Book Nook: The Pocket Guide to Dog Trick

Kids need rules, boundaries and order, and pets are no different. I recently had a chance to review a book that helps owners and their pets have fun and promote physical and mental health for canines -  The Pocket Guide to Dog Tricks, 101 activities to Engage, Challenge and Bond with Your Dog, by Kyra Sundance.

The book's small size makes it convenient. It's easy to keep on hand, manageable for kids, and possible to take along on vacation. It does include the basics that most dogs learn, like sit, fetch, and roll over. However, it has a lot of advanced tricks as well. Some of the more complicated tricks involve teaching the dog to do chores, like cleaning up and getting a beverage.

There are several great features of the book. It does a really good job explaining how to move a dog gradually in the direction of the full trick by breaking it down into smaller increments. It also organizes the tricks in a way that progresses naturally from one to the next, so related tricks are together and it's easier for pets and trainers to find success. The pictures are very clear, illustrating the steps well, and the language is written in a friendly, clearly understandable tone - my kids were able to understand the book and make use of it when we're dog sitting, which was a lot of fun for them! It didn't take too long for the Golden retriever my parents own to learn tricks from the book!

Kyra Sundance is a world-renowned dog trainer, lecturer, and internationally best-selling author of 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge and Bond with Your Dog. With over a million copies in print, Kyra’s award-winning books, kits, and DVDs have inspired dog owners worldwide to develop fun and rewarding relationships with their dogs. Her other books include Dog Training 101, The Dog Tricks and Training Workbook, 51 Puppy Tricks, and 101 Dog Tricks, Kids Edition.

Honed through decades of professional experience, Kyra’s easy step-by-step training methods are the most effective and humane way to train. Her positive methods foster confident, happy dogs who are motivated to do the right thing, rather than fearful of making a mistake.

As professional performers, Kyra and her Weimaraners starred in shows for the king of Morocco, Disney’s Hollywood stage shows, circuses, NBA halftime shows, on The Tonight Show, Ellen, Animal Planet, in movies, and in their own television series. Kyra is a professional set trainer for movie dogs, and is nationally ranked in competitive dog sports. She presents workshops around the world on dog tricks and canine conditioning.

 Kyra is CEO of "Do More With Your Dog!" trick dog titling organization; the “National Trick Dog championships”; and Chair of the “Trick Dog Expo."  Kyra lives in Lancaster, California.