Divine Canine: The Monks' Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog

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Divine Canine: The Monks' Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog

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Average Customer Rating:

(11 reviews)

Editorial Review: Bring out the divine in your canine!Obedient, devoted, and happy -- that's what we all want our dogs to be. Let Brother Christopher and the Monks of New Skete show you how to get there through the stories of sixteen unruly dogs who came to them with more than a few lessons to learn. In this engaging and informative companion book to the hit Animal Planet series, the Monks of New Skete, renowned masters in the art of raising and training dogs, demonstrate tried and true techniques for influencing animal behavior, showing how a caring attitude and honest communication can turn any dog into a divine canine.Featuring: The Monks' Way: inspiring insights into the special New Skete training methods Tips on tackling problems: dominance, aggression, separation anxiety, and more "What if" guides when things don't go as planned Glossary of key training techniques Step-by-step photos and full-color illustrations of dogs in training at the New Skete monastery A must-have for anyone who loves dogs, ...

Customer Reviews:

1 of 1 found this review helpful:

Divine Canine, 2008-07-04
This book is the best I have ever read on dog behavior. It is very specific and gently leads you to the place where your dog is absolutely comfortable with you as you are with him/her. A must read for any pet owner.

1 of 1 found this review helpful:

Beautiful, inspiring book, 2008-06-13
This is a beautiful and inspiring book. It is full of photos and case studies of dogs that are entertaining to read. Just like episodes of The Dog Whisperer we witness dogs and their owners as they find a healthy balance of love, commitment and training that make everyone involved happy.

2 of 2 found this review helpful:

Ultimate joy of having a dog, 2008-06-05
I thought I knew how to raise and enjoy dogs but when I read this book and others by the Monks of New Skete, I realized I was missing so much.
Now I recommmend it to everyone getting a new puppy and older dog owners as well. Dogs are awesome and having them as a part of our life is a special blessing.

2 of 3 found this review helpful:

read this book first if at all, 2008-06-02
divine canine is the third of 3 books written by the monks of new skete and should be read first if at all. if you follow the fantastic advise given in their first two books you should have a very well behaved and happy companion. when this is the case reading divine canine can get a little frustrating. all you read is stories of people who have let their dog run the house and thats just not a dogs place. PLEASE READ THE ART OF RAISING A PUPPY AND HOW TO BE YOUR DOGS BEST FRIEND. the art of raising a puppy will also give you great insight on how to choose a puppy.

2 of 2 found this review helpful:

Great Training for Dogs and their Humans, 2008-05-09
I was having sushi with a good friend and we were discussing pets and the difference between dogs and cats. Being a cat lover from the time I can remember I was not too interested in hearing about dogs, who I perceived as basically big dirty dumb animals. My friend had a different take; she said, "cats are nature's serial killers, but dogs were put here to teach us how to love."

When my husband and I moved to the Caribbean I brought three cats over with me. One night a local stray dog, a "potcake" as we say, came to visit. "Don't feed it!", I yelled, "or it will keep coming back!" Well, he did feed her and she did come back and now we have no cats but are the proud owner of a 65 pound potcake named Smiley (the best dog in the world). Hmmm....

She came housebroken and relatively social, but liked to run off, was overprotective, and did not play well with other dogs. Luckily I found a great dog trainer and groomer, and Smiley entered doggie day care with training and socialization. Our trainer, as it turned out, used the principles taught by The Monks of New Skete. An Eastern Orthodox order based in Cambridge, New York, the monks train dogs as part of their "monastic witness. For example, since we live on land that is steep and rocky, it is totally unsuitable for farming. This reality led us to begin breeding German Shepherd Dogs early on, and boarding and training dogs of all breeds." The Monks also train dogs and their owners to lead happier, more productive lives together.

Their latest book, Divine Canine: The Monks' Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog, is a clear and easy-to-understand guide to training "difficult" dogs using the examples of actual clients. This is a beautiful book with color photos of the dogs, owners, and Brother Christopher. We see the dogs misbehaving and behaving with clear explanations of how they walked the path. The book is grounded in the monks sense that relationships with dogs help deepen our relationships with God. "God speaks to us through our dogs -- indeed through all life -- and woe to us if we're deaf to that voice."

Divine Canine is organized around the five basic obedience commands: Sit, Stay, Heel, Down, and Come. Each dog story focuses on how teaching the dog these basic commands leads ultimately to a calmer, happier dog and therefore calmer, happier humans. So we watch as Tessie the mini bull terrier with obedience issues learns that she is not the "alpha" of the family and must listen, as Hugo the bulldog learns to not jump up, and as Boomer the rottweiler mix learns that aggression will not be tolerated and is not necessary. But what we also learn is what we as humans must give to the dog -human relationship; what our companion dogs should expect from us.

While all of the Monks' dog books are wonderful, I especially enjoyed The Monks' Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog because of the personal stories. We see the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to the dogs and their owners and learn about ourselves as much as about our pets.

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