If your dog is too smart, don't get it
923540
This was great the first couple days of use, but then my dog caught on that if he takes out the rope he wouldn't have to chase anything. Needless to say my pup eventually destroyed the rope and got the toy without having to run after it.
I am tempted to buy a new one cause it did what it was supposed to before it broke, but I fell like I could make something similar for cheaper instead of constantly having to replace this one.
3981284
Certainly the author is a pretentious narcissist.  He lives in Berkeley---what would you expect?  The subtitle says it all:  Reflections on the Emotional World of Dogs.  While I find the idea of acquiring pets in order to write about them a bit disturbing,  and while this is far from a scientific treatment it does have a certain sweet charm.  The guy loves his dogs.  He's convinced that they love him.  He's done a reasonable perusal of the non-scientific literature regarding animal emotions.

It's certainly not a DANGEROUS book as some of the one star folks seem to think and, if you love your dog I doubt that you'll find it boring.  If you're looking for something more serious or something which will help you understand canine emotions better, then this probably isn't for you.

Please do not pay any attention to anything the author has to say about training methods (page 125+) since he is clueless.  As happens so often in this book, the author blurs fact and opinion over and over again.

Perhaps three stars was too kind.
1295131
Fun tests allow good interaction between owner and pet.  But I'm not sure how much they say about intelligence.  On some our dog was judged very smart, on others, not so much.  But it's still fun.  Our dog loves to please us and tries to complete the tasks.
2529458
I cannot understand why people are so adverse to shock collars.  I only used the beep feature and only use it every half hour or so to remind my dog to be better behaved. Now all I have to do strap on the collar and she is changed dog - less barking and less jumping. I suggest  keep spare batteries around for the collar and the remote as they tend to lose power quickly - keep it all together in a bag. Dogs are smart. They learn quickly.
2802753
We bought this about a week ago, and it seemed to work for a few days but apparently my dog is too smart for it.  He found where the wire went into the ground and dug it up.  He pulled the entire wire out of the ground!!!!  This may work well for small dogs, but apparently the shock didn't bother my 75 lb lab that much if he was able to be close enough to dig up the wire.
I am giving this 2 stars instead of one because it may work well for a smaller dog that is more bothered by the shock.
2131500
Not really working well, dog is smarter than collar, if she shakes her head enough the collar will slide to one side or the other allow her to bark away
3671295
Didn't work for our dog. It's probably an individual thing, depending on the dog.
4499287
The Doggie Don't Device works very well if you follow the instructions and use it to interrupt your dog's behavior such as jumping or barking. I have a high-energy weimaraner pup who likes to jump and paw at me while I'm sitting on the couch. I'm teaching him the word "Off" and rewarding him with treats but sometimes he needs something to interrupt his jumping behavior. He could care less if I tell him "No" and ignoring him doesn't always work (and isn't always possible) so the Doggie Don't really helps to get him to stop for a moment and then I can praise him. It also allows me to use my voice for praise only (vs. scolding). You want to be careful not to overuse it though so they don't get desensitized to it. And just as a warning, the noise is quite loud. It's a loud, static noise. I received a Doggie Don't at no cost in exchange for my honest review.
2041483
As someone who cares for dogs but doesn't live with one full-time, I was hoping to learn from this book. Instead, I found that it confirmed most of my anecdotal observations and explained some formerly mysterious behavior. For example, why does the dog's digestive ailment instantly clear up as soon as he's given wet food instead of dry, or, better yet, chicken? Easy--he's a hypochondriac and a manipulator! They do it because they know it works! Dogs really are smart, but not for the reasons we think they are. I agree with Budiansky that we do dogs a disservice by expecting them to be too much like us. To say that a dog is "just" a dog does not denigrate them. Show me a neurotic dog, and I'll show you a neurotic owner every time.
Much of the book made me laugh out loud. Mostly what I ended up learning from it was the evolutionary stuff--fascinating. (A small disclaimer: I work for the journal Science, so I probably got more out of the evolution discussion than the average reader will.)
4813093
Pay attention to the instructions.  It's important to trust professionals on how to train a dog.  It's not always intuitive.
377925
I have a smart dog.  A husky.  I only had this on her on a low setting and used it maybe four times....over a period of two days.  She's coming straight to me now the first time I call her.
1165646
The first 1/3 of the book is probably the most interesting. Here Coren describes how dogs experience the world through their senses. As most dog lovers already know, the sense of smell is the most important to a dog and they also have excellent auditory abilities and are able to hear high pitched sounds that humans cannot. In contrast, their sense of sight is less developed and they see fewer colors than people do. I already knew much of this information from other dog books and my own common sense observations. But Coren does cover this aspect of a dog's life in great detail and it has been fun to try to imagine how my own dog is experiencing our surroundings when I take her out on a walk.

The seconds 2/3's of the book is devoted to other topics. Some of these, such as whether a dog has ESP abilities and the aging process of a dog are of only limited interest to me. Coren also discusses traditional views of a dog's mental capacity and how dogs learn, explaining such concepts as classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Again this is stuff I have already read about and there is really nothing new or groundbreaking here. But I do appreciate that Coren is willing to challenge the ridiculous "animals as machines" ideas previously set forth by Descartes and some of the more extreme behaviorists.

However, I am disappointed in Coren's comments on training. He offers the typical suggestions on how to reward positive behavior. But says virtually nothing insightful about how to discourage unwanted behavior. I currently have a very destructive and strong willed 7 month old Shih Tzu. I had previously tried Coren's "time out" concept to very little avail.

Instead what has been of tremendous use are the techniques on how to assert yourself as pack leader in Caeser Milan's "Dog Whisperer" series available on DVD and the National Geographic Channel. I think Coren tends to anthropomorphize dogs, treating them as human children rather than a different species. In contrast, Milan encourages owners to understand how dogs view the world. For example, dogs are pack animals with a strict social hierarchy. Every pack has an alpha dog who serves as leader. In this way dogs are able to alleviate social conflicts and feel safe and secure with their appropriate place in the pack hierarchy. Every human owner needs to make sure they are respected by their dog as the pack leader. Otherwise strong willed dogs, such as mine, will be more difficult to train and more inclined towards negative behaviors. Using Milan's techiniques I have noticed that my dog is not only better behaved but is even more loving and affectionate towards me. I think this is because she now feels more secure that a clear pack leader - me - has been established and she is not experiencing the stress and anxiety brought on an uncertain leadership sitution. This emphasis on leadership and control may seem harsh to people inclined towards building a more egalitarian relationship with their pets. But dogs think differently from humans and are simply more relaxed, happy and better behaved when it is clear that a calm and assertive leader is in control.

As for Coren's book, it might be a good choice for someone who hasn't done a lot of previous reading on dogs. But, for me, there is just too much information that has already been covered and his tips on training are rather weak.
3764105
Brad rejects the positive reinforcement movement which is backed by both research and virtually every certified behaviorist.  He's heavy on corrections (i.e. punishment)and maintaining dominance over dogs. Research has shown that dogs trained with punishment based techniques are more likely to develop aggression issues.  And for me, personally, I don't care to have a relationship with my dogs that is based on intimidation and fear. But maybe that's just me. . .  This is not a book I would ever recommend.
4771377
Any book that insinuates that people that own pit bull type dogs (APBTs, Staffies, etc) are either macho, are unintentionally trying to put their families at risk, or just plain criminal gets a thumb down from me.  Furthermore, any author who seems to have very few credentials in dog behavior (she's not a vet, a behaviorist, a trainer, or a biologist) and ostensibly calls her book the Dog Bible and actually believes that the majority of pit bull attacks were seemingly unprovoked either a) has no idea about dog behavior and knows the other factors going into any dog attacks (pit bull or not) and/or b) is foolish enough to believe the media pot stirring over these dogs is just plain stupid or maybe secretly afraid of these dogs.  I don't own a pit bull myself, but I have a Belgian Malinois and a Siberian husky/Rottweiler mix.  I appologize to Ms. Hotchner for not owning a dog that's a shrinking violet.  Sorry, I'm surely I'm up to no good.
2366263
The 'Cruel' review sounds like it's from a person just throwing out a personal opinion based in no real understanding of how they are to be used in a PROPER way!  Every dog is different, and their personality has to be considered when this type of equipment is used.

  You have to use the LOWEST SETTING necessary for that particular dog.  A stubborn dog will initially need a higher setting that can be scaled back as the dog learns to respond to commands. Eventually just using the audio signal will all that is necessary.
  I have the older model of this that is in advantage camo.  The original batteries do not seem to last more than a couple of years,  Check out aftermarket options when it becomes necessary to change them.  I am in the process of buying replacement batteries,  after parking my Sport Dog transmitter and collar for about 4 years due to not needing it for the home dog. When I have taken him to the dog park 2x, he has acquired sudden deafness, and pretends he can't hear you.  NOT GOOD!
  It seems to have a good range, in fact someone who used this exact same model, had their dog respond to the audible BEEP on the collar respond from about 150 plus yards.  That is more than adequate for most hunting bird dogs, and more than plenty for pets that tend to wander.  Some breeds stick close to mommy and daddy, and the audio BEEP will remind them to stick close if they become too distracted.
2018318
The book is moving, but I also think it explains how dogs react to each other and how their environment influences their behavior.  So many dog owners do not understand that certain behavior is instinctual, such as rough play with an attempt to dominate the other. This is not aggression but instinctive behavior that is not to be cause worry,
1857982
Umm :/ :( the dog is 3 years old. He is not trained to respect things I guess. The owner just laughed and said it was because he's 'a baby'. Maybe it wasn't the product's fault, but the owner who let his dog do this. I hate to give a bad review, but it claimed to be designed for big dogs in mind and it got tore up so quickly! D:) I bought it for $35.70 on Cyber Monday 2015.