinforcement. She believes in trust and treats, not choke collars; in bonding, not squeezing or hitting. Her dogs are happy and self-confident, spirited yet very well-behaved. The basic program is five weeks, it takes only 15 or 20 minutes a day, and it works for both puppies and dogs, including retraining a dog with bad habits. Illustrated with step-by-step photographs, The Love That Dog Training Program covers hand-feeding. Crate training and potty training. Simple commands—sit, stay, come here—as well as more complex goals, such as bite inhibition and water safety. It shows how to avoid or correct common behavioral problems including jumping, barking, noise phobias, hiding, and more. Then: how to make your dog comfortable in the world—a dog that travels well, knows how to behave in a dog park or vet’s office, is comfortable around strangers, and more. As the author points out, dog training never ends, it just gets easier—and even more rewarding.