21 Days to a Trained Dog

by Dick Maller

Book Overview

No one is more qualified to teach you how to train your dog than Dick Maller, president of the U.S. Professional Dog Trainers' Association and operator of the famous Maller School for Dogs, whose dogs have won over 100 awards and have appeared in movies and on television. Here is his easy-to-follow, effective, and above all, humane approach to training your puppy or full-grown dog in only 21 days. Using "operant conditioning" and "positive...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671251937
• ISBN13: 9780671251932
• Release Date: November 1979
• Publisher: Touchstone Books
• Length: 141 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

its just what i needed

training a dog is no picnic. in fact owning a dog is easy if you have help and never travel. not that i'm complaining, but i couldn't see why everyone else could train their dog and mine still climbed on the dining room table. i blamed the dogs genes, my wife, and even my own lack of discipline. the truth was i didn't know how to train a dog and most books made it all too hard to do. this book is a plan. a man with a plan beats ---a beast knowing the least. i bought the book. the other three books i got are in the fireplace. this book is simple to use, simple to follow and best of all you finish with a trained dog. how refreshing. every author of a self help book should have to take a test . the test? does it work. this one passes the test with flying colors. how great for me. get the book if you want to tame the cute little monster dog.

It gets the job done! Perfect!

This is the book! More than twenty printings (over more than twenty years) says something. For me (and i guess many others) it solves the problems faced by the owner of an untrained new puppy or old dog. Other books have much more information. I intend to read them when I have much more time. I have flipped through easily two dozen training books and endless websites (I like to try and get information free before I buy). If you're not planning to make a career out of dogs --- but just want a trained housepet ---buy this book!Easy to read, easy to follow, easy to implement and actually a fun read! I loved it and stop by my house and I'll show you "Flipper" actually knows sit, stay and heel!

A truly great book and a possible insight into why.

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 f

It was very imformative and simple.

The book explained simple commands "sit" and "heel" and "come." It was easy to understand and itis a non-disipilnary way of training. I trained my dog with ease.

At last, a book I understand...and so does my dog

Up until now my dog could be in the movies; unfortunately the Columbo movies! After a half dozen books and a two dozen obedience lessons I came across this book. My dog is not going to win any blue ribbons but this book made a big difference. Written twenty years ago its had about two dozen printing. Its stood the test of time and the test of Butch (my dog). Get this book and you have a better than even money shot and changing your dog from being ---well, a total animal. Butch actually is able to roll over, heel and (most amazing) not whiz on the floor when my guirl friend gets home. It took 33 days ...not 21 but considering his past failings (my dogs, not the authors) I'd still have to give it five stars. Easy to use, easy to follow. It actually even borders on fun!