[A] spirited, lighthearted foray into agility training . . . A skilled writer, Davis tells her tale with intimacy . . . a worthy read. –Kirkus
About the Book
TEACHING THE DOG TO THINK is Kimberly Davis’ memoir about her crash introduction to the sport of dog agility—with its jumps, tunnels, balance beams and weave poles. An award-winning poet and blogger, Davis vividly describes her frustrations trying to get her dog to “mind.” We then watch as her first steely-eyed agility coach shames her into giving up choke collars and scruff shakes in favor of the “positive” training methods used by agility instructors. Davis’ breezy, often humorous account shows how these new techniques allow her to communicate with the “alien” mind of a dog. Also how they transform her unruly yearling collie, Willow, into a loyal, hardworking teammate. Davis ultimately carries the lessons she has mastered in dog training class into other areas of her life, particularly into parenting and teaching creative writing. In the end, this memoir becomes a soul-searching exploration of how to get others to do what we want without bullying or cruelty—by using our heads and forcing ourselves to be a little smarter. A subtly subversive book about dealing responsibly with those less powerful than ourselves, Teaching The Dog To Think speaks not only to dog lovers, but also to anyone who has ever felt helpless, angry, or frustrated as a parent, teacher or pet owner. (Climbing Ivy Press, 2012, 233 pages)
Where to Buy
From Amazon.com, available in Paperback or Kindle Edition
From Barnes & Noble
Praise for Teaching the Dog to Think
“You MUST read this book if you have children or pets, and want to change their behavior without coercion!” –Richard McManus, Founder and President, The Fluency Factory
“An interesting story of how switching to clicker training vastly improved one agility fan’s dog and also changed her own approach to family life.” –Karen Pryor, author, Don’t Shoot the Dog and Reaching the Animal Mind
A skilled writer, Davis tells her tale with intimacy as she casually converses with her reader… In her kind, cheerful treatment, she expresses honest thoughts about her own perceived shortcomings as a pet owner, as highlighted by the training experience. Through the detailed examination of Davis’ experience, readers will not only comprehend her expanded knowledge of spirit and soul, but also her feelings of failure and, most significantly, her reinforced attachment to her pet… In the end, Davis’ memoir is as much about the human spirit as it is about dog training [and is] an enjoyable look at the connection between people and their dogs. –Kirkus Reviews
And read the Amazon Customer Reviews: 30 Customer Reviews — 4.5 Stars!
Kimberly Davis 