"Don't growl at the dog": reader reviews, summary, critic reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 19:44

Karen Pryor is 86 years old and was born in 1932. But this fact does not affect the popularity of her books. According to reviews, "Do not growl at the dog" has become one of the author's most widely read creations. It gives practical advice that has become a breakthrough in Russian and foreign cynology.

A little about the author

The future writer was born on May 14, 1932, as mentioned above. Place of birth - New York. Her dad was quite famous. Philip Wylie is a popular writer in America. He is the author of many books ranging from science fiction. Almost nothing is known about the mother.

Karen herself has come a long way. She has always been interested in behavioral psychology. The woman thoroughly studied not only her, but also the biology of marine mammals. She trained dolphins for many years before switching to dogs.

Karen Pryor's book Don't Growl at the Dog was written in 1984. But her advice is still relevant today.since. A lot of cynologists work according to the Prior method.

What is the book about?

Of course, about training. But, unlike our Soviet books on this subject, the book "Do not growl at the dog" is based on three components. "Observe, reinforce, develop" - so they are translated into Russian.

According to the scheme proposed by the author, you can teach not only a dog. Karen used this technique to work with dolphins. It has been tested on humans and Prior works on bipeds as well.

What is reinforcement?

If at least something is clear with the first two words, then "reinforce" should be de alt with.

Returning to Soviet books on training, we will conclude that in them the mechanical effect on the dog is an everyday moment. Beating an animal half to death is, of course, unacceptable. But it is allowed to punish when necessary.

"Do not growl at the dog" (Karen Pryor - author of the book) contains the main advice - when communicating with a pet, refuse to use physical force. No mechanics, the dog's wrong is explained to him with the help of negative reinforcement.

What is hidden under the word "reinforcements"? Influencing a dog with treats, toys, and other ways that helps get the desired behavior from him.

Reinforcement can be positive or negative. The first is given when it is necessary to increase or reinforce the occurrence of the desired behavior in the future. The second one is the opposite. When the owner does not want to see this or that behavior of the pet, he gives him negative reinforcement.

What does the author suggest?

Reviews of Karen Pryor's book "Don't growl at the dog" are the best. We will talk about this below, and now let's talk about what the author wants to offer trainers.

When the desired behavior is achieved from the dog, it is given positive reinforcement. First of all, it is joyful praise. You should not overdo it, but to show the dog that the owner is satisfied is the direct responsibility of the latter. And the intonation should be joyful.

The second point is the use of treats or toys. Praised with a voice, back up with what the animal loves.

And when the dog has not fulfilled the required, then it is suggested to simply ignore it. That is, do not pull up with the braking team, do not scold, but pretend that you do not notice. This is the "know-how" of the book called "Don't growl at the dog".

Difference from mechanics

What do we do when a dog refuses to follow a command or doesn't obey? We pull it, we give a braking command (no). And other especially gifted trainers do not disdain to hit the animal. If you read some books by dog handlers of the police (then still - the police), the question arises: how were they allowed to dogs in general? Our mechanics, sometimes used in training, simply pales in comparison to what is described in these books.

But we digress. Imagine a situation where the owner takes the dog outside. DogHe's big, but he listens well. And at the entrance sits an irritant for the dog. And this is not a harmful neighbor or a drunk person, this is an ordinary cat. And then the dog turns on the instinct, he needs to immediately catch the cat.

The owner reacts according to the situation. Some sharply pull the pet away, while others, realizing that the braking team will not help now, simply "strangle" the dog.

What does Karen Pryor suggest in her book Don't Growl at the Dog? Switch pet to yourself. Loudly call his nickname, and under your breath you shove your favorite toy. And when the animal is distracted from the cat, waving this toy, run away from it. The dog will rush after the owner on its own, she really wants to get a toy. And no violence against the pet, everything is done positively. The cat runs away and saves its life, and the dog becomes indifferent to it. What cats can be when playing with the owner is a much more interesting option.

How does this apply to people?

If we figured out the animals, then how to reproduce this technique in relation to humans is unclear. In fact, everything is very simple. According to reviews, "Don't growl at the dog" is a book primarily for "training" the owner and other people.

When you want to achieve something from a person, then praise him for the steps taken in this direction. For example, a mother teaches lessons with a child. The son is "stupid", as they say now, and my mother's nerves are failing. As a result, she starts screaming and cursing.

There is no point in crying, just explain to the childmaterial again. And watch his reaction. Did the son begin to understand something? Praise him, give positive reinforcement.

The child pretended to understand everything. But he solved the problem incorrectly, and to a completely logical question, what is the reason for this, he admitted that he did not understand anything. Do you want to scold him properly, or even kick your ears? Do not rush with both types of "reprisal", just take offense at the offspring. And ignore him, don't answer the questions. You can say once that you were offended, but do not say why it happened. Of course, not because of the task, but because the child lied, pretending to understand her solution.

As for other people, it's simple. Just do not enter into an argument or an unpleasant conversation, this will be ignoring. And praise and celebrate merits if you are satisfied with the result of a person’s work.

Is it easy?

According to reviews, "Don't growl at the dog" is just a great book. But is it so easy to follow the scheme described in it?

It's not as simple as it seems at first glance. And if this system can be used with a person, then great patience will be required to train a dog using this method. And most importantly - consistency in their actions. Dogs are afraid of inconsistency because they don't know how to react to it. The results of such training, which lacks strategy and consistency, are very disappointing.

Reviews and reviews

What will readers who have applied the Prior scheme in practice tell us? "Don't growlon a dog", according to reviews, a very interesting book. And the method proposed by the author really works. Critics agree with this.

Here's what is especially noted:

1. The book is just great. According to readers, it is very easy. You can start reading from anywhere.
2. The scheme works, more than one critic reports. Among the fans of this book are dog breeders, educators and respectable businessmen.
3. The "recipes" proposed by the author are described in a very simple and accessible way. They are easy to apply in your own practice. Many critics agree.
4. Readers note that Karen Pryor had to train dolphins. And you can’t punish these animals, you can convey your own discontent to them only with the help of negative reinforcement. Which the woman did, detailing it in the book.
5. Despite the fact that the book is almost 35 years old, the advice from it is relevant to this day. This is evidenced by critics, as well as by readers who, according to reviews, "Don't growl at the dog" helped to change their own behavior.
6. With the help of advice from the book, as its readers note, you can raise children. It actually works.

Conclusion

About Karen Pryor's book "Don't growl at the dog" reviews, as you can see, are very good. There is nothing wrong, people are happy with the system they use in life.

Worth reading? Definitely worth it. And dog lovers, and young mothers, andjust people who are interested in behaviorism. The book is based on it, it is read very simply.

Just don't think that after reading the magic will immediately begin. No, implementing Karen Pryor's scheme requires a lot of patience. This has already been mentioned above.