Drool School

Fall 2007 DVD

Ages: 6 - 12 yrs.

DVD Price: $23.95

Review:

This DVD was of particular interest to me since I have taken our two little Schnoodles, Max and Nikki, to dog training class. And I've read Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan's book and watched his show on the National Geographic Channel. The two methods are very different. In traditional training class, the positive-reward approach is used to teach basic commands. In Cesar Millan's world, it's all about the human using assertive-calm behavior to get the job done. Both require effort. Both work.

Here, in Drool School, dog trainer Amy Robinson uses the treat method to teach basic dog handling. In the 45-minute video, she offers valuable tips to parents in teaching kids how to act around dogs. "No hugging," for example. She also shows children and parents how to train dogs to stop chewing, to sit, to stay, to wait and to play safely. I'm not sure I believed that she actually stopped one dog from eating a little girl's sandwich off a coffee table, but her "back up" command did seem to get the dog away from the food. As with any training program, constant reinforcement is key. Amy urges owners to be patient and give praise, and her methods seem to be effective. Anyone watching the video could easily try what she recommends to accomplish basic dog training, and that's sure to lead to a happier life for owner and dog. Now if only she had addressed how to stop Max and Nikki from getting up so early.

Ann Oldenburg ©2007 Parents' Choice Ann Oldenburg is the mother of three boys, writes about entertainment for USA Today and is the coauthor of "The Washington DC-Baltimore Dog Lovers Companion." (Avalon Travel)

Look for this product at:

The Barkery (772) 595-9498

Vero Beach Book Center (772) 569-2050