The 10-Minute Retriever: How to Make an Obedient and Enthusiastic Gun Dog in 10 Minutes a Day

by John Dahl and Amy Dahl

Book Overview

The 10-Minute Retriever reflects the authors' belief that daily ten-minute training sessions best suit a retriever's attention span and lead to rapid learning. This book is easy to use for the absolute beginner and yet deeply informative for the serious student of retriever training. The text has the information most needed by the owner of a pet retriever: how to make it reliably obedient and well-mannered.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1572233036
• ISBN13: 9781572233034
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Willow Creek Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A book that makes sense!

This book is one of the better ones I've read (and I've read just about all of them).... There are a lot of good books on training retrievers. I'd rate this one in the top 5. Yes, it does suggest using some force at times, but it also discusses the fact that every dog is different and different dogs require different amounts of force (not unlike children!). It doesn't advocate beating a dog or anything like that. It would be wonderful if we could completely train a dog never using any force at all, but that's rediculous.......just like never spanking a child regardless of the circumstances. Sometimes a degree of force is needed. I'll leave it at that. The primary focus of this book is that training sessions need not be (and should not be) long and tedious. As the title suggests, anyone can train a dog to a high level in daily 10 minute sessions. The books makes for nice reading as there is a nice mix of actual training methods along with several good anecdotes. The book is presented in a logical, chronilogical order. If you follow this book from beginning to end and do as it instructs you to do, you'll have a very well trained retriever when you are done.

One of the best!

This book offers the clearest, most detailed description of not only the HOW of basic training of retrievers, but the WHY behind the techniques and the progression. Many dog training books offer "cookbook" instructions for training a dog, but dogs are living beings, not souffle's, and often times do not follow the manual! An underlying knowledge of WHY the trainer is performing each training step is key to understanding why each step needs to be done correctly, not rushed, and not completed until the dog understands what is being asked. This book offers several different techniques and methods for working a dog through each step, and for dealing with things dogs will do when they don't "follow" the book.I highly recommend this book to anyone starting out training their first retriever. It's clarity and conciseness are what every person needs when starting out training dogs to retrieve. I have given this book to several friends as gifts, and recommend it personally to many.

Absolutely Outstanding

A must own for all aspiring retriever trainers. The Dahl's have finally written a book that the average retriever owner can use to produce exactly what the title proclaims, an obedient and enthusiastic sporting dog. All in 10 minutes or less a day. The "10 Minute Retriever" will guide you through a well laid out, easy to follow, systematic approach of effectively and humanely communicating with your companion. The Dahl's advocate training methods that are proven reliable while backing them with successful anecdotal stories experienced from well over a combined 30 years of professional training. Carefully following their techniques will positively uplift your new friend's attitude, confidence, and performance. If you're desiring to spend many quality and pleasurable years to come with a true "retrieving machine", then this book will be of immense assistance to you. The "10 Minute Retriever" will surely go down in the annals of retriever training as a timeless clasic.

Every retriever puppy should come with this book

The Dahls have written a training book that no retriever owner should be without! Whether your aim is a hunting partner, hunt test or field trial competitor, or even if you're a novice and want to train your dog for what it was bred for, help is here. Time is the thing most of us lack, so here is a program everyone can use, from professional to amateur, to train his or her own dog in easy increments spending only 10 minutes a day. The Dahls are professionals, and they've trained, shown, competed and hunted with all the retriever breeds. But they've presented their information in a very readable format, interspersed with real-life tales of actual dogs. The 10-Minute Retriever is highly readable (you'll devour it in one or two sittings) but also well-organized complete with a glossary and index to refer to. I can't say enough good things about it, and my fellow retriever owners who've read it all agree.