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BookmarkWith over 390 pages and the accompanying DVD, the author of Aggression in Dogs; and the Maxwell Award winner, Canine Body Language; brings you new ways to train your dog and to improve your understanding of how your dog perceives the communications you give to him. This is done by providing you with a series of exercises based on Positive Reinforcement training and a new set of protocols based on developing and improving any relationship.
Getting connected with your dog is the key to building a relationship in which learning can flourish and the needs of both the dog and the owner are met. Once you know how to communicate with your dog, that knowledge, combined with positive training techniques, can make you a much more effective trainer.
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I’ve read MANY books on dog training & dog behavior & still learned A LOT from Get Connected with Your Dog! It’s dense with information but the CD included makes it easier put her practical techniques to use. Brenda’s tips for training my (sometimes fearful) Lab to make eye contact with me (daily) when I ask, has proved very useful for calming her & on walks when I need her to momentarily pay attention to me. Plus we put her Back-Away technique to good use during close encounters with other strange dogs. This book gives what it promises & is a must-read for anyone who wants a better relationship with their dog, regardless of how many other books like this you’ve already read!
This is an amazing book and I recommend it to everyone. It is so detail oriented and makes so much sense. A true inspiration for consistency and forethought in training your dog.
After reading this book I want to get another dog just to “get everything right” from the start!
The book mainly uses negative reinforcement as a training technique, teaching the dog to release to some sort of physical pressure. I was disappointed in both the book and the accompanying DVD. The average pet dog owner would not learn positive motivating training techniques from this manual. The dogs in the DVD looked stressed and confused. Brenda’s dogs looked wonderful, the segment in the end of the DVD where they mirror her movements was very cool.
I have returned the book as I personally do not find it a useful training guide for positive reinforcement training.
Brenda Aloff is a great trainer and this book with the DVD is very helpful for anyone learning about training their dog. Getting Connected is a recent book that has really put together her years of positive reinforcement training. The DVD is really helpful. Very detailed and specific plans for training. All of her books are good.
While I haven’t read the entire book yet, I have read parts of it and have also watched the DVD. I respectfully disagree with reviewer Swissy Mom; her review very nearly prevented me from purchasing the book. I’m glad it did not.
Ms. Aloff is using a method of communication with which dogs are familiar by nature: body language and space. I did not get the impression at all that she was ignoring the dogs’ reactions to her movements and behavior. In fact, she understands that, under certain circumstances, dogs are uncomfortable with being handled and unsure (to start with) about what is expected. But this is a part of learning new things. Many dogs react strongly to their first collar or head halter – this is not so different. Some discomfort is to be expected. Movements and handling were performed in a gentle and caring way. All of the dogs in the DVD relax noticeably and seem to begin to enjoy the process as their learning progresses.
I have a smart and wonderful but difficult adolescent dog. As a result, I’ve done a great deal of reading about various training theories/methods in addition to participating with him in a number of courses. While I understand that space management is important when working with dogs, this is the first comprehensive guide I’ve found that uses this as a foundation for training, offering individual exercises and a step-by-step approach to each of them, including various key movements/behaviors in your dog that should influence your responses while you help him/her to understand what you want him/her to do. These are called out in the DVD as well. There are also modifiers for dogs who are timid or excitable.
What is most encouraging to me about this approach is what Ms. Aloff describes as getting your dog to use his/her forebrain (thinking about what your communication means and how he should respond) rather than his/her hindbrain (reacting to what you are doing – whether that is offering a treat as a lure or giving an appropriate physical correction). Please note that I am not disparaging other training methods. It is simply useful to have a means of communication with dogs that they already understand on many levels. I’m hopeful this will enable me to teach my dog that he is capable of self-control and help us learn to read and understand each other better. I’ll update this review when I have more information.
The only minor negative thing I can say about this is that the DVD I received is a bit grainy. Perhaps that is just my copy, or even my old DVD player. But the content is an extremely helpful complement to the book.