Ian Dunbar
About Ian Dunbar
Speech topics
Resolving Dog-Dog Reactivity
When dogs are involved in a scuffle, scrap, or fight, owners often lay blame on the other dog and owner, and sometimes on their own dog. However, it takes two to tango, or in this case four: your dog, the other dog, the other owner, and you. When two dogs and their owners approach each other, dogs and owners often become increasingly anxious, stressed, fearful, and in extreme cases, downright scared. If one of the four reacts, all four will erupt, causing the original dog to erupt more and so, create a vicious circle. Owners often feel helpless because they feel there is nothing they can do to change or stop the other dog’s behavior. But there is, and you can.
Speaking videos
Books by Ian Dunbar
“Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training” (2023)
When Dr. Ian Dunbar introduced his SIRIUS® Puppy Training in 1982, dog training mostly comprised punishing adult dogs for bad habits and lack of compliance. Dunbar focused on verbally cuing and creatively luring to achieve desirable behavior and using “life rewards” — sniffing, walking, play with dogs, and interactive games — to reinforce speedy compliance and good habits from the outset. His “dog’s point of view” approach revolutionized the field, and today there are few trainers who have not been strongly influenced by it. While positive reinforcement is now widely adopted, this new book details how other reward-training techniques have strayed from Dunbar’s original, quick and easy, highly effective lure-reward approach for teaching dogs ESL, in which we can verbally cue specific responses, offer heartfelt praise for success, and give guidance when dogs err. With Dunbar’s method, we can teach dogs when and where to eliminate, what to chew, when and for how long to bark, and when and how to appropriately let off steam. Barking Up the Right Tree offers proof that aversive punishment seldom works to eliminate undesirable behavior or to get the dog back on track. Dunbar presents numerous nonaversive yet highly effective solutions for misbehavior and noncompliance — simply by using the words you teach, and without even raising your voice. The culmination of fifty-plus years at the vanguard of dog behavioral science, Barking Up the Right Tree is an indispensable guide for anyone who wants harmonious, two-way communication with a calm, confident, well-behaved, happy canine companion.
“How To Teach A New Dog Old Tricks: The Sirius Puppy Training Manual” (2015)
Voted the #1 BEST BOOK (1999) by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers - the largest and most influential worldwide association of professional pet dog trainers. Fun training with toys, treats, lures, and rewards. Easy, fun-loving, dog-friendly methods for teaching basic manners off-leash, and for temperament modification and behavior problem troubleshooting. Written from the dog's point of view and emphasizing natural motivational methods to teach your dog to want to do what you want him to do! "How To Teach A New Dog Old Tricks is the best book by dog training's leading genius. The most relevant, important piece ever written on the subject of dog behavior and training. Some fields are lucky enough to be granted a giant: a figure whose contributions inspire awe and are unsurpassable. Ian Dunbar is that in dog behavior. There is no single person on the face of the planet to whom dog trainers and owners (not to mention dogs) owe more." Jean Donaldson (author of The Culture Clash)
“Doctor Dunbar's Good Little Dog Book” (2012)
This little book is intended primarily as a brief but comprehensive guide to puppy training, containing information about socialization, temperament training and behavior modification as well as tips for teaching basic manners. Dr. Dunbar’s lure/reward training techniques are certainly not limited to puppies. On the contrary, they have become the method of choice for instructing good-natured, but otherwise uneducated adult dogs.Our best friend—the domestic dog — is a social animal and so, it would be unfair and antisocial not to train him. How else could we communicate? With ear positions and tail wags? Luckily, dogs can easily learn our language… if we teach them! Basically, training comprises teaching dogs ESL — English as a Second Language — so that our dogs can understand human words for their doggy behaviors and actions.Lure/reward training is de rigeur for teaching a wide variety of animals, including lions, tigers, killer whales, and grizzly bears. Over a hundred years ago, similar reward-based methods were the accepted practice for training all dogs and puppies. Unfortunately, in the twentieth century, the Trainers from The Dark Side inflicted a harsher regime of laborious, on-leash, push-pull, squish-squash, narrow-brained methods on unsuspecting owners and their dogs. Sadly, domination was the focus and the poor defenseless dog was viewed as an adversary in the training arena. Why treat your best friend like your worst enemy?Welcome back to the historically-proven, so-old-that-it’s-new-again, natural, common-sense and enjoyable way to train your dog — off-leash, lure/reward, fun and games, dog-friendly dog training. Dr. Dunbar’s training techniques are altogether quicker, easier, gentler, more effective, and certainly considerably more enjoyable for you and your dog. Lure/reward training techniques work like a treat!
“Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog” (2004)
How to raise the perfect puppy A revolution for dogs: Very few dog trainers have not been influenced by Dr. Ian Dunbar’s dog-friendly philosophy. In the 1970s, Dr. Ian Dunbar sparked a dramatic shift in puppy training ― away from leash corrections and drill-sergeant adult dog training classes based on competitive obedience and toward a positive approach using toys, treats, and games as rewards for teaching basic manners, preventing behavior problems, and modifying temperament. Before Dr. Dunbar there were no classes for puppy training, very few family dog classes, and not much fun in dog training. His positive approach revolutionized the dog training field, especially puppy training. Raising a great dog: Now, in Before and After Getting Your Puppy, Dr. Ian Dunbar combines his two popular puppy training manuals into one indexed, value-priced hardcover dog training book. In clear steps, with helpful photos and easy-to-follow puppy training milestones, he presents a structured yet playful and humorous plan for raising a wonderful dog. Dr. Dunbar’s guide is based around six developmental milestones: Your doggy education Evaluating puppy’s progress Errorless housetraining and chewtoy-training Socialization with People Learning bite inhibition The world at large Fans of The Art of Raising a Puppy, Training the Best Dog Ever, or Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution, will love Ian Dunbar’s Before and After Getting Your Puppy.
“Before You Get Your Puppy” (2001)
hen you choose a new puppy, you need to meet six developmental deadlines before your puppy is just five months old. "BEFORE You Get Your Puppy" covers the first three developmental deadlines covering the period of puppy selection until your puppy's first week at home. 1st Developmental Deadline: Your Education About Puppy Education - Before you search for a puppy you need to complete your education about puppy education. You need to know how to select a good puppy and how puppies work. Selecting a puppy is similar to selecting a car: Do lots of research beforehand and "test drive" a wide variety. But first, you need to learn how to drive. 2nd Developmental Deadline: Evaluating Your Prospective Puppy's Progress - Before you choose your puppy, you need to know how to assess your prospective puppy's current socialization and educational status. Regardless of breed or breeding, if socialization, housetraining, and basic manners are not well underway by eight weeks of age, the puppy is already developmentally retarded. 3rd Developmental Deadline: Errorless Housetraining & Chewtoy-Training Make certain that an errorless housetraining and chewtoy-training program is instituted from the very first day your puppy comes home.
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