need suggestions on good praise/reward-oriented dog training dvd/book

[patandchickens]

Despite having lived with his family's dogs for 40 years and assuring me he knew everything necessary to train a dog effectively, my husband turns out to really need a set of procedures to follow. Big time <rolling eyes>.

A DVD would be preferable, but he will read portions of a book if necessary.

The best I have found so far in our local library is "The Dog Whisperer" book by Paul Owens (NOT the Cesar Millan programs of same name!), but it is awfully crunchy-tiedyed-California-Zen for my husband's tastes, and also it assumes that you're using a clicker so you have to sort of mentally translate if you're using verbal praise instead. I have not viewed the companion DVD though, have any of you, how is it?

I am really pretty openminded about exact methodology (within reason - looking for something based mainly on praise and rewards and repetition, not negative corrections or punishment), I just want something that simple I can hand my husband and say "please just follow THIS system" so that we are both doing the same thing with the dog and so that he is not just shouting randomly at it when it is not paying attention and has no idea what he means anyhow, and then being helpless and PO'd at it when it does not obey. (E.g. when I suggested, yesterday, that there was really no point in shouting "Russell, come!" at the dog when it is 100 feet away and paying no attention and off-leash and husband has no treats on his person, and suggested that first it would be important to establish a reliable come over *short* distances when you *do* have the dogs attention and *can* reward him with more than just a quiet 'good boy', my husband said "gee, that's a good idea" like it was the first time he'd ever heard of that approach. Sigh)

All suggestions appreciated,

Pat

 

[DragonEggs]

I HIGHLY reccommend "The Loved Dog" by Tamar Geller. She has a book and a DVD. I've incorporated some of her training ideas into my dogs everyday lives and saw improvment the very first day! I love her potty training method! Its working like a charm!

ETA: This woman trained Oprah's dogs and Ozzy's dogs, as well as a LOT of other famous peoples dogs. The book was a GREAT read. All of her training methods are based on her time she spent observing wolves in the wild and doing things the way a dog's wolf-like instincts tell them to. Everything is non violent, but you will go through ALOT of treats getting the positive reinforcement training right.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Carol Benjamin's "The Natural Way to Train Your Dog". Great book, and she may have a DVD by now.

 

[welsummerchicks]

How to Raise and Train a Puppy by the New Skete Monastery.

 

[RiverOtter]

I'd recommend Dog Talk, http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Talk-Training-Through-Canine/dp/0312117787/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282333215&sr=1-1

Very sensible, easy to read based on praise and motivation but does tell you when and how to give a gentle correction (and very importantly, when NOT to)
They say that NO should be saved for the huge Never-ever-dare-do-that-again things and when the dog is simply giving the wrong behavior, to let them know. IE; they aren't bad, just wrong, please try something else.

And it goes into how to build a positive relationship with your dog.

It is a very easy read, with a section of grey pages that are meant to be cook-book type easy instructions. What I love is that they don't assume the dog has read the book, as in, Most books are- You do A and dog does B,
this one also explains; if you do A and the dog doesn't do B, but does C, then you do D

Happy training!