The Koehler Method of Open Obedience for Ring, Home and Field,

Rating:
Summary: Not for every dog
Review: I have used many different training methods over the years with several different dog breeds and have found Koehler's method of training to be 100% effective 100% of the time. I attend an obedience class with my current dog, Blue, (Aussie) two times a week and have done this for over a year. The trainer I work with uses this method in his classes and I have personally seen it be totally effective on every breed ever brought to this class. (The class is composed of puppies through seniors in every level of training.) My instructor himself states that he is not the reason that this method works but the love and praise on the dog that makes it work every time. I can honestly say that if you do love your dog, read Koehler's first book and any others he has written and them follow them exactly. There is no way you can go wrong and the bond you will form with your dog will be stronger than you ever dreamed imaginable. My dog isn't a service dog exactly but having trained him through Koehler's method has made him a valued member of my family capable of helping me with my children and many other daily responsibilities that I have. This method, when you understand it, is the best way for you to love your dog and enjoy working with him.

Rating:
Summary: For the love of your dog
Review: I have used many different training methods over the years with several different dog breeds and have found Koehler's method of training to be 100% effective 100% of the time. I attend an obedience class with my current dog, Blue, (Aussie) two times a week and have done this for over a year. The trainer I work with uses this method in his classes and I have personally seen it be totally effective on every breed ever brought to this class. (The class is composed of puppies through seniors in every level of training.) My instructor himself states that he is not the reason that this method works but the love and praise on the dog that makes it work every time. I can honestly say that if you do love your dog, read Koehler's first book and any others he has written and them follow them exactly. There is no way you can go wrong and the bond you will form with your dog will be stronger than you ever dreamed imaginable. My dog isn't a service dog exactly but having trained him through Koehler's method has made him a valued member of my family capable of helping me with my children and many other daily responsibilities that I have. This method, when you understand it, is the best way for you to love your dog and enjoy working with him.

Rating:
Summary: The Koehler Method of Open Obedience for...
Review: The first time I read Koehler's books I thought they sounded harsh. But after thinking about it and trying his methods I have found them to be sound. I own several Doberman Pinchers and his methods have been invaluable to me. Dobies can be a difficult breed to handle because they are protective by nature and can be agressive. His methods have proven time and again to be effective in handling my dogs. I have shown my dogs in different compations for obedience and have a display board full of ribbions to prove his methods effectivness, many thanks to Mr. Koelher. I recommend reading his first book on basic dog obedience to get a good understanding of his methods before moving on to higher levels of training.

Rating:
Summary: Not for every dog
Review: To review this book, I must first tell a story. When I was a teenager ( awhile ago ) I enrolled with my Afghan mix in an obedience class. She was not a bad or unruly dog, but I thought a bit of obedience would not hurt. The class was "Koehler based" and the harshness of the methods turned a playful, happy dog into a terrified shut down dog. I also got to see dogs being choaked until they nearly passed out, "hung" ect. What a great example to show to a kid. I used to get queasy before the class and my dog would hide. Looking back, I actually think one of the trainers might have been a genuine sadist, but what does a 16 year old know other than "my dog is now much worse than she was". We were told to read several of Koehler's books which I did and I could see where the trainers were coming from. However, these methods *do not * work on all breeds! You can ruin a good dog! It took quite a while for my dog to recover from that Koehler based class.
Anyone who has a Greyhound, Saluki or any other sighthound breed should not use Koehler's methods! I can't say this more strongly. There are other options. Experts in these sensative breeds now agree. I now have a Whippet very well trained using clicker training. I shudder when I think of my freaked out Afghan hiding when the choke chain and leash came out or freezing in terror.
This book and Koehler's methods might work for "hard" stubborn dogs, or for police work, but be careful or the dog will end up worse, and you'll put more work into just bringing it back where it was. Proceed with caution!