Book Review: 101 Dog Tricks

I have studied many dog tricks books (The Only Dog Tricks Book You’ll Ever Need, Dog Tricks for Dummies, and Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs to name a few) for several years now and used a variety of techniques on various breeds, so this subject and the techniques taught aren’t new to me. Having said, I think 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog is one exception book that offers something to both novice dog owners and veteran dog trainers.

For the novice it provides the necessary training tips and know-how such as

• Your Job As A Trainer
• Help Your Dog Be Successful
• Why People Fail
• Luring Versus Manipulating
• Can I Make Up My Own Words and Signals For Tricks?
• Chaining Commands (more for advance trainers)

It also covers adequate groundwork such as the basic commands of sit, down, stay, and come before moving on to other easy, intermediate, advanced, and expert levels.

Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and tips on the subject covers. For example, Chapter 7 covers “Jumping and Catching” dog tricks and the author shares her expertise on teamwork and safety issues. These are excellent nuggets of information, which many usually overlook before teaching the dog new tricks.

As an overly organizing nut, I appreciate how this book is presented. Not only it has a full-color photo for each trick and its training steps, it even has colored boxes on the sides covering prerequisites, troubleshooting, build on it, and tips on that particular trick. This book has a very clean layout with one trick per page or two at most. No fluff and filler, straight to the point, so you only need to concentrate on the step-by-step approach to teaching your dog the new trick.

As for the veteran trainer, you can never run out of tricks to work on your dog. The “build-on-it” idea box suggests much more complicated tricks that you can build on on each new skill. In another words, there are more than 101 dog tricks. (How’s that for your money’s worth?)

Two things I like most are the verbal cue and hand signal boxes on each trick and the appendix area. In appendix A, the tricks are grouped by skill level while in appendix B they are listed according to sport—for example, therapy dog and dog dancing. Instead of having to flip through pages to look for suitable trick to work on the dogs, all I need is to look at the appendix area. Once my dogs mastered the trick I put a tick beside it with the date. Should I decided to go full pledge on setting a dog trick training school, I probably come up with a workbook base on the 101 Dog Tricks concept. (Hint! Hint! Ms. Kyra)

Updates: Indeed Ms. Kyra “took my suggestion” and came out another dog tricks book that includes a training workbook and a DVD. I honestly can’t comment on this book because I don’t own one neither have I read it. I’m very happy with the 101 dog tricks and got tremendous results from using her techniques hence I don’t see the need to get her second book which I guess it would have many repetitive tricks that she had ready covered. Just so you know, she also wrote one dog tricks book just for puppies.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in training their dog dog tricks—novice or veteran. Besides gaining practical skills, you will also gather information and tips you hadn’t thought about before and your dog will master neat tricks to show case his skills and maybe inspire other owners and dogs.

Rating: 4.7 bones out of 5

On a final note, I wouldn’t recommend 101 Dog Tricks if you have teacup or really miniature dog (e.g. Chihuahua). Almost half of the book covers skills that require some height. Unless you have special customized props, otherwise this book may only offer you half the value of what you are paying for. Nonetheless, it is a very fun book and I believe both you and your dog will have many wonderful times learning the tricks.

I find Deborah Wood’s Little Dogs: Training Your Pint-Sized Companion will be your next best choice if you want to teach your tiny pooches tricks that are easy to learn. Not so much on challenging tricks like Kyra’s but good enough to entertain your guests when they come to visit.