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Calm Down!: Step-by-Step to a Calm, Relaxed, and Brilliant Family Dog (Essential Skills for a Brilliant Family Dog) Paperback – February 19, 2017
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Is your dog driving you mad?
Learn how to
• find your dog’s off-switch
• enjoy a calm visit to a cafe or pub
• reach your dog’s mind without losing yours
• enjoy your dog again!
Instead of saying “This is what you do,” then leaving you to it, Beverley Courtney takes you by the hand and troubleshoots all the games so that you can get them absolutely right for you and your individual dog. And the joy is that this is all achieved without shouting, force, or intimidation. Just pure undiluted fun!
There’s no strange jargon, no “Thou shalt not’s”, and every time you get stuck, another solution pops up. Beverley’s years of experience as a professional positive dog trainer - in face-to-face classes as well as her online programs - shine through. Having taught thousands of new owners how to work with their puppies and dogs - entirely without force - Beverley knows just what you’re up against!
Buy Book 1 in the series of Essential Skills for a Brilliant Family Dog and learn how to get what you want from your dog, as it sends him off to sleep for you - zzzzzz!
- Print length74 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateFebruary 19, 2017
- Dimensions6 x 0.19 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101520647611
- ISBN-13978-1520647616
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Product details
- Publisher : Independently published
- Publication date : February 19, 2017
- Language : English
- Print length : 74 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1520647611
- ISBN-13 : 978-1520647616
- Item Weight : 4.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.19 x 9 inches
- Book 1 of 4 : Essential Skills for a Brilliant Family Dog
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,897,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #831 in Dog Care & Health (Books)
- #1,613 in Dog Training (Books)
- #2,432 in Dog Breeds (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Beverley Courtney has two strings to her bow! First, she is the author of the popular Brilliant Family Dog series of step-by-step, force-free dog training books.
And she is now emerging as a serious novelist, with her Literary Fiction novels "Keeping Tabs" and "Seeking Clarity", dealing with issues that so many women experience.
Beverley has lived with dogs all her life. She qualified her Battersea Dogs’ Home rescue Poppy as a Working Trials Champion - and has enjoyed herself hugely for many years helping new owners with their dogs and puppies through her books, classes, and online courses.
Using the latest scientific breakthroughs in dog behaviour, with a no-force / no-blame / no-shame approach, she is dedicated to improving communication between owner and dog. Once you jettison the idea that it’s a one-way process (“I said SIT”) and start understanding how your dog learns, training becomes a breeze.
Her fresh approach has helped hundreds of families discover the joy of choice-based training. The first four books address the four "Essential Skills for a Brilliant Family Dog" (yes! there are just four!), featuring one of her students’ favourite skills - getting their frantic puppy to relax!
Beverley’s next three books address the tricky problem many dog-owners experience - of having a dog who barks and reacts to other dogs. Or people. Or bikes … Drawing on her own experience with her “Growly Dog” Lacy, together with extensive study, she brings the gentle and humorous approach that her readers love. There is no blame or shame here - just empathy, understanding, and masses of how-to’s to get you enjoying your walks with your dog again.
Get yourself a really useful dog, by mastering the retrieve with "Fetch It!", so that after an enjoyable walk playing ball or frisbee, she can fetch your slippers and the tv remote for you!
And new puppy-owners, so often lost and at sea in this new world, can get things right from the start. "New Puppy!" will remove the frustration and guide you to build an unbreakable bond with your pup.
Connect with me! I love hearing from readers ...
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this training book extremely helpful for their dogs, with concise step-by-step methods that are easy to understand and execute. The book's functionality receives positive feedback, with customers confirming that the methods work well.
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Customers find the book extremely helpful in training their dogs, with one mentioning it serves as a great resource for Go-To-Mat training.
"I enjoyed this book. I discovered many techniques to add. The first thing I do with a new puppy or dog is to create a safe place...." Read more
"...Simple and concise step-by-step training methods. The author gives us a tool (the mat) which can be utilized to help our dogs calm down and settle..." Read more
"...Beverly talks to you and understands your and your dog's issues. I feel like I have a friend working with me on my uh very energetic dog...." Read more
"...I think it is useful as a first learning aide. Or a way to help an older rehomed dog to build confidence in a new environment." Read more
Customers find the book easy to understand and execute, praising its concise step-by-step training methods.
"...I found in this book, my previous experience tells me these instructions will work and they made a lot of sense to me...." Read more
"...training methods to get your dog to accept it makes this worth the read. I'm rating this 4...." Read more
"Well done! Simple and concise step-by-step training methods...." Read more
"...Berkeley's lessons are straight forward and easy to execute." Read more
Customers find that the training methods in the book work well.
"...I've read a bunch of her books and think they are great! Very useful!" Read more
"...The exercises make sense and truely work. This book is well worth a read and trial--you will be happy you did." Read more
"The training methods worked well for my young hyper dog." Read more
"The book was easy to follow, and it actually worked. My dog loves his mat." Read more
Reviews with images

Teaching Trouble to Calm Down
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2017Format: KindleVerified PurchaseJust finished the book. I had a very well behaved German shepherd many years ago and, since then, I have been waiting to be in the right situation too have a dog again. I remember how I enjoyed training my dog with my moderate knowledge of the subject. Finally my wife and I have decided to commit and we will soon go to our local shelter to adopt. I can't wait to put into practice the advice I found in this book, my previous experience tells me these instructions will work and they made a lot of sense to me. Looking forward to go through the other books in this series.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2017Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI enjoyed this book. I discovered many techniques to add. The first thing I do with a new puppy or dog is to create a safe place. It can be a location or kennel crate depending upon age of dog. It never occurred to me to create a moveable safe place to aid in training. For that one fact and techniques, training methods to get your dog to accept it makes this worth the read. I'm rating this 4. Several other training methods are ones I personally have had little or no success with.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2017Format: KindleVerified PurchaseWell done! Simple and concise step-by-step training methods. The author gives us a tool (the mat) which can be utilized to help our dogs calm down and settle in place, even in distracting situations. I am using a mat to teach my Service Dog In Training the appropriate place for her to lie down when we are in public places.
The author also gently teaches us how to teach our dogs with loving patience and understanding. After successfully following through with the recommended program in this booklet, both you and your dog will be eager to learn more together.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2016Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI am not sure that I agree with the settling down mat and having to have an object for my dog to be able to settle down. Perhaps it is because we are past this with our training.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2018Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI have read other dog training books and they are either too didactic or not researched-based enough. Beverly talks to you and understands your and your dog's issues. I feel like I have a friend working with me on my uh very energetic dog. Also very practical. I understand clicker training but find it difficult to coordinate clicker, treat, everything else. Instead I've learned to use "yes!".
I've read a bunch of her books and think they are great! Very useful!
- Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2021Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThis is an interesting way to teach your dog to relax. I think it is useful as a first learning aide. Or a way to help an older rehomed dog to build confidence in a new environment.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2021Format: KindleVerified PurchaseForce-free training is where it’s at! I have a specially trained service dog who goes with me everywhere and I use the techniques on him to teach him new things and to reinforce his previously learned behaviors that i want him to continue to do. I think I’ll buy the rest of the set of books!
- Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2025Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThis book only covers one aspect of trying to modify your dog's behavior - using a "placement" mat. It is boring and not helpful at all.
Top reviews from other countries
- Jim VaughanReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, effective and practical: Training through understanding.
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThis book is a joy to use. I found every technique explained in clear simple steps, interspersed with humour and understanding of the often absurd situations dog and owner can find themselves in.
What I liked most is that the author clearly understands dogs brilliantly, and often presents "problem" situations from the dogs perspective. The short section on treats I found highly useful, as the best treats seem to be those you can make yourself much cheaper than the often rubbishy & expensive proprietary ones. You will get through a lot of treats as the training is unapologetically intended to be fun and rewarding for dog & owner alike! Following the advice given in the book, I now just give proportionately less food at dinner time.
Finally, though very readable and practical - I like that the Kindle versions of these books (5 in the series) come at a very affordable price. I hope many dog owners will get to hear of them and use them.
- Ioana StroeReviewed in Canada on June 14, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Grateful for the advices
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI listened to the advice and read the book entirely. Now i feel ready to start my journey with the two puppies I have, trusting that if the base is achieved and we persevere in maintaining it everybody in the family will be much happier and more relaxed.
- deepReviewed in India on July 10, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Happiest pet parent 😊
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThis has been the best training book I have read on fogs..I trained my dog exactly as mentioned in this book and guess what Im the happiness pet parent in my entire circle today 😁 I highly recommend reading this book
- NonnaReviewed in Australia on August 13, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Her methods are easy to understand and follow and the books are written ...
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThis was my first book by Beverley and I tried it because it was free. I have since bought 5 others, 1 from this series and the set of Growly Dog. Her methods are easy to understand and follow and the books are written in an easy to understand way. As a beginner to dog training the results may not come as quickly as described in the books but I'm sure with patience and perserverance it will all happen.
- bluebirdReviewed in Canada on November 1, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseGreat book on calming your dog, it's very well written, easy to follow and start your own training right away!