... was going to New York with us for the winter months. As far as we could tell, he had never been on a lead, or in a house, or on a sidewalk. Fortunately, we found Pat Widmer in New York City. Pat taught us not only how to train our dog but also that our dog was a unique responsibility we must fulfill. She taught common sense and dog sense as well. She has a lot to say to dog owners and to anyone who is thinking of becoming a dog owner. We are now breeders of Bernese Mountain Dogs at our ranch in Utah. Our dogs have given us much pleasure, and we credit Pat Widmer with getting us off to the right start.
—Robert Redford, Actor, Environmentalist, and co-owner of Double R Kennels, Sundance, Utah, with Lola Redford, Environmentalist, and Founder and Executive Director—Consumer Action Now.
Casey, the young dog we had found beside a dirt road leading to our house in the mountains of Utah, ...
It’s been my good fortune for 11 years to witness Pat Widmer’s consuming interest ...
... in the well-being of all pets. In addition to working devotedly for animal welfare, she has developed an impressive ability in handling and training dogs. She understands their thinking. And as you will see in this book, she approaches training from the animal’s point of view. Pat taught me how to train my own dogs and has done the same for many of my clients.
—Mike Marder, D.V.M., Manhattan Veterinary Group, Ltd.
This entertaining volume offers all the basics of obedience training (heel, sit and stay, down, come, and so on) in lucid, direct fashion.
Particularly helpful are the chapters dealing with specific behavioral problems. We were privileged to have this material in manuscript form many months before publication, and it has been a valued guide in our frequent references to it.
—Gretchen Scanlan, Director, Kent Animal Shelter, Inc.; Director, New York State Humane Association, Inc.
Here is a book that for the first time sets forth in clear, understandable language how to acquire, train, and live with a house pet.
The book is a must for pet owners.
—Chet Collier, AKC Licensed Judge; President, Dog Fanciers Club of America; Vice President & Director, Westchester Kennel Club; Member, Board of Managers, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Your dog bites? Chews? Barks? Doesn’t like men? Women?
Pat Widmer presents a unique theory—that problem pets are a result of our problems, not theirs. I believe her! She has unusual insight into pet behavior, and she shares it in a clear and most convincing manner. Her approach is both knowledgeable and humane.
—Gretchen Wyler, Actress; Founder and Manager, Warwick Animal Shelter; Chairman of the Board, New York State Humane Association, Inc.; Vice President and Director, Fund for Animals, Inc.