About the Book
Using established and cutting-edge psychotherapies, Free Will Teaching™ offers a perspective that will change your approach to teaching your dog. Force-free, and embracing each dog’s right to free will, both you and your dog will achieve great success.
Owning a puppy is an exciting and rewarding experience. Understanding why your puppy does what he does, and what influences his behaviour, is key to a harmonious life together, and essential for avoiding the many problems and issues that crop up along the way.
Charting the first 18 months of Wolfie's life, from when he arrived with Kathie Gregory’s family at nine weeks of age, this book looks in detail at the mind and behaviour of a puppy, and how he develops as he becomes an adult dog. It also examines how dogs think, what they do, how they learn, form responses; their likes, dislikes, development stages and hormones, and how all of these influence a dog’s personality and development.
Language, cognitive ability, and emotional awareness are key aspects of FWT, resulting in fantastic achievements. Whether for your own dog or on a professional basis, this detailed account of how to use Free Will Teaching™ as a way of life to teach and guide every dog, takes today’s dog training into the future.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 - Introducing Wolfie
Chapter 2 - Picking him up
Chapter 3 - It's Never Too Early To Start Teaching
Chapter 4 - The Emotional Mind
Chapter 5 - Less Is More
Chapter 6 - Puppy Problems
Chapter 7 - Learning About The World
Chapter 8 - Terrible Teens
Chapter 9 - Settling Down
Chapter 10 - A Teenager Again?
Chapter 11 - A Balanced Mind
Chapter 12 - Almost an Adult
Chapter 13 - One Becomes Two
Chapter 14 - A Blossoming Friendship
Chapter 15 - Best Brothers
About the Author :
Kathie Gregory is a qualified animal behaviourist, presenter and author, specialising in advanced cognition and emotional intelligence. Passionate about raising standards and awareness in teaching and working with animals, she has developed free will teaching™ – a concept that provides the framework for animals to enjoy life without compromising their free will.
Kathie's work is divided between clients, mentoring, and writing. She regularly writes for Pet Professional Guild's magazine, Barks from the Guild, and Kennel & Cattery Magazine. Her first book, A tale of two horses: a passion for free will teaching, is available online and in-store. Kathie lives with her husband, Matt, two dogs, two horses, and four cats.
Review :
I enjoyed this book, certainly a different way to train your dog, and this new form of training has been given the title of 'Free Will Teaching.' This beautiful photographic paperback is firstly about a dog called Wolfie, and it is basically about his life from nine weeks to eighteen months of age. It shows how his mind works at a young age, and the natural behaviour that follows, as well as charting this progress as Wolfie developed into an adult. The training is based on the understanding of why Wolfie does what he does, and therefore what influences this behaviour. Also, many of the issues that will appear along the way can then hopefully be avoided and/or dealt with to make like more harmonious for the pup and his family. By taking into account how a dog thinks, and how they learn and respond, and what ages they have natural development stages in the mind and body, the book shows how all these things will influence a dog's personality and development as he/she matures into adulthood, and how all these situations are dealt with, can then affect a dog in all its future life. Key aspects of Free Will Treaching are emotional awareness, language and mental ability, and these in turn build the framework that can support every aspect of that dog's life. This way of teaching is said to be powerful and effective with results that will last a lifetime. I love the way this book is set out as a story. A true one, of course. Plus, the extracts of Wolfie's diary are delight, along with the super 'ordinary' photos of everyday life. Charts, graphics and illustrations also make up a complete package and include puppy number two, Remy, entering the story as well. Certainly, this gives the reader a fair bit to think about; interesting and well written. The author Kathie Gregory is an animal behaviourist and she specialises in advanced cognition and emotional intelligence. Her aim is to develop her free will teaching so that it will provide a framework for animals to enjoy life without compromising their free will. - Dog Training Weekly. Starch advocate of Canine Rights? A puppy called Wolfie: A passion for Free Will Teaching will empower you! Practicing as an established and respected canine behaviourist? You can't afford to miss reading Kathie Gregory's controversial book. It is destined to be a best seller. This book is highly organised with superb illustration by Denise O'Moore. A book cannot provide hands on experience. Graphic communication is another effective way to learn. Embark upon an amazing journey into canine psychology. Kathie Gregory and Denise O'Moore have produced an outstanding guide to canine psychology. Infographics and icons simplify this complicated subject and create a captivating experience for the reader. This is not a book about training dogs. It is a passion for creating an enriching, respectful inter-species lifestyle. A puppy called Wolfie: A passion for Free Will Teaching shines like a beacon in the world of the dog. It guides the guardians of this sentient species towards the goal where dog and self can realise and celebrate a liberating sense of self. Dog and guardian can merge, yet retain a separate connected sense of wholeness. This book is the way to the apex of interspecies being. - Geelong Obedience Dog Club. Using established and cutting-edge psychotherapies, Free Will Teaching offers a perspective that will change your approach to teaching your dog. Understanding why your puppy does what he does, and what influences his behaviour, is ket to a harmonious life together, and essential for avoiding the many problems and issues that crop up along the way. Charting the first 18 months of Wolfie's life, from when he arrived with Kathie Gregory's family at nine weeks of age, this book looks in detail at the mind and behaviour of a puppy, and how he develops as he becomes an adult dog. It also examines how dogs think, what they do, how they learn, form responses. - Dpgs & Pups, Cats & Kittens. This book is totally unlike any of the other books I have read from this publisher. Most, although textbooks I have found are light reading" but this is very much a textbook. It is extremely detailed in every way. For this reason I would recommend readers choose an opportunity for a quiet time to read and digest. My immediate reaction on receiving the book was absolute pleasure and joy in the author's careful consideration in the breed of dog to own and her decision to have a Wolfhound ... the author chose the breed and the breeder without looking for both nearby; she was prepared to make every effort to ensure her choice was right for her. Free Will Teaching, rather than training, needs careful consideration both for the owner and the dog and this is emphasised throughout the book with some delightful photographs and fascinating diagrams. Explanations of hormone linked behaviour and human therapies are covered in great detail. I would recommend that prospective owners read the book before choosing their puppy so they will have a greater idea of the needs of their new family member. - Trevor Turner. A beautiful and well-written book which should be of interest to hardcore dog lovers (Wolfhound enthusiasts will particularly enjoy it), those on the lookout for a new addition to the family, or those with an interest in behaviour principles and training, with its in-depth descriptions of the canine nervous system, hormone cycles and the socialisation period. Although Wolfhound-sized buckets of patience are required to embrace he concept of Free Will Teaching completely, I have no doubt that this would ultimately pay off if your puppy develops into an adult dog who is as well balanced and confident as Wolfie. - Grace Clarke. Gregory's book is a testament to how the awareness and acceptance on how dogs think makes for a more harmonious relationship between humans and all animals. - Association of Professional Dog Trainers. This book is a must-read for puppy owners and professionals Kennel and Cattery Management
