This little book is intended primarily as a brief but comprehensive guide to puppy training, containing information about socialization, temperament training and behavior modification as well as tips for teaching basic manners. Dr. Dunbar’s lure/reward training techniques are certainly not limited to puppies. On the contrary, they have become the method of choice for instructing good-natured, but otherwise uneducated adult dogs.Our best friend—the domestic dog — is a social animal and so, it would be unfair and antisocial not to train him. How else could we communicate? With ear positions and tail wags? Luckily, dogs can easily learn our language… if we teach them! Basically, training comprises teaching dogs ESL — English as a Second Language — so that our dogs can understand human words for their doggy behaviors and actions.Lure/reward training is de rigeur for teaching a wide variety of animals, including lions, tigers, killer whales, and grizzly bears. Over a hundred years ago, similar reward-based methods were the accepted practice for training all dogs and puppies. Unfortunately, in the twentieth century, the Trainers from The Dark Side inflicted a harsher regime of laborious, on-leash, push-pull, squish-squash, narrow-brained methods on unsuspecting owners and their dogs. Sadly, domination was the focus and the poor defenseless dog was viewed as an adversary in the training arena. Why treat your best friend like your worst enemy?Welcome back to the historically-proven, so-old-that-it’s-new-again, natural, common-sense and enjoyable way to train your dog — off-leash, lure/reward, fun and games, dog-friendly dog training. Dr. Dunbar’s training techniques are altogether quicker, easier, gentler, more effective, and certainly considerably more enjoyable for you and your dog. Lure/reward training techniques work like a treat!
Ian Dunbar PhD, BVetMed, MRCVS
Dr. Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian, animal behaviorist, dog trainer, and writer. He received his veterinary degree and a Special Honors degree in Physiology & Biochemistry from the Royal Veterinary College (London University) and a doctorate in animal behavior from the Psychology Department at the University of California in Berkeley, where he spent ten years researching the development of hierarchical social behavior and aggression in domestic dogs. For seven years Dr. Dunbar ran a behavior clinic specifically for biting and fighting dogs.
Dr. Dunbar is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the California Veterinary Medical Association, the Sierra Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (which he founded).
Over the past 30 years, Dr. Dunbar has given over 750 one-day seminars and workshops for dog trainers and veterinarians in an effort to popularize off-leash puppy training classes (which he pioneered), temperament modification, and owner-friendly and dog-friendly dog training. Dr. Dunbar’s books, videos, and AKC Gazette "Behavior" column (which he created), have won numerous awards.
Dr. Dunbar is currently Director of the Center for Applied Animal Behavior in Berkeley, California, where he lives with Kelly, and Claude, Ollie, Ugly and Mayhem.
