All Star Dog Training Program: Advanced Behaviors; All Star Dog Training Program: Basic Behaviors; All Star Dog Training Program: Health, Nutrition & Safety Tips

Trainer Joel Silverman, from Birds & Animals Unlimited - a company that trains animals for work in television and film-is the host for this three part series which features "all star" dogs, such as Bear (who plays Dreyfuss in TV's Empty Nest), Fred (Einstein in Back to the Future II and III), Bodie (Rhett in Steel Magnolias), Rocky (Rinnie in TV's RinTin-Tin K-9 Cop), and Bo (Wondermutt in Summer School). Each tape opens with a commercial for Bil-Jac Dog Food (which I initially thought was a joke, but is an actual dog food), followed by Silverman and dogs demonstrating various behaviors. Basic Behaviors covers the commands "sit," "stay," "lie down," "come," "heel," and "easy" (used while walking) as well as the subject of housebreaking. Advanced Behaviors offers dog tricks such as "head down," "head up," "wave" (what many of us call "shake"), "crawl," "lie on side" (what many of us call "play dead"), and "retrieve" (what many of us call "fetch.") The behavior tapes offer clear, concise instruction that only errs in one major way. Little time is spent on the dog screwing up, because these Hollywood canines don't screw-up. In the few sentences on reprimanding the dog, these tapes say-like most other tapes do-that correction has to be immediate (okay) because dogs only live in the moment (what?). Anyone who actually owns a dog knows all too well that dogs do not just live "in the moment" - for better, or more often, worse, dogs do have memories. As for the Advanced tape, Silverman says that in practicing "sit-up," you should aim for 3-4 seconds in duration-but fails to mention that for some breeds this is extremely hard on the hips. Too, Silverman says that it will take a dog 3 days to a week to learn the "crawl" trick (it took my dog less than five minutes ...and he can talk, and he's better looking, and he's going to cost you a pretty penny, Joel, if you want to use him on the silver screen ... wait a see ... what's that? ...Sagen says strike the pretty penny, he's willing to negosh.) The last tape, Health, Nutrition & Safety Tips covers "health" (the dog's coat, skin, feet, ears, teeth, and gums), and discusses proper bathing and nail clipping techniques; "nutrition," which is basically a lecture by Bob Kelly, president of Bil-Jac Foods (remember the opening commercial) who doesn't exactly push Bil-Jac but does define quality dog food in such away that most other competitors are knocked out; and "safety tips," like keeping your chemicals locked up, having a fenced yard, and not letting your dog hang his head out the car window (too many foreign objects flying into the eyes). All in all, while not the best, this is a good, inexpensive series which has the additional salability factor of "all star" dogs featured prominently on the front covers-dogs who make more money than you and me combined. Recommended. (Available from: BCG, Inc., 7737 W. Chestnut Pl., Ste. 110, Littleton, CO 80123.)