Your 10 Minute A Day Dog: A Training Guide to Using Your Time Wisely to Communicate Effectively with Your Pup Paperback – April 19, 2018

This is a long one!!!!I have been following Terrie Hayward’s training plan for about 5 years now. I first started using positive reinforcement with my then 10 year old corgi Trixie and I was not convinced her long ingrained behaviors would change. She would bark at everything and was unpredictable around children. I think the chapter in “your 10 Minute a Day Dog” about kids and dogs is so important especially since so many online videos feature kids and dogs and make it look like kids are able to grab, pull, climb on and generally do whatever they want and the dog should be docile and happy about it. I realized I needed to learn how to take control of Trixies introduction to kids since nobody would usually stop the kids from running up to her without asking. If she bit one, she’d be punished which I wanted to avoid. I got rid of her retractable leash and replace with a 6’ leash and always had training treats with me and ready to toss at her when she did desires behavior. The most important change was that I Learbed to stop and to tell people before they let their kids run over and get in her face squealing “she’s so cute!!!” and freaking her out. Instead I would tell them that she’s a little nervous and to stand still and let her come to them. She was so much more relaxed after being able to approach at her own pace and when they would stand still and ignore her she would immediately sit beside them and nudge their hand to pat her!!! I would usually then show the kids how to give her a treat after she would sit or lay down or roll over...whatever “trick” they wanted her to do. Winning!Shortly after losing Trixie I adopted my current corgi Fergie. She was 7 years old and has been with me for 3 years now. She had not had formal or (or maybe even informal training) at all. Didn’t even know “sit”. She was so dog-reactive that if she heard a dog barking from many houses away, she would go ballistic barking, growling, lunging and jumping around...a pretty serious issue we needed to work on. I started slowly with feeding her from toys and food puzzles and saw a change in her her nervous energy immediately. She loves to eat from toys and excitedly finds her toy when it’s feeding time. I also noticed that she was really interested in targeting and our short sessions each day seemed to build her confidence and make her interested in learning new cues. She now knows “sit” most of the time lol.Regarding her dog-reactivity, every time I walk her I take a ziploc bag of training treats with me and we practice....I mean every single time without exception. Consistency is important. She now looks at me immediately when she hears a dog bark, or even when she sees a dog across the street. Instead of going ballistic, she looks at me and then gets her reinforcer. She still reacts when an unfamiliar dog comes too close but I’m thrilled to report that last week we walked with the neighbors dog (who she has met a number of times previously, but always barked at) and she did not bark or make any signs of anxiety or reactivity! Such a huge win!!!I can’t say enough good things about the value of consistent short positive training sessions. The payoff for me has been a much better behaved and happier dog. The payoff for Fergie is treats of course, but also she loves the sessions and excitedly does her exercises!

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Great book! Everything is well explained. I learned a lot with this book.

I just finished reviewing this book. As a professional behavioral dog/animal trainer I am always looking for great resources for my clients. This book is very well planned out and presented. It explains the science behind training in an easy and non-confusing manner. It is positive and supportive of building trust and a cooperative relationship. I will be adding this book to my client resource list and recommend it in high regards to anyone looking for a good basic training resource. Kudo's to Terry for putting together such a great training resource!

I have been waiting for this book to come out! Terrie is a fantastic trainer and it is a privilege to learn from her!

There may be good points in this book, which there are and likely you will find at least 1 thing that works for you. Its well written and easy to read. But the attitude behind the author would prevent me from recommending this book to others. Its a book that implies that it will 100% work for every dog. Doesn't matter age, special need, breed or anything like that. If it doesnt work then you as the owner is a problem. No chance it could be your dog that struggles with it. They have a social media group as well for this book. She is very argumentative and will not allow your opinion regarding anything or else she resorts to constant "I'm right and youre wrong mentality". As a trainer you should ALWAYS be open to learning more, adjusting what may or may not work for the individual pet and how to help the particular pet. Not, this works because i said so and your way is wrong because i said so.She does have good tips and seems knowledgeable but I hope she will be more open to new imformation and that dogs, like children are all different as the years go by.