How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend, an informal, friendly guide by The Monks of New Skete, is really two books in one: a step-by-step training manual and a philosophical discussion of the spiritual benefits of owning a dog. The Monks, who support their community in upstate New York by breeding and training German shepherds, reveal a profound devotion to all breeds in this detailed guide to every imaginable aspect of dog ownership. They cover it all: naming the puppy, training with eye contact and jingling keys, establishing the best sleeping arrangements, even dealing with pet loneliness. Owners are advised to think of themselves as the dog's alpha figure, to train with praise instead of punishment, and to beware of becoming the dog's maid or doorman. Throughout, the authors reflect on the deep spiritual connection possible between humans and dogs. Generations of dogs have been trained with the bestselling 1978 edition of this book. With this update, the Monks are bound to gain many new fans--happy humans and obedient canines alike. With modesty and generosity, the Monks offer an extensive list of other helpful books about dogs, as well as a useful appendix of American Kennel Club titles and terms. --Judy Fireman


From Publishers Weekly
The Monks of New Skete have been raising and training dogs for over 30 years at their Cambridge, New York, monastery, and this volume-updated from the 1978 version-offers solid insights on dog training, behavior, grooming, feeding and a host of other topics. Whether discussing country, city or suburban dogs, the monks dispense good advice on humane care, such as admonishing owners to avoid "canine incarceration," i.e., leaving a dog confined alone for long periods of time. While the book does contain many useful, tried-and-true techniques for obedience-stay, heel, down-stay, recall and the like-its unique value lies in the monks' insights and thoughts about the human-canine bond. Concepts such as discipline and praise are more than merely a means to an end, the monks maintain: they are extensions of a caring attitude and real communication with a canine companion. Without devolving into New Age psychobabble, the monks make philosophical and spiritual observations that no dog lover could resist, and which just might make a convert of the uninitiated. 87 b&w photos.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Having sold a half-million copies since its publication in 1978, this classic dog-training manual should attract a big audience with its revision.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
The monks of New Skete took their years of experience training dogs at the monastery and turned it into one of the best "how-to" books for raising a canine friend. Using just the right mix of discipline and love, the monks offer some great advice to develop a good relationship with a well-trained and cared-for companion. Where the book itself can bog down in details, the audiobook is a godsend for any harried pet owner or busy person looking to improve his or her canine relationships. The reading is no-nonsense but friendly and makes training tips seem do-able and even fun. The best part about the book, however, is the examples of how poor discipline leads to unruly dogs. While the stories themselves are unbelievable--and unbelievably funny for anyone who has suffered at the hands of a well-meaning pup--the reader manages to sound serious while still enjoying the subject matter, no small feat considering the magnitude of the mishaps. H.L.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Book Description
Entirely revised, with a fresh new design and new photographs throughout, this new edition of How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend preserves the best features of the original classic and expands the book to cover and include: - new observations about dog behavior (natural behavior as well as problems) drawn from the monks' 24 additional years of experience training dogs of all breeds - new trends in training - new equipment (e.g., "invisible fences") - new reflections on the philosophical aspects of the dog/ human relationship, and dozens of new stories and case studies that bring to life the monks' essential training concepts.


About the Author
The Monks of New Skete have lived as a community in Cambridge, New York, for more than 30 years. They support themselves by breeding, raising, and training dogs at their monastery. They are also the authors also of In the Spirit of Happiness: Spiritual Wisdom for Living.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Since 1978, when the first edition of their How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend came out, two things have happened to the Monks of New Skete: 1) The upstate New York clerics have become bestselling authors; 2) The monks have accrued almost a quarter century of deeper insights about raising dogs. This version of their classic is completely revised and updated.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

For nearly a quarter century, How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend has been the standard against which all other dog-training books have been measured. This new, expanded edition, with a fresh new design and new photographs throughout, preserves the best features of the original classic while bringing the book fully up-to-date. The result: the ultimate training manual for a new generation of dog owners -- and, of course, for their canine best friends.

The Monks of New Skete have achieved international renown as breeders of German shepherds and as out-standing trainers of dogs of all breeds. Their unique approach to canine training, developed and refined over three decades, is based on the philosophy that "understanding is the key to communication, compassion, and communion" with your dog.

The importance of honest and effective communication with your dog is underscored throughout this guide, especially in the practical training exercises: a detailed, comprehensive, fully illustrated obedience course through which the monks lead you (and your dog) step-by-step.

How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend covers virtually every aspect of living with and caring for your dog.

In this new edition, How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend has been expanded to encompass the latest equipment (e.g., retractable leashes, "invisible" fences); new trends in training and care (doggy day care, professional dog walkers, etc.); and dozens of new anecdotes and case studies, drawn from the monks' own experience, that bring to life the essential training concepts.

In its scope, its clarity, and its authority, How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend remains unrivaled as a basic training guide for dog owners. Like no other book, this guide can help you understand and appreciate your dog's nature as well as his or her distinct personality -- and in so doing, it can significantly enrich the life you share with your dog.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The Monks of New Skete have been raising and training dogs for over 30 years at their Cambridge, New York, monastery, and this volume-updated from the 1978 version-offers solid insights on dog training, behavior, grooming, feeding and a host of other topics. Whether discussing country, city or suburban dogs, the monks dispense good advice on humane care, such as admonishing owners to avoid "canine incarceration," i.e., leaving a dog confined alone for long periods of time. While the book does contain many useful, tried-and-true techniques for obedience-stay, heel, down-stay, recall and the like-its unique value lies in the monks' insights and thoughts about the human-canine bond. Concepts such as discipline and praise are more than merely a means to an end, the monks maintain: they are extensions of a caring attitude and real communication with a canine companion. Without devolving into New Age psychobabble, the monks make philosophical and spiritual observations that no dog lover could resist, and which just might make a convert of the uninitiated. 87 b&w photos. (Sept. 23) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal