Book Review: Dragons, Unicorns, Chimeras, & Clickers (How to train your critter)

Dragons, Unicorns, Chimeras, & Clickers: How to train your fantastic beasts, by Laura VanArendonk Baugh (AEclipse Press, 2019, 73 pp, $9.99)

In a Word: Wow!

At First Glance

I picked up this little book, one of three books in a series of Training Great Dogs, and figured I could read it in one evening, one sitting - and then I wondered if it would be worth the ten bucks I paid for it (about a dollar a chapter or approximately 16 cents a page). 

Second Glance: Entertaining Education

I was right on both accounts - it is a fast read, a story AND it is entertaining education! I am now going to give it to all my dog training clients to reinforce what we go over in our sessions. It is an especially fun read for kids - with real and imaginary creatures (chupacabras, dragons, mandrakes and banshees) and a story in 12 short chapters that illustrates training and tells you how to apply this type of training (clicker or positive reinforcement training) to your own dog.

Kids may read it for the story (taking a reporter on a tour of a very unusual zoo) and the imaginary creatures while adults will read the short short chapters to review what they learned from their favorite dog trainer.

So Good, The Dog Tried to Eat It!

True. I was dogsitting and placed the book on the couch when I went to answer the door. When I got back, I had to trade a treat for the book. I guess dragons are a canine delicacy!

Adjunct to a Summer Camp for Dogs and Their Kids

Like Denise Fenzi's Blogger Dog, Brito!, Dragons reinforces the steps in positive reinforcement dog training with a chapter a day for homework-fun at summer camp for dogs and their kids. And any kid (or adult) can make time to read less than five pages at a time - including illustrations.

What Do I Love?

The end-of-book summary of dog-stuff of treats, targetting, trouble-shooting, cues, and more.

What Would I Change?

It's hard to make an excellent book better so my suggestions as a former editor are perhaps only cosmetic. I would title each chapter rather than merely number them. For example, "Unicorns Love Dandelions," "Leash Train Your Favorite Gryphon," and "Shaping a Sasquatch." I would also include an index of the various critters and the training tips to help trainers assign chapters and create their curriculum, and to help families later find just what they need to brush up on training their Best Friend.

All in All

A great bargain!