When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs

Jane Killion

Jun 2007 · Dogwise Publishing

About this ebook

Winner of The Merial Human Animal Bond Award Winner of the 2008 Indie Book Awards for Animals/Pets Winner of the IIACAB Award for 2007 Best Dog Book (Misc.) Do you have an impossible dog? Think again. Most dogs have many characteristics that make them quiet trainable. Your dog is smart, a good problem solver and posesses a strong drive to get what he wants. Learn how to make your dog operant; a dog willing to seek out the correct behavior in return for a reward. You don't have to constantly feed your dog for good behavior. Learn how to use play and other activities as an effective reward. With the "Pigs Fly" Training System you will: Discover how dogs learn Learn to use the clicker Get your dog to offer to do things without being asked Learn how to use shaping Reinforcers?find out what gets your dog really excited Get your dog to pay attention to you How to play with your dog How to teach your dog behaviors The key to training success with difficult dogs is to figure out what they find rewarding and then to use those rewards to get the behaviors you want. You'll be amazed at what your "bad" dog will do when you know how he thinks and what turns him on! What reviewers are saying... APDT CHRONICLE OF THE DOG "When Pigs Fly! focuses on training dogs from the "non-biddable" breeds such as terriers and hounds. Author Jane Killion uses her own Bull Terriers to illustrate how to work with "Pigs Fly" dogs... While this book is geared toward the average dog owner, there is plenty of excellent information and ideas for dog trainers who may find ideas for dog trainers who may find themselves challenged by clients' dogs who fit this description... The book contains many photographs that provide step-by-step instructions on teaching behaviors, as well as shaping, types of equipment, and playing with your dog. I enjoyed the presentation in the photos of a variety of "non-traditional" breeds such as her Bull Terriers, as well as Pugs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Basenjis, Beagles, and Newfoundlands. As a bully breed and mixed breed dog owner myself, I always appreciate "equal time" for dogs you don't normally see in the training ring... I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to owners and trainers of any breed of dog." Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC SOCIETY OF VETERINARY BEHAVIOR TECHNICIANS "I have had the recent pleasure of reading Jane Killion's When Pigs Fly!. In her first book, Jane has constructed an admirable training manual appropriate not just for "impossible" dogs, but every dog and dog owner. An experience trainer inspired to new methods by her own dogs, a herd of Bull Terriers, Jane's friendly, open style and succinct instruction will make this volume a valuable addition to any training library... Introducing the concept of training the Pigs Fly dog, Jane points out differences between "biddable" breeds such as most Herding dogs, and less biddable, more independent dogs such as Terriers and Hounds. She highlights one main difference, taking time to emphasize the fact that intelligence is not measure in cooperation with a handler, but in the ability to solve problems presented to the dog. Most biddable breeds learn quickly with direction from a handler, but don't take the initiative to solve problems without directions at first. However, most Pigs Fly dogs excel at independent problem solving skills and are keen to attempt solutions without instructions for a handler. Jane proposes that the key to successful and cooperative training of a Pigs Fly dog is creating an operant dog.