The book
How To Train Your Dog With Love + Science
By Annie Grossman
Train without pain, using your brain.
From School For The Dogs' founder Annie Grossman: a modern, science-based approach to changing behavior without coercion or force. In this lively guide, she nails down what positive reinforcement is (and isn't) and offers building-block exercises and tips on how to train effectively using reward-based methods.
Whether you've just brought a new dog into your home or you're wanting to teach an old one new tricks, this book will help you achieve your goals using techniques rooted in the science of behavior. Woven into the how-to is the century-long history of positive reinforcement training — from Pavlov's dogs and Thorndike's cat to Skinner's pigeons and Pryor's dolphins — and a glimpse into seeing all behavior anew.
Take a peek inside
Read it or hear it before you buy it
Excerpt · Fast Company
“How tic-tac-toe-playing chickens changed my life (and your dog’s too)”
What can a chicken that plays tic-tac-toe teach you about your dog? More than you’d think. In this excerpt from the book, published by Fast Company, Annie tells the story that changed how she sees all behavior, and shows how the same science can help you and your dog.
Read the excerpt ↗Audiobook preview
Hear the opening
Press play for the start of the audiobook, read by narrator Eunice Wong. The full audiobook runs about nine hours: perfect for dog walks.
From the introduction
"At my school, public displays of affection are not discouraged. In fact, a lot of the teachers and the students are actually in love with each other. There are no grades, no arguments, and no aging out of nap time. Recesses are sprinkled throughout the day, and if there's a social interaction that isn't ideal, future meetings of those individuals will not be forced.
"At my school, success is a moving target — it moves closer when necessary, to ensure a certain amount of success whenever possible. If a student gets something wrong, we ask ourselves how we can be better teachers. Also: the students love the food. In fact, we let them eat their homework.
"Welcome to School For The Dogs."
Reviews
"In the same vein as Karen Pryor's classic book, Don't Shoot the Dog, this training how-to has applications far beyond puppy obedience. As a certified dog trainer, animal behavior major, and dog owner of 36-plus years, I was amazed at how much I took away from this book. The immense amount of valuable information combined with Grossman's engaging writing style, humor, and honesty, make this not only a valuable read but an entertaining one, as well."
"Annie Grossman's How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science is not your typical dog training how-to: it's an entire philosophy that uses behavioral science to help shape your pup into the perfect canine citizen — and can even help you, as the human, shape your own life. Arguably the most beneficial dog training book I have ever come across."
"I've read my share of dog training books over the years and know exactly how dense some of them can be. What surprised me about this one is how entertaining it was to read. Grossman had me smiling and laughing from start to finish (which I totally wasn't expecting!)."
Finally: dog training that makes sense
Why dominate your dog when you could be their friend?
The What
Find out how just a few basic exercises, coupled with a focus on core concepts, can help you become your dog's favorite teacher.
The How
Learn how to read dog body language and get the behaviors you want using a "Training Triad" approach — teaching, problem-solving, and setting your dog up for success.
The History
Discover the winding history of the science of behavior, and how it can change the way you think about how you "train" the other "animals" in your life. Including, maybe, yourself.
The Why
Build your ability to make informed choices about how you treat your dog — and others you love. Dogs may be man's best friend, but they are still too often abused in the name of training. You can help change that.
Advance praise
"There is only one way to teach dogs what we would like them to do to adapt to an increasingly demanding human-oriented world, and that is to use positive methods filled with respect, compassion, and love for our canine companions. Using the latest science and wonderful stories, Annie Grossman shows us how to allow dogs to express as much of their dogness as possible and have satisfying dog-appropriate lives without forcing them to do things they'd rather not do. When dogs feel safe and trust us, it's a win-win for all — what could be better?"
"Dog training has undergone significant changes in the recent past. After decades of resistance, a large part of the training community has accepted the long-established scientific principles of learning. Outdated and often cruel techniques still have their defenders, and are made popular by "experts" in books and especially on television. Fortunately, there are knowledgeable and eloquent authors like Annie Grossman, who can explain the science and effective, humane procedures convincingly to any dog lover."
"Every rescue and shelter should be giving away copies of this book. The easy-to-consume information about the science of learning is combined with relatable and interesting examples from Annie's own experience living with dogs. From the start I was hooked on learning more about Annie's journey and the history of dog training that shaped many of our understandings of how to train our dogs."
"This is the perfect book for people who want to learn positive dog training methods. The science is explained in an easy-to-understand way."
"A thrilling read! I love the way Annie addresses her readers with straight-talk: delivering practical, no-nonsense information in a way that everyone can understand and use. There is a humor and a realness in her writing that comes from her years of running School For The Dogs in a place like New York City. This book will hold a unique place in my library."
"An entertaining and down-to-earth, easy-to-follow explanation of the science of behavior change, and how we can harness this knowledge to make dog training effective and kind. If you have been seduced by celebrity dog trainers on TV, you need to read this book. In fact, Cesar Millan should read this book."
"Extremely well written, captivating, fascinating, and highly informative — more than just another dog training book. Annie Grossman will take you on a journey; her book reads like a story. Reward Training ROCKS! As does this book."
"From Darwin to Pavlov and beyond, this is the best dog training book I've ever read — in fact, if I wrote a dog training book, I'd want it to be this one."
"This book takes its people — dogs and humans — into worlds of deep connection and wise education with each other. Love and Science, indeed. Use this book!"