Mental Exercises for Dogs is an introduction to canine character and behavior. Swanson's great contribution is the reassurance that intentional work training a dog using positive reinforcements and consistency can modify bad behaviors of a bored or anxious dog. The exercises are standard training activities that will engage or renew connection between trainer and animal, and stimulate the intellect of both. Her step-by-step instructions make clear the essentials of consistency and attention to the animal. The agility section is a basic introduction that provides guidance for those new to the sport. The book can be improved with editing of run-on sentences, comma splices, and missing words and turns of phrase. I received this book as an early review. ( )

I received this ebook as part of the Early Reviewer's program, but that in no way has influenced my perceptions of the book. I have fairly extensive dog training experience and currently have a very smart, active young dog that I have begun to train in several different sports. Based on the book's title, I had hoped for a book filled with various games and suggestions on how to keep a dog's mind busy throughout the day. Instead, I read a nice, short and very basic book on dog training. The chapters are very brief and assume that the reader has a very cooperative dog who picks commands up quickly. I next thought that perhaps the QR code or web link at the end of the book would offer ideas that went more with the title of the book. However, both the code and the link lead to a site that has not yet had any content added to it.
So, if the reader wants a brief, basic book on dog training that includes some background on how dogs learn, they might find this book helpful. Anyone looking for games for mental stimulation or more advanced dog training methods would be advised to look elsewhere. A helpful bibliography is included that will lead to some dog training websites. All of these sites focus on positive dog training methods. Anyone looking for alternatives will need to search elsewhere.
It's a nice book but not quite what the title promised. ( )

Very helpful and useful guide in training any breed of dog. It was especially helpful for me having just gotten a new puppy. Highly recommend this guide! ( )

Mental Exercises for Dogs by Susan Swanson is an outstanding book for dog behavior. I was surprised by how much was packing into this book, and it is organized very well. It has four major parts and 20 chapters. Part 1 is the basics of dog training, Part 2 is putting it into practice, Part 3 is basic principles, and part 4 is a advanced training. I liked the step-by-step guides and found many behaviors on which my dog needs some guidance. I can't wait to put this into practice. ( )

Hello.
I received this book as an early review.
It is a great book for first time dog owners, since it mostly focused on basic commands (sit, stay, etc.).
I liked that it is focused on training the trainer as well as the dog.
Based on the title and picture of a collie (highly intelligent dog that can master a lot of tricks) I was hoping it would focus on more complicated commands and/or training a very difficult dog, since i already know the basics, but the last part of the book gave me some ideas on more “tricks” to teach.