How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners (Revised & Updated Edition)

The Monks are quite insightfull. Their techniquies and more importantly their approach to dogs is the best. If you want more than just a dog--you want a companion (man's best friend), then follow their advice and you will have just that.

If I were to buy only 1 book on selecting, training, having a dog companion, this would certainly be that book!


Brother Job's Thoughts Ten Years After Publishing   January 4, 2000
Linda Knouse (Pennsylvania)
36 out of 41 found this review helpful

I was privileged to meet and work with Job Michael Evans, co-author of How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend, approximately ten years after this book was published.

By that time he had moved to New York City and begun his own Dog Owner Counseling business. He said if he could change anything in the book, it would be the chapter on discipline.

At the time the book was written, there was little to nothing in written form on HOW TO DISCIPLINE YOUR DOG. The Monks of New Skete were breaking new ground. Copying what a mother dog would do to it's pup for discipline was a concept that was embraced by many dog trainers. The draw backs were discovered as time passed.

The fact that it was freely and openly discussed in hindsight only reinforces the integrity of the authors and their genuine desire to understand, communicate, have compassion for and communion with their dogs and encourage others to do discover this as well.

The wealth of excellent information in the rest of the chapters far outweighs the questions of discipline techniques, and for that reason, I would recommend this book to anyone who owns a dog and especially to someone getting a dog for the first time.


The New Skete method did not work for me   December 17, 1999
Kathy Barr (Pelham, NY)
56 out of 67 found this review helpful

I was a novice dog owner and bought this book to help me train my increasingly agressive and out of control puppy. (I chose this one based on the Amazon customer reviews) I tried the training methods used by the monks even though they seemed to be overly confrontational. After a few weeks of the "shakedown" and "alpha rollover", the dog's behavior began to get even worse. The physical punishment was eroding any bond of trust that I had established with the dog. To make a long story short, I changed training methods and concentrated on positive reinforcement only. It made all the difference in the world. My dog is now almost a year old and she is truly my best friend (with first rate manners). I learned the hard way that you don't need to intimidate your dog to have her love and respect you.


Excellent information presented intelligently   November 15, 1999
Barbara W. Boyer (barbcharlie@whro.net) (Virginia, United States)
15 out of 20 found this review helpful

This is a great book if you are interested in training your dogwith love and kindness. The Monks offer excellent advice if you are aone-dog household or a multi-dog household. I have a German Shepherd dog and refer back to this book more than any other breeding/training book I've seen.


The most comprehensive book on understanding dog behavior   October 5, 1999
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

This book covered it all. A must read for not only those who own pets but also those who are thinking about acquiring a dog. Good common sense approach to a wonderful relationship with your dog.