Training a dog doesn’t need to be a painful or frustrating experience for the dog and the owner. Many dog training books advocate techniques that rely on choke chains and force, which can confuse the dog and may condition him for disobedience, fear, resentment and aggression. Other methods rely on gentler “clicker” training, which isn’t always reliable and doesn’t work for all breeds.

Let the Dog Decide changes all that by blending the best of both approaches in a simple program that can be done in just three daily 5-minute training sessions. It’s the book dog owners have been longing for, written by one of the world’s elite trainers, as respected in European dog sports as he is in North American circles. The secret to Dale Stavroff’s method is to focus training effectively on the dog’s psychology, realizing that if you win his mind and confidence in a gentle, understanding way, the animal will be happy to comply. By designing training sessions appropriately, and reinforcing and rewarding positive behaviour, Stavroff has created a method that works, without a choke chain, without yelling or hitting.Let the Dog Decide shows owners:

• “the heart of Dogness”—the true nature of a dog’s world and how he really learns

• how to build benevolent eye contact and use proper body language

• how to train a dog that is not “leash dependent”

• solutions to common problems, including jumping up, feeding, house training and barking

• the secret to training older dogs

In a series of step-by-step photographs and in clear and friendly text, Stavroff delivers a reliable, easy-to-follow method for building a positive, mutually respectful relationship between dog and owner. Let the Dog Decide is destined to become the definitive dog training guide.

DALE STAVROFF trains dogs for technical work, including search and rescue, as well as leading seminars and courses on puppy and dog training for owners such as Dr. Laura Schlessinger. He has written and taught extensively on dog behaviour, having worked with RCMP tracking dogs and handlers, and has instructed at search and rescue conferences. Dale Stavroff lives in Vancouver. Visit him at www.letthedogdecide.ca.

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