The Book Shelf
Your Scribe, Cathy Ann Savino-Kedzierski, a/k/a "The Lady Upland Hunter", began the "The Book Shelf" list to help you choose a method of training and handling that will work for you and your dog. The truth is that whether it be for competition or the pleasure of having a pet, we all need a little assistance from time-to-time! Moreover, please know that I will either personally endorse the book or let you know if I think that the author has missed the mark! I will only post books I've read and will continue to add to this page while providing my opinion, good, bad or indifferent! If you have any suggestions about a book you deem worthy of sharing with us Shorthair fanatics, please contact me at [email protected]
The Training & Care of the Versatile Hunting Dog by Sigbot Winterhelt & Edward D. Bailey
This is an incredible reference book, it's the NAVHDA bible and is written the "old school" way but all the methods are tried and true!
Training Pointing Dogs by Paul Long
Now, here's my favorite! It was originally published in 1974 but is now in its 2nd printing! Mr. Long has the gift of being able to hold your attention with his wry sense of humor thus turning a training book into a fun read that's practical and sensible, even for someone that's brand new to pointing breed hunting dog training!
Now, here's my favorite! It was originally published in 1974 but is now in its 2nd printing! Mr. Long has the gift of being able to hold your attention with his wry sense of humor thus turning a training book into a fun read that's practical and sensible, even for someone that's brand new to pointing breed hunting dog training!
Gun Dog by Richard A. Wolters
This book was published in 1961 and the author claims that his approach to Gun Dog training is what he calls "A Revolutionary Rapid Training Method". And, when realizing just how long ago the date of publication really is, it's hard to associate the term "revolutionary" with the year 1961! In any case, Mr. Wolters alleges to have conducted his own research and concluded that one must first know how and why a dog thinks and that if training is to be effective, it must not be any longer than working in 10 minute increments and I wholeheartedly agree with that line of thought. However, I also believe that different sporting breeds as well as their individual personalities work at different speeds and you can't utilize just one training method for every dog. After the initial basics, he gets very technical and I don't see the first time gun dog owner deciphering the myriad of information found here and....for all of us woman hunters, please know that he refers to our gender in the following manner and I quote: "Just as there are all breeds of woman, there are all breeds of dogs" and even worse, he often refers to our sex as "the little woman". Hey, maybe it's was a sign of the times, way back in the 60's, but none-the-less, I was put off by his demeaning comments and as a result, my opinion of him is getting in the way of giving this book a "fair shake"!
The Art of Raising A Puppy by The Monks of New Skete
Even though this book is not about pointing breed hunting dog training, every new puppy owner should consider this a must read! The valuable information contained within the confines of these pages will not only guide you in young pup through older pup training but the Monks also take the time to explain the theory behind the methods described therein. I also highly recommend this book to anyone that intends to begin off-leash training in preparation for hunting dog training.
Dogs Behaving Badly
by Dr. Nicholas Dodman
Dr. Nicholas Dodman is a highly regarded canine behavioral specialist and these two books, reviewed herein, take a step away from basic obedience training and places the focus on mild to serious behavioral issues. We, as dog owners, often fail to realize the bad behavior exhibited by our dogs is not just related to being "naughty", rather it can be related to deep set fears due to an underlying incident that we never even noticed and that's just one of the many reasons for repetitive, annoying, noisy and destructive behaviors we live with. And then, when we find that we cannot "fix" these issues on our own, we begin to feel hopeless and/or incompetent. The very idea that your Vet might suggest that you and your dog see a specialist in this field may make you feel that you are being told that your dog is crazy and that he or she needs a Psychiatrist and that's a misnomer that these books will help you realize. I have read both of these books, cover to cover (Dr. Dodman even autographed one for me!); and, I can say, with complete faith, that his manner of approaching these issues borders on incredible and that once we realize how to understand our dogs, even without a consultation with a specialist, you may find yourself in a better, more educated position to help your dog on your own!
*Dr. Dodman is located at Tuft's School of Veterinary Medicine, Grafton, MA and is available for consultation by appointment.
by Dr. Nicholas Dodman
Dr. Nicholas Dodman is a highly regarded canine behavioral specialist and these two books, reviewed herein, take a step away from basic obedience training and places the focus on mild to serious behavioral issues. We, as dog owners, often fail to realize the bad behavior exhibited by our dogs is not just related to being "naughty", rather it can be related to deep set fears due to an underlying incident that we never even noticed and that's just one of the many reasons for repetitive, annoying, noisy and destructive behaviors we live with. And then, when we find that we cannot "fix" these issues on our own, we begin to feel hopeless and/or incompetent. The very idea that your Vet might suggest that you and your dog see a specialist in this field may make you feel that you are being told that your dog is crazy and that he or she needs a Psychiatrist and that's a misnomer that these books will help you realize. I have read both of these books, cover to cover (Dr. Dodman even autographed one for me!); and, I can say, with complete faith, that his manner of approaching these issues borders on incredible and that once we realize how to understand our dogs, even without a consultation with a specialist, you may find yourself in a better, more educated position to help your dog on your own!
*Dr. Dodman is located at Tuft's School of Veterinary Medicine, Grafton, MA and is available for consultation by appointment.
The Well-Adjusted Dog
by Dr. Nicholas Dodman
(see above review on Dogs Behaving Badly)
by Dr. Nicholas Dodman
(see above review on Dogs Behaving Badly)