Plenty in Life is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace

Description

Plenty in Life is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace

by Kathy Sdao, ACAAB

ISBN: 9781617810640

Publisher: Dogwise Publishing

Publication Year: 2012

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 97

From the back cover:

“What if the secret to great dog training is to be an expert ‘feeder’ rather than a strong leader? A skilled reinforcer rather than a strict enforcer?

Over the past two decades, countless dog trainers across the world have embraced the liberal use of positive reinforcement. Often accompanying this trend, however, is an underlying emphasis, inherited from more coercive models of dog training, that each human in the family must be the dog’s leader. Adopting the role of leader through the use of ‘Nothing in Life is Free’ training protocols, however, can result in stifling rules that constrain people’s ability to share affection with their dogs. Strict reward-rationing regimens also tend to put the burden on the dog to ‘earn’ all their privileges instead of placing the primary responsibility on the humans to be generous, precise, creative ‘feeders’ (i.e., reinforcers).

In this book, animal behaviorist Kathy Sdao reveals how her life’s journey and her decades of training marine mammals and dogs have led her to move beyond the leadership model. She describes how her training philosophy has evolved to focus on developing partnerships in which humans and dogs exchange reinforcements, continually ceding the upper hand to one another.

This book will amuse you and, at times, may make you want to cry. It also may arouse controversy among dog trainers. Regardless of whether you agree with its suggestions, this book will inspire you to reflect about the choices you make in relating to your own dogs.”