For a very good guide to all sorts of dog training processes and dog behavior challenges, I use and recommend Clickertraining ...that link goes to the description of this terrific ebook you download immediately, wherever you are! -- Rosana

I love the dog training revolution that is bringing more and more dog trainers and dog owners to use positive, pain-free methods. This is part of a movement that can be traced back over twenty years to several innovative dog trainers. One of them is Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian, dog behavior researcher, creator of numerous dog training books and programs, founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and more. I often quote him on this site.

Not today. This time, it’s his wife, top trainer Kelly Dunbar, who I am going to quote.

One of my favorite positive dog training sites to browse is Dog Star Daily, where Kelly Dunbar is the executive editor. It has blogs by a lot of really top trainers, where you get a sense of their lives working with all sorts of dogs and dog behaviors. I also like the huge selection of free dog videos, mostly on training, made by anyone who wants to submit one. Someone there does review them before they go up; you can see my video on how I make dog food using Dr. Pitcairn’s recipes there.

So I was really pleased to read a post by Kelly Dunbar a few months ago where she introduces

Dog 2.0: the next revolution in dog training.

We are in the process of “going green” with all of our training products. We are digitizing everything, essentially digitizing Ian’s brain and all 30 years of his experience in dog behavior and training.

She gives a bit of background, that Sirius Puppy and Dog Training, founded in 1982 by Ian Dunbar, was revolutionary in that it was the very first puppy training school, and that it led to a whole movement of training pet and companion dogs, not just dogs who would end up in the show or obedience ring, or maybe running a dogsled race. I remember those days, when every dog training book I read assumed I was heading out to compete somewhere. Things are so different now.

So if anyone has earned the right to speak of Dogs 2.0, it’s certainly these folks. You can read the whole post here: http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/dog-20-next-revolution

And here is where they have posted audio books, e-books, and dog training programs which you can buy for very reasonable prices. There’s a series of multi-media lessons, where the first one is free and each subsequent one-hour program is only $2.00. I have myself sold products through the website they use there (lulu.com), and it is reliable.

I’m very pleased about all this for five reasons.

  • First, so much dog training “information” on the internet is inadequate or just plain wrong. This stuff is high quality.
  • Second, so much dog training “information” is very expensive. This is not.
  • Third, being downloadable means it is available everywhere in the world, immediately.
  • Fourth, while physical books certainly have their place, electronic products are significantly easier on the environment. It’s gotten so I think twice now before buying a physical book, but not for the e-books!
  • Fifth, I agree wholeheartedly with Kelly Dunbar and will let her have the last word: “Ultimately we are very excited to embrace the new technology because it is dogs in general who will most benefit from this revolution. Solid, tried and true training information is now available at your fingertips… so please take a look around and then get out and use what you’ve learned to spend some quality time with your dog. Training keeps dogs out of shelters and that is why we do what we do. “

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