Team Dog by Mike Ritland
Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 6:37 pm
Anyone who is familiar with Trikkos or Warrior Dog Foundation are probably familiar with Mike Ritland. I have followed his seminars and he's a super down to earth guy that just GETS working dogs. He has that perfect balance of reading dogs, positive training, structure, and poise when training dogs. I picked up this book because I'm basically starting a collection and I wanted to see how different it would be form his other works and his own lectures.
First off this is NOT A TRAINING MANUAL. There are a few "how-to"s but it is mainly what I would consider an opinion piece of how to raise a dog with a very strong bond. For anyone who has owned a DS you've probably figured out some of his points, and will find yourself nodding as you're reading, but he does a really good job of capturing what is required to own a DS, how to have that relationship with them, and how to work with them. There are certain points where I found myself saying "not true of my dog" but then I stopped and realized I did actually know a dog like that. He talks about body language, drives, nutrition, getting a dog that is what you need not what you think you want, and being responsible owner.
He does go into dominance theory, however, he does not agree with intimidation, punishment, or forced alpha roles. He more thinks of it as "I'm replacing the mom and dad my puppy left. I must be in "control" (as in contained) and I must LEAD my dog to help him fit into the world. I am his teacher, his mentor, and his friend." His whole point is to have a good connection with your dog, you must be "in charge", you must be aware of how the dog communicates and how you are influencing/communicating to him, you must be respectful, you must put boundaries on him and enforce them, and you must maintain the structure of the life your dog needs and wants. He ABSOLUTELY USES clicker methods and is a big fan of Karen Pryor. He's also mostly positive and talks about negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement, and a whole lotta other ways to work a dog and how he uses them. While I wish he went into more detail on certain aspects, as it's a book for a wide and "pet" audience, I can see why he can't, but I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone thinking about owning a DS or anyone who may be wondering "why doesn't my dog listen to me?" I think all of us can agree with our brindled beasts, positive and leading our dogs in fair and respectful ways get the best results an the deepest bonds.
First off this is NOT A TRAINING MANUAL. There are a few "how-to"s but it is mainly what I would consider an opinion piece of how to raise a dog with a very strong bond. For anyone who has owned a DS you've probably figured out some of his points, and will find yourself nodding as you're reading, but he does a really good job of capturing what is required to own a DS, how to have that relationship with them, and how to work with them. There are certain points where I found myself saying "not true of my dog" but then I stopped and realized I did actually know a dog like that. He talks about body language, drives, nutrition, getting a dog that is what you need not what you think you want, and being responsible owner.
He does go into dominance theory, however, he does not agree with intimidation, punishment, or forced alpha roles. He more thinks of it as "I'm replacing the mom and dad my puppy left. I must be in "control" (as in contained) and I must LEAD my dog to help him fit into the world. I am his teacher, his mentor, and his friend." His whole point is to have a good connection with your dog, you must be "in charge", you must be aware of how the dog communicates and how you are influencing/communicating to him, you must be respectful, you must put boundaries on him and enforce them, and you must maintain the structure of the life your dog needs and wants. He ABSOLUTELY USES clicker methods and is a big fan of Karen Pryor. He's also mostly positive and talks about negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement, and a whole lotta other ways to work a dog and how he uses them. While I wish he went into more detail on certain aspects, as it's a book for a wide and "pet" audience, I can see why he can't, but I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone thinking about owning a DS or anyone who may be wondering "why doesn't my dog listen to me?" I think all of us can agree with our brindled beasts, positive and leading our dogs in fair and respectful ways get the best results an the deepest bonds.