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A Practical Guide to Balanced Dog Training
ISBN: 978-1-7641392-2-9 | First Edition 2025
What This Book Is About
Too many dog training books demand you follow a single method. My Dog, My Way takes a different approach. Darren Scahill draws on more than 30 years of hands-on experience, formal qualifications, and studies with the world's leading specialists to give you a guide built around one truth: no two dogs — or owners — are the same.
Whether you have a brand-new puppy, a reactive rescue, or a dog with a serious behaviour problem, this book equips you with the understanding and practical tools to train your dog, your way — with clarity, fairness, and genuine results.
Use the full range of techniques appropriate for your individual dog. Some dogs respond to food rewards; others need clearer boundaries. Balance means choosing what works, not what's fashionable.
Every method in this book respects the dog as a living being. Fair, trust-building training that never relies on fear or intimidation. Dogs learn best when they feel safe and understood.
Simple, consistent communication that your dog can actually understand. Step-by-step techniques, real-world examples, and an honest assessment of what will and won't work for your situation.
Inside the Book
Table of Contents
From foundation theory to advanced behaviour modification — structured to build on itself, chapter by chapter.
Developing the relationship, understanding breed and motivation, handfeeding, play and enrichment, and the emotional well-being of your dog
Excitement, environmental influence, reward levels, drive vs. fight-or-flight, consequence levels, and merging the scales
Operant conditioning, positive reinforcement foundations, reinforcement schedules, leadership vs. dominance, and marker words
Building foundations, managing thresholds, engage/disengage training, breed and drive understanding, and setting realistic expectations
Collars, leads, harnesses, treat pouches, toys — and how to select the right tool for your individual dog
Sit, stand, drop, recall, heelwork, stay, leave, place — plus corrections, voice use, body language, impulse control, and luring
Canine body language, conditioned responses, counterconditioning, corrections, Molly's reactivity journey, and when to seek professional help
Pulling, barking, jumping, separation anxiety, destructive behaviours, inappropriate elimination, recall fixing, and e-collar recall
All major aggression types — fear, territorial, resource guarding, predatory, redirected, maternal, idiopathic, frustration, and play aggression
Introduction to scent work, wind scenting, step tracking, enrichment through nose work, and advancing your tracking skills
Real-world case scenarios — isolation distress, severe reactivity, thunderstorm anxiety, post-attack recovery, and more
A complete week-by-week programme using the 80/20 Pareto Principle and Premack Principle — from focus and foundations through to public proofing and reward fading
Included Free with Every Purchase
A structured digital programme you can follow alongside the book — practical exercises to reinforce every key concept at home with your dog.
A visual decision-making tool to help you diagnose and address your dog's behavioural challenges step by step — a quick-reference resource you'll return to again and again.
Free Sample
The demo below includes the introduction, Chapter One in full, the training philosophy, and the complete table of contents — so you can see exactly what you're getting before you purchase.
This is a demo excerpt only. The full book is available for purchase below.
Get Your Copy
A practical, honest, and comprehensive guide written by a trainer who has spent 30 years working with real dogs and real owners — not just theories.
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