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Subtitled "How to train any animal using
Dolphin training techniques" is a book every
pet owner must have. Pete Davey is a
professional dolphin trainer who has used his
special techniques to train a wide variety of
animals, including cats, dogs and horses.
With humor and lots of photographs and sketches,
Pete says that by thinking of pets as "whales with
fur," the reader can apply his techniques to any
animal to get the desired results. Foreword by Jack Hanna, TV Host of Animal
Adventures.
CONTENTS
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: What do I know?
Chapter 2: Fluffy is really
smart
Chapter 3: Why train?
Chapter 4: Learnin’ the lingo
Chapter 5: Some thoughts to
keep in your head before you start
Chapter 6: Getting started on
your very own whale
Chapter 7: Let’s start some
training
Chapter 8: Retrievals
Chapter 9: Training a cat?
Chapter 10: A horse is a horse
Chapter 11: Look at me…I’m
training!
Chapter 12: Dogs will be dogs;
self-reinforcing behaviors
Chapter 13: Oh, that’s just
his way of saying hello
Chapter 14: Selective bridging
to improve behaviors, not just to fix them
Chapter 15: Yippee, going to
the vet!
Chapter 16: Hey, whatcha
doing’ with that needle?
Index
Photographic/Illustration
Credits
About the Author
REVIEWS
Off The Shelf-Compiled by Dr. Gray Stafford / Reviewed by Billy Hurley, Dolphin Quest
"Now here is a book that lives by the rule "what you see is what you get". And that's how the author lives his life. No dancing around the topic, just getting down to the real deal.
Whales With Fur is a book that anyone interested in training his or her pet "Fido", "Morris", or "Mr. Ed", should have. Pete Davey approaches the training of one's pet by drawing from his experience of training marine mammals. For those of you that have been in the exotic animal training business for years, you most likely will find nothing new. It's not the content of the information that had me glued to the pages; it's the style
with which Pete writes. It's downright funny. Readers should be able to relax while learning from Pete's book, because he conveys his thoughts as if you were sitting in his kitchen watching him prepare dinner (wait a minute, Pete doesn't make dinner, but Jody does, and you'll see her throughout the book). Maybe a better analogy would be debating with Pete over beers at an IMATA conference; that's more realistic. But the bottom line is you need this book. It's a great teaching tool for novice trainers as he doesn't bore you with laborious multi-syllabic terms coined every year at conferences. But he draws great comparisons that attempt to make the reader's mind "click" when struggling through training.
As you peruse his written dialogue, Pete takes the reader through history (nice pictures...however I noticed that Pete seemed to get older each page I turned), reasons animals should be trained, and then on to foundational terminology. He then shifts gears into what one should consider before confusing the heck out of the "about to be trained" individual (lucky them). Finally the training process begins, and the reader/apprentice trainer is taken on a journey of "how to's" and "why not's" that many of us wish we had
heard, oh those many years ago. The best part is how Pete encourages the reader to train the examples he lists, and more importantly how to troubleshoot what may be occurring...and all the while he makes you laugh. As one heads through the "home stretch" of the book, Pete covers the issues of non-desirable behavior and forethought about those things that can be sensitizing to the standard pet. All in all, it's good stuff.
As stated, the author, Pete Davey, has done a great job of breaking down the
lingo, the desires, the problems, and the successes of training in an easy to read format. He pairs a reinforcer (laughing) with what may seem to be a border line punisher (reading text) to achieve the desired outcome (making Pete a lot of money)...I mean (teaching caregivers how to not confuse their prized companions through clear communication). It's a book well worth reading. And just like Ramirez's book on training, you only need to jump on Amazon.com...happy training!
"
Reviewed by Kay Day author of A Poetry Break, Poetry
for Your Pleasure
"As a dog lover, I am proud of what my beagle hound Shadow can
do. He can do regular dog things like roll over, say hello, and
stay. It was not easy teaching him these skills, and I have
failed in a number of other efforts.
For instance, if I throw a tennis ball, he will pursue it, but
he will not yield it up, preferring instead to slurp it, chew
it, and toss it in the air for himself. As a hound, he is a
prisoner of his nose. So efforts to convince him to refrain from
smelling our guests, with emphasis on certain sensitive areas of
their bodies, have been equally unsuccessful. As a result, when
visitors come, he must be leashed. Although he sits agreeably by
me during visits, it is a little embarrassing that I can not let
him loose. He sometimes barks when gullible people are eating,
because he enjoys people food. He will steal it if we turn our
backs on him.
Had I been able to read Whales with Fur prior to teaching Shadow
some manners, I would have had an easier time of it. This book
is written by an expert on animals, but it is written in an
easy-to-understand manner. For instance, on the matter of
fetching, I immediately saw the error of my ways.
Like many other owners, I always threw the ball and when my dog
ran towards me, I would offer him a bit of doggie biscuit. Of
course, as soon as Shadow saw the biscuit, he dropped the ball,
ran to gobble the treat, almost choking himself with enthusiasm,
and then ran back to pick up the ball and take off for parts
unknown.
Author Pete Davey sheds a great deal of light on this matter by
explaining that instead of teaching the dog to run after the
ball, an owner must first teach the dog to release the ball in a
backward training approach. Davey uses terms like "bridge" for
the stimulus that communicates to the dog what you want him to
do so that he will get the "reinforcer" or reward. Davey
explains that you actually begin the training with the goal. He
writes, "Think of training the behavior backwards. The last
thing in the sequence of events you want Laddie to do is hand
you the Frisbee. Right? So put the Frisbee in Laddie's mouth.
Then, at the same time your hand is holding the Frisbee and
Laddie holds the Frisbee in his mouth, bridge (whistle) and
reinforce (hot dog piece)."(pg. 49)
That advice makes so much sense to me now, but until I read this
book, it never occurred to me. Whales with Fur is full of such
advice. It is more than a book, it's a complete system for
teaching an animal good behavior. The foreword is by Jack Hanna,
Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo, and also host of TV's
"Animal Adventures." Author Pete Davey, Director of Training for
Marineland of Florida, has been involved in advanced animal
training and care for 16 years. He's worked with whales,
dolphins, sea lions, seals, tigers, birds, and many other
species.
If you want your horse to jump higher, or your dog to quit
falling apart as soon as he sees the vet, this book's for you.
Davey covers cats that scratch, dogs that dig, and teaching
animals how to perceive that "good" means the behavior is what
you want them to do.
Davey's writing style is peppered with humor, and that's a nice
touch that makes solid information more user-friendly. Consider
this passage about taking your pooch to the vet: "Most people
will claim Skipper KNOWS when he is going to the vet. In reality
it is far more likely that he knows the car ride is going to end
in something negative. It is very unlikely that Skipper's brain
comes up with, "Wow, that lady is getting her purse, putting the
children in the car, and now is coming towards me...my goodness,
we must be embarking to the veterinary office, where I might be
stuck upon the rump with a sharp needle. I know...I'll run
away!"(pg. 127)
The photographs and illustrations in the book enhance the
reader's experience. There's one photo of a large marine animal
with a human foot protruding from the animal's mouth.
Apparently, the trainer hadn't read Whales with Fur.
In our home, we'll be trying Davey's techniques on our beagle
hound. Maybe one day, we?ll be able to leave a turkey sandwich
unguarded. I'll definitely be buying some copies for my family
and friends, with several unruly pets in mind. Hopefully, loved
ones will learn to get the dog or cat to do what the humans want
instead of being held hostage by their pets."
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