Bonnie Bergin's Guide to Bringing Out the Best in Your Dog: The Bonnie Bergin Method

An experienced dog trainer and founder of the Assistance Dog Institute offers a training method for both pets and their owners that stresses the understanding of dog behavior as the key to successful communication. 20,000 first printing.

Bonnie Bergin, leader of the Assistance Dog Institute and the originator of Canine Companions for Independence, has written an excellent book about getting the most out of the relationship between dog and owner. More than just an instructional text for raising a canine, Bonnie Bergin's Guide to Bringing out the Best in Your Dog is an insightful, intuitive guide to understanding your dog. Bergin uses true stories about dogs and their owners to present facts and give opinions. She focuses on three main areas: your personal relationship with your dog, teaching and training your dog, and keeping your dog healthy. The book's many photographs illustrate each topic of discussion, including an especially entertaining series about dogs' moods and personalities. The book also addresses the most common misconceptions about dogs, such as "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," "Leaving a dog home all day is mean," and "It's natural for dogs to sniff everything, including people's crotches." In reference to old dogs, Bergin writes that, although puppies, like children, are most receptive to learning, adult dogs have longer attention spans and can focus better on learning. Incorporating poetry and humor, Bonnie Bergin's Guide to Bringing out the Best in Your Dog is a beautifully written celebration of man's (and woman's) best friend.