Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-8 of 8
 Clarifying what this book is for and about October 7, 2007
JR (SA, TX, US)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
One review claims that the games in this book are for large groups. That reviewer is clearly confusing this book with Roy Hunter's other books, entitled "Fun and Games With Dogs," which do involve group dog games. However, "Fun Nosework for Dogs" does not involve multiple-dog games. This is book is about ways to get you and your dog to have fun while your dog uses its nose to sniff things out. There are no activities designed for multiple dogs.
Many of the activities are a lot of fun, like "Hide the Thimble" in which you teach your dog to find items that you have hidden, using its nose. Many dogs really enjoy looking for hidden items, and this can lead to hours of enjoyable hide-and-seek for you and your dog. However, many of these games depend on prior training of your dog. A lot of them require your dog to know how to retrieve efficiently and on command; many others require your dog to be able to bark on cue. So a lot of preliminary work has to be done before you are ready to tackle many of these games, and this book does not really teach you how to train a retrieve (though it has some suggestions about teaching the bark-on-cue). Some of these games can be taught without any complicated prior training; but unless your dog retrieves and barks on cue, at least half of this book will be beyond your reach.
That said, this is a great book that teaches "nosework" beyond formal tracking or police work: stuff like hide-and-seek, hunt the thimble, finding lost objects, and even a card trick where your dog finds the card last touched by a guest. In that sense, it is a very valuable addition to the literature on working with your dog's smell ability. But a lot of the stuff in here is a challenge, to say the least.
 meant for dog class April 11, 2006
Just Me (southeast US)
26 out of 31 found this review helpful
The games are mainly designed for a group of dogs in a class. If that is what you are looking for, then this is a good book. If you are not in a group, then maybe not.
As Advertised: It's Fun and It's Nosework March 7, 2004
J. Nipar (Houston, TX United States)
89 out of 91 found this review helpful
I'm surprised I'm the first to review this book. So far, it's a gem. Roy's writing is clear and direct, and the introductory games are creative and enjoyable. For me, the book is the next step after sit-down-stay. It presents the training in a format that is fun for you and your dog. The first 1/3 of the book provides a series of games that set the groundwork for scenting and scent discrimination. The next 2/3 of the book handle tracking and searching. The book is full of facts and methods, and these methods are all about bonding with your dog. As a bonus to the whole process, your dog will learn a few great parlor tricks. I am giving the book (4) stars because I don't have any other points of reference. Unleash the power of your dog.
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