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| My Smart Puppy: Fun, Effective, and Easy Puppy Training (Book & 60min DVD) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Brian Kilcommons, Sarah Wilson
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $25.99
Buy New: $13.03
You Save: $12.96 (50%)
New (19) Used (8) from $13.03
Avg. Customer Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 1880
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Har/DVD
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.2
ISBN: 044657886X
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.70887
EAN: 9780446578868
ASIN: 044657886X
Publication Date: October 16, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Few left in stock - order soon. Code: H20080716212310T
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| Customer Reviews:
 Brace yourself for "product placement"...! March 26, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I started by reading a good portion of the book, which I found very helpful and informative (the occasional glaring scientific error, as mentioned by another reviewer, notwithstanding). The text raised my expectations for the video - I looked forward to a practical demonstration of the many training "games" that are listed, categorized, and described in the book.
What I found on the video is that those demonstrations *are* forthcoming, if you're patient. But it's kind of like one of those mandatory time-share seminars - you're held captive for a LOT of advertising. That adorable puppy on the cover of the book? Instead of that cute red scarf, he's got a bandanna bearing the all-over imprint of the sponsoring brand of puppy food. So does his collar, his leash, and the big bag of food in the background of nearly every scene. Frequent references are made to how necessary high quality food (gee, we wonder which one) is necessary for the brain development that will make your puppy especially brilliant and trainable. Thinly veiled commercial breaks are frequent, both for the food and for a flea-treatment product (same congolomerate?). The names of these products are never spoken, but the conspicuously-labeled packaging is everywhere. Overall, it made me feel as if these folks assume me to be a whole lot less smart than a puppy.
I still like the book, and I'll probably make it through the whole DVD for the sake of the training demonstrations. But I kind of feel as if the food manufacturer should have offered this set for free with your first purchase of puppy-chow.
Being a naturally contrary sort, I was inspired by all of this to look for a more objective source of food-quality information for my puppy. If you do a web search for "dog food analysis," you'll find a very informative site that helps to clarify food quality issues. And, sad to say, the much-endorsed brand doesn't exactly leave the competition in the dust (to say the least), so now I feel less guilty about being too stubborn to buy it after being subjected to this sales pitch.
I really do like the book though; you can be sure I wouldn't have put aside my annoyance to give it 4 stars, otherwise! It has a lot of helpful insights about how puppies think, where our communications with them often break down, and how to work *with* your puppy to ingrain habits and responses that will be constructive for all concerned.
 What is my dog thinking? March 25, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book gives great insight into the mind of a K-9. It's a great training aid as well as a good read.
A great book, with plenty of support! March 4, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I think this is a fantastic little book. It makes training fun and easy. The DVD is a great addition so that you can see the techniques in a hands on manner, although at times the DVD seems a bit like a commercial for IAMs, who is the sponsor. In addition, there is a very active community online at the authors' website, so that you can get real life help with your problems or questions about implementing the material.
My Smart Puppy: Fun, Effective, and Easy Puppy Training February 13, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
It has been years since we had a new puppy so I was looking for easy to use training materials. The book is very good and the accompanying DVD is excellent also. I highly recommend this product.
Truly Easy and Effective December 14, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I bought this training book as well as some others to get prepared for our new arrival and found this one to be the most helpful. It includes tips for when your puppy isn't responding to the initial technique described and also a whole section on what to expect when you first bring a puppy home. It promotes training through positive re-enforcement and has techniques for the simplest commands, such as sit, and also more advanced commands and tricks.
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