Best Friends Animal Society Trainers - Dog Tips From DogTown: A Relationship Manual for You and Your Dog

I am an animal lover from the magnificent wildlife of my native South Africa to the dogs and cats that have been my household companions over the years. They enrich my life and make me happy. Like most people who have pets, I love to be able to see them run around and play, enjoying the protected life that I am able to provide for them.

Part of giving my pets a good life includes being able to provide training, especially when there is a serious behavior issue, they have trouble learning the rules of the house, or they have to learn how to get along with the other four-footed family members. I often turn to Best Friends for help and guidance, so Im really pleased that this book of dog-training tips from Best Friends Dogtown is now available to everyone.

Best Friends shares my love and respect for the animals, and I know you will find their gentle, patient approach to training helpful in building a loving relationship with your dog. And please, be sure to adopt your next pet from a local shelter or rescue organization.

Charlize Theron
Actress and Best Friends Member

The relationship between humans and dogs is nothing new. To date, the best evidence suggests that we share a relationship going back at least 14,000 years. No one knows how it all startedwhether we chose human-tolerant wolves to assist us with hunting and protection or if those wolves actually decided to live with us for food and the other perks humanity provided. However the relationship developed, we are now stuck with each other. The dogs that we live with today are hardwired by millennia of purposeful breeding for a relationship with people, and whos to say that humanitys wiring to desire a relationship with dog has not been affected by our partnership with these remarkable creatures. Being guided by our shared instincts and common history brings us together into the most successful, unique interspecies relationship on the planet. And our relationships can only get better by further adapting how we relate to dogs in a way that respects their intelligence, their individuality, and their desire for our companionship.

Dogtown is one of the primary animal care areas at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the home of Best Friends Animal Society. As the name implies, Best Friends believes that the animals in our care and in our home are our friends. They are not captives, slaves, or enemies that need to be forced into compliance. Neither are they animated toys that only need to be programmed. They are intelligent beings with a full range of interests, emotions, needs, and sometimes an unknown personal history. In shortthey have lives of their own. Dog training at Best Friends, or should I say dog education, begins with a respect for the long history that we share and the understanding that every dog is an individual, just like you and me. Consider this: Teaching a happy, well-nurtured puppy is very different from teaching a dog that has been abused which is different from teaching a dog that has learned to manage his life and environment in ways that are just not appropriate for hanging out with or living with people. Living with each of these dogs and giving him the best life possible requires a different strategy for each one. Youll need to discard any previous assumptions and get to know the dog as an individual in order to build a strong, trust-based relationship between the two of you.

At Dogtown, the philosophy and ethics of Best Friends Animal Society is apparent in the methodology that our amazing staff applies to teaching the dogs in our care. We show dogs how to succeed in the lives that are awaiting them when they leave the sanctuary and are adopted into loving new homes through an approach called Relationship-Based Training. As the name implies, its not about coercion or force, its about building a friendship, one that works for both parties involved. Just like any other relationship it involves an exchange of information and a consistent language that allows mutual comfort and trust to grow.

You want a successful relationship with your dog, but your dog needs a successful relationship with you. The guidelines, insights, and tips contained in this book have been proven over years of working with dogs of all ages and with almost every imaginable prior experience including the trauma of Hurricane Katrina, the abuses of dogfighting rings, the shock of war, or the simple dislocation resulting from economic hardship. Dog Tips from Dogtown will help you and your dog to get the most out of your relationship and to become truly, best friends.

Francis Battista
Co-founder, Best Friends Animal Society

When thinking about adopting, consider how different dogs can be from each other, like this group of diverse dogs hanging out with trainer Whitney Jones.