Learning how to “speak dog” may sound like an unusual way to embark on training a dog, but that’s how celebrated dog trainer and TV veteran Justin Silver has achieved his remarkable successes. And that’s exactly what he wants to teach you as well. Dog training fads and styles come and go, but Justin sticks with one key concept. Dogs are eager to please their human owners, and they honestly think they’re doing the right thing. Most dogs aren’t being willfully disobedient; the two of you just aren’t speaking the same language.

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Whether you merely want to understand your dog better, or there’s a troublesome behavior you’ve been unable to fix, Justin Silver encourages you to move past stereotypes such as “hyper” or “aggressive” and listen to what your dog is trying to tell you. The first phase is learning all about what makes your dog unique, and Justin shows how to assess your dog’s entire personality. It’s not enough to look at just one part of it in one place or time, as happens in an obedience class or a session with a professional trainer. Justin steps you through by looking at the whole picture in every type of situation. Every circumstance can be a little bit different, and you are the one who already knows your dog best.

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Justin’s approach is based on a key concept. Don’t tell your dog what you don’t want. Instead, tell your dog what you do want. And to help you implement this technique, he shows how easy it is to teach your dog some familiar positive behaviors—such as “sit,” “come,” and “stay”—that will help you and your dog learn to live happily together.

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Learning should be fun for your dog, and Justin Silver’s trademark style and wit make the experience of reading this book just as fun for you. From the story of his dual career as dog expert and stand-up comic to delightful details on the dogs in his life, The Language of Dogs is a compulsive read that you won’t want to put down... except to start listening to what your dog has to say.