Buy this book , or the dog gets tossed out .
588645
Better than described , a tour de force of tool boxes . Great pictures and well written descriptions .
2163069
I have this book and use it all the time because I read a lot of dog publications and talk to a lot of dog people. Whenever a breed is mentioned that I do not know I look it up in this book to see what it looks like. This book is very well suited to that purpose but much of its information about individual dog breeds is incorrect. It would be a bad idea to use this book to help choose which breed of dog is suited to you and your lifestyle and then purchase that breed. It doesn't give you a true and correct idea of what most of the breeds are like.

For example, despite the media's opinion, American Pit Bull Terriers are friendly, happy dogs that love kids and strangers. The book doesn't even give you an idea what the breed is really like and even dares to say it's not good with children. I know from owning Pit Bulls--that wern't abused or bred to be aggressive--that they put up with ANYTHING little kids do to them because they're patient, pain tollerant, forgiving, and playful enough to romp with them all day. If the author ever had read a book on Pit Bulls, he would know this.

And then, this really insulted me, in a picture of a Pit Bull it said that the ears are cropped (cut short in a triangle shape) in this breed to make the dog look dangerous. Cropping is done for the show ring or/and just because dog owners like the look of cropped ears and I am sure 95% of people who get their dogs ears croped do not do it so their dog will look like a vicious brute.

I can tell the author does not care for cropped ears because in many pictures in the encyclopedia that dysplay cropped dogs, the author makes a comment that says the cropping was done to make the dog look mean. I really feel as if he assumes most people crop to make their dogs look mean, which is not true. My personal opinion is cropping makes dogs look cute and pretty.

So what I'm saying is don't rely on the breed specific information this book gives you. Take it with a dose of salt. Be skeptic about it until you research it and verify it's correct. So just use this book to see the different breeds of dog as this book is probably the best visual resource on the market for that. I pull this book off the shelf just about every day, seriously. It does a very good job in pointing out visual traits that make a breed look like its breed.

Breed specific information aside, this book has a few chapters in the beginning that tell you a lot about dogs like how their bodies function, how they supposevly evolved from wolves, and lots of interesting dog facts like dogs in history. These chapters are very good and very intersting.
1243647
Be warned:  I, too, bought two of Katz's books--would that I had read this one first. How he could write about this spirited dog as though he and the dog were soul mates --written that this loving dog  had ridden on Katz's ATV with his head on his owner's shoulder as they surveyed their farm--and then kill the dog for misbehaving? The ending of this book, and the dog's life,  was just stunning to me. I have a wild girl myself, a Dalmatian who is far from the most obedient pet, but surely has a personality and a spirit and a trust in me that is obvious...to kill her would be unthinkable. Katz's decision was cruel and unnecessary in my opinion and I'll not help fund his "love of dogs" any longer. I wince when I see his name on the cover in my local bookstore.
4521316
"Dog Logic" was a brilliant piece of work, penned by a master dog handler in hopes of bettering the lot of his canine buddies.  Far too many people own dogs who shouldn't, either due to ignorance, laziness, or just plain nastiness.  Mister McMains realizes this, and knows that the answer to the problem can be summed up in a single word: RAPPORT.  If you objectify an animal, as (unfortunately) does the overwhelming majority of dog trainers, you may be able to get your dog to perform tricks and obey commands, but that deeper connection will not be present.  If, like most owners, you simply think of your dog(s) as nothing more than a "pet for the kids," "something to bark at a doorknob rattler," or even "a creature that lives to eat, shed, and mess," then your dog is far more likely to be ignored and otherwise neglected than if he were instead viewed as a member of your family entitled to your respect.  Contrary to what pseudo-intellectuals like Desmond Morris would have us believe, dogs ARE capable of higher thought processes, and DO express actual emotions.  Neglect is psychological abuse, and will have negative effects on your animal's personality.  As the U.S.A.F. K-9 school says, "Every handler will end up with the dog he deserves."  The "Ten Commandments" after the Postscript is well worth the cost of this book in itself.  Highly recommended.
3776855
Sonny Brewer does not deserve Cormac. People who really love their dogs would go to all extremes for them. I'm not sure that Sonny has learned this. He exploited his golden retriever to sell books. I found myself very angry with the author. If he had any decency, he would donate all the proceeds from this book to animal shelters.
3434936
The publisher is a genius. The problem: How to get people to spend $50 for an e-book? The solution: Take a story. Spread it out over 5 installments and charge $10 for each. Oh, and get them to wait 4 years for the conclusion. If you can read a "book" in a few hours, it's not a book. It's a short story and should be priced accordingly.

Now, if you can get past the fact you've been ripped off, you now have to suffer through a redundant story. The first third of the "book" details how our beloved main character goes from riches to rags. We shed a tear and then we finally get to The Walk. If you like diners, milkshakes, and waitresses named Flo, you'll love the last 2/3 of this "book". Our man walks from Seattle to Spokane enjoying burgers and malts. Boring. Save your cash for a real milkshake. At least the milkshake will stay with you longer than this "book" will.
1529318
If you have never read this, buy this book. At the very least, borrow it from someone.
171575
It seems everyone has an opinion (so what else is new).  However, what's most unusual (from the reviews) it appears one either loves or hates this book.  Frankly I think both are correct.  How can that be?
The general "raves" are because (a) its easy to use (b) easy to follow and (c)it works. And with that I absolutely agree. It does work!  Of all to many dog books I bought this one is the most "actionable"  In other words, within ten minutes of owning it the dog was actually doing "trained dog stuff".  And a month after purchase I had (in my view) a trained dog.  No other book accomplished that!
The "pans" are because (a) the book appears "dated"  and (b) it lacks detail.  I think these comments are correct but they are really questions of style not substance.  Yes, I agree photos might look nicer (and more up to date) than drawings.  However, to my mind "who cares".  I know what a dog looks like and I know what a leash looks like! I was just growing tired of knowing what an untrained dog looked like.  Many of the slicker books were, well just that, slicker.  But I didn't need fancy photos.  I needed a trained dog.  And all I got with the other books were slick photos.  With this book I got trained dog.
As to the lack of detail I don't need my dog "to be pulling Timmie from a well".  Although I think the Maller-Feinman principles might well apply to fancier tricks the book is simply designed to get the dog through basic training.  I do NOT agree with the criticism of "too militaristic."  I think the knee example  (for example) must be viewed in context of the book.  The authors stress over and over again POSITIVE reinforcement.  Punishment is designed to send a negative message, never to hurt the animal. This is much like the Feder method of cat training. Feder uses a treat for good behavior and a water pistol for bad.  If one drowns the cat or fills the pistol with sulfuric acid they are reading INTO the book (not reading the book).  The authors appear to really love animals and the message is certainly not to ever hurt them.
Summed up, I loved this book because it worked for me and my dog.  Will it win the National Book award? No way!  Is this for the individual that has the time and energy to train their dog  for slick tricks? Maybe.  Is it the BEST  book to get the job done in the shortest amount of time? YES!  Therein is the rub ...some people want to know how to build a watch and some folks want to just know what time it is.
I'm glad I bought this before reading the reviews.  However, having gone blindly by the title ... I'm now a happier pet owner. My neighbors are happier! My dog is happier. I think Simon & Schuster only keeps this type of title in print for over twenty when it really delivers.  In non-fiction, I define good as "solve the problem".  In this category it appears most books do NOT solve the problem.  The Maller-Feinman book solves the problem...quickly and simply!  To me that makes the competition aggravating and this book five stars!
2406986
I am shocked, SHOCKED that there are so many positive reviews of this book.  No matter how much good information it may contain, I can not condone anyone who recommends using physical punishment on a dog, or any animal for that matter.  Even if it's to be used only in "extreme" cases, or with "strong willed" breeds like German Shepherds.  There still is no excuse.  Cesar Millan works with "extreme" cases all the time, and he never hits a dog, or shakes it.  He is always gentle while still being assertive.  And people call him harsh, while the monks are praised up and down.  I don't get it, it just blows my mind.

And reviewers who think that people who disagree with this book for this reason only coddle their dog, or don't believe in any form of correction or punishment, or who think their dogs are human children.  This is not true at all!  Dogs need discipline, of course!  But there are much better ways than being physically abusive to them.  I know dogs are not furry humans, I've never treated any of my dogs as people, yet I still manage to have happy, well behaved companions (one of which was a German Shepherd, by the way, wonderful, sweet dog, rest his soul, who passed on a few years ago) and I never had to resort to corporal punishment, even though he DID have some issues, I resolved them without being cruel to him.

Yes, dogs should not be coddled and treated like humans or babies, yes dogs need discipline, and no not all discipline is animal abuse, but that doesn't mean you should ever smack your dog or shake him!

How can these monks be so compassionate one minute and cruel the next?  I don't know.

This book may have some good points to it, but just on principle I can not recommend a book that advocates animal abuse, no matter what excuse they give for it.
244295
OK, if the humor of the title of this review evades you, this is not the "book" for you.  If you think the whole situation is funny, then get this book.
Page after page of doodles and notes that blow political correctness out of the water, and made me laugh out loud.  This product is fall down funny.
Again, a classic that is out of print.  Shame, shame, shame.
3763343
It always surprises me that people would buy this book because there are so many better training books available. Dog training has changed for the better over the last decade, and the dogs are benefitting from it! This  book is a throwback to the militaristic training methods coming out of  WWII. There are several quite cruel techniques in this book, including:  "curing" a dog of digging by filling the hole with water and  holding the dog's head under "until he thinks he's going to die";  threading a dowel through a rubber hose to make a tool to beat the dog with  for twenty minutes (that's to rememdy aggression) or to bring it down hard  over the dog's nose (for aggression toward other dogs). There is no need to  beat dogs in the name of training.
I've been training dogs for 17 years,  am a professional trainer, am a "reformed" compulsion trainer,  and I have found many methods better than these. I suggest people look for  any books by Dr. Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, Terry Ryan, Andrea Arden, Joel  Walton, Karen Pryor,and Gwen Bailey. Any of these authors have a much more  dog-friendly approach that teaches the dog what we expect without harming  the dog in any way.
3897237
The only reason I read this book at all was because it was recommended to me by someone at the dog run as being a nice book about a dog. Below is my review.

As the proud owner of a large breed puppy who is not even 6 months old, I found this book offensive. The Grogans seem to have allowed every single bad habit and behavior to persist and then complained about it when Marley became a 90 lb adult Lab. They seem to have basically ignored Marley --- when I brought my puppy home, my whole family made a huge fuss about him and hung out with him and we had him sleeping in our bedroom (in a crate, of course).

Grogan just dumps this 8-week-old puppy in his garage and goes about his business as though Marley did not exist... some welcome home that is!

The obedience school instructor either was the worst instructor on the planet, or none of that really happened: a real instructor should first of all know how to control all sorts of dogs, should be ready for all kinds of craziness, and should attempt to communicate with the dog they are trying to train. But if this really did happen, couldn't they have just found another trainer who knew his/her business?

He made no effort to restrain Marley or confine him to a room, if crates were not the fashion then, and then complains to high heaven that the dog is all over the place.

The commentary Grogan spouted while he was taking Marley in to be fixed was perfectly disgusting. Also, the methods used to get Marley to quit jumping up on people, for instance, were also pretty offputting. Actually, "brutal" is a better word.

Last but not least, Grogan seems to take up a lot of the book talking about his married life (I'm being delicate). Why do we have to wade through this? The dog was a little rambunctious, and he also was mismanaged and unchecked, we got that, but the point of the book was the owners...?

Basically, the bottom line is, if you want to read this book, read it in the bookstore, or just get it out of your local library. Just don't buy it. It's pretty scammy.

Or, better yet, just take your dog for a walk... a nice long one.
2328790
Read, reread, and then read again.  An absolute blue print for raising the gun/family dog you want.  One stop shop.
2458254
To even call this a book is an unimaginable stretch.
I love dogs and thoroughly enjoy reading almost any book having to do with them and their exploits.
This "Book??" is 83 tiny pages composed of 53 pages of photos of various dogs...cute... and 30 miniature pages of Fluff.  And all this from a supposed #1 selling New York Times Bestselling Author!!!!!..And all for ONLY $14.95!!!!
When was the last time you paid $.50 per page for this kind of exploitation?
Anna Quindlen ought to be ashamed of herself
2230832
I bought this book because one - i'm a sucker for a dog story and two, because half of the proceeds go to an animal shelter.  The story took about 9 minutes to read.  I knew it was a short story - but it read like the author was rushing to get it done and up for sale. The characters were not very developed.  She says it only took her a few hours to write, and it really shows.  I do applaud the author for giving half the proceeds to the animal shelter - but really, it was as if a middle school student wrote this in a one hour english 101 class. Whoever chose the cover picture of the book did a great job. It is actually the best part of the book. If you really want to read a good story told from a dogs perspective - read: One Good Dog.  That was an excellent story and the author really got into the dogs head.
1537548
Great book, great condition... until my god shredded its cover. Book was fantastic nonetheless. I may suggest not leaving it unattended by a puppy in training!
815083
I have to agree with a lot of the reviews already posted: Good book bad organization (very bad tone in the overall scheme of the book). Culture Clash is the fourth in a series of dog/training books that I ordered from amazon (fourth to Patricia McConnell's Other end of the leash; The Dog Whisperer (not Cesar Millan); and Ian Dunbar's Teach an new dog old tricks and I have to say I am glad that I waited to read this one.

On the positive side: She drives home the point that dogs are not human (not furry humans, not babies, not spiteful)--this is perhaps the number one concept that gets us "melon-brains", into trouble when bringing home a new pup or as she refers to them, the "lemon-brains." We forget that those big beautiful canines are their defense mechanism and that they will use them when necessary.

On the negative side: She drives this point in such a arrogant, self-righteous tone that it's annoying to read (as if she wasn't a melon-brained monkey herself). I find myself skipping over the redundant ranting to get to the fleshy ideas she has to offer. For someone who stresses "positive" "humane" and "gentle" training her words and how they are organized leave me feeling like my choke chain has been pulled and yanked (sometimes i feel like I swallowed broken glass).

On the positive side: Gives some ideas and techniques that are gentle and focus on positive reinforcement.

On the negative side: You have to dig into the text and into the chapters (well into chapter 5 and 6) to find them. also the only set of pictures is at the back but they were of no use to me. its not the typical how to book.

Patricia McConnell (animal behaviorist) in her book Other End of the Leash, really delves (in a well written and organized manner) into the research and gives concrete examples of research that supports her argument (same "dogs aren't human--so don't treat them as human" concept)and is so human and humane and truly witty. The data really builds McConnell's credibility as a behaviorist. McConnell calls us humans "monkeys."

Donaldson calls us humans "melon-brains." It seems like Donaldson's book is just a book of opinions w/little research data to support it. I'm reading chapters 5 and 6 but in retrospect, I cannot recall scientific data to support her argument.

I don't find Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson "witty" at all. Donaldson attempts a "what if" scenario by putting the humans in the dogs' place where the humans depended on these creatures called Grons (not unlike dogs depend on us humans). She goes on to question, how would you feel if all those natural behaviors, such as smiling, using the toilet, reading the newspaper were behaviors that the Grons didn't approve of (not unlike humans don't approve of chewing, excessive barking, and soiling the carpet). After a LOOOOONG and drawn out description of problem behaviors that lead to aggression (not unlike that found in a frustrated, confused, and under-socialized dog), the story ends sadly with the human being taken to Donaldson's version of the "shelter" to be euthanized because of such aggression.

I found the story stupid and drawn out to make a simple point: communication and training with a dog (while isn't not rocket science)it takes time, effort, and responsibility on the part of the owner. I wish she would get to the point (for a melon-brained money, i'm thinking a lot more simply, like a dog).

That's concept is what this book is supposed to be about: dogs don't think in such a complicated manner. Dogs close the gap between themselves and piece of food, they don't calculate calories. Dog increase the gap between themselves and a scary person/object/situation they don't analyze it to death.

Having said that: Good concept and idea--bad, BAD, BAD presentation.